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Phillies Can’t Do Anything Right in Shutout Loss to the Reds

19 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun

Kyle Kendrick struggled in 10-0 loss to Cincinnati. Photo by Webster Riddick.

Kyle Kendrick struggled in 10-0 loss to Cincinnati. Photo by Webster Riddick.

PHILADELPHIA—You knew at some point this season that Kyle Kendrick (4-2) was going to have one of those games where he would struggle and his team would not score enough runs.

In Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Kendrick found himself in several jams and was actually lucky to just give up four runs on eight hits with four walks in six innings on the mound.

Kendrick’s lackluster performance was further complicated by another episode of “Disappearing Acts” by the Phillies offense and the Phillies bullpen which enabled the Reds to turn the game into a 10-0 laugher of a victory over the Phils in front of 41,817 fans at Citizen’s Bank Park.

“Kendrick got hurt by a three-run homer from (Ryan) Hanigan, but at the same time he battled, he kept us in the game and of course, we couldn’t score and the bullpen let the game get out of hand,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

Pitching deep into counts and allowing a man to reach base in every inning during his tenure on the mound, Kendrick was constantly pitching his way out of trouble. The Phillies were fortunate that the lead wasn’t larger.

Kendrick’s worst inning of the game would occur in the second inning. After giving up consecutive singles to third baseman Todd Frazier and leftfielder Donald Lutz, catcher Ryan Hanigan crushed a three-homerun to the leftfield seats.

“It seemed like the whole game my command wasn’t very good and I fell behind a lot,” Kendrick said. “It was one of those days where I had to battle. It was a tough day all around.”

With the silence of the Phillies bats that’s all the runs the Reds would need. Before departing the game in the sixth, Kendrick gave up a run-producing double to Reds shortstop Zack Cozart that scored Hanigan.

Of course, the Phillies bullpen—B.J. Rosenburg, Jeremy Horst and Phillipe Aumount helped the Reds put the game out of reach by allowing the Reds to score four runs in the eighth. Cincinnati also added a pair of runs in the ninth. The runs in the eighth were charged to Rosenburg. For the game, Phillies relievers gave up six runs on eight hits.

“I think it’s about getting ahead in the count kind of thing,” said Phillies reliever Chad Durbin. “I thought Rosenburg’s stuff was outstanding today. He just had some poor luck. Horst gives up one there instead of a double.

“Phillipe makes a wild pitch, but it’s a matter of getting ahead. All of them did other than Horst. They got behind and they battled back.  It’s a day in, day out thing. It’s having a three-run lead instead of being down three.”

Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo (4-4) pitched seven and two-thirds innings and allowed no runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Meanwhile, the Phillies big hitters-Ryan Howard and Chase Utley went a combined 1-for-7. By the time Howard doubled to begin the bottom of the ninth, the outcome was already decided.

While Manuel has said the team is going to eventually come around on the offensive end. He also said the team has to keep their heads up and not let things snow-ball into something worse.

“We’re in that area where we start doubting ourselves instead of just keep firing,” Manuel said. “You stay aggressive and keep working on trying to get a good ball to hit. Not trying to overdo it, but just stay within yourself and do something. … Never get down play 27 outs.”

As silent as their bats were, Phillies hitters were equally a quiet during postgame interviews as none were available to speak to reporters after the game. When the media gathered to interview Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins walked away and told reporters:

“There’s nothing to talk about, write what you saw.”

What fans saw today was a team that couldn’t do anything right.

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The Phillies May Have Something Left, But the End is Near

18 May

By Chris Murray

Cole Hamels has struggle in his eight starts this season. Photo by Webster Riddick.

Cole Hamels has struggle in his eight starts this season. Photo by Webster Riddick.

For the Chris Murray Report

PHILADELPHIA—In a week in which the Phillies face the possibility of not having starting pitcher Roy Halladay until maybe September or possibly not at all, the Phillies are facing a crossroads in the early season with a combination of injuries and players not playing up to their potential.

Phillies team doctor Michael Ciccotti said for Halladay to come back in September, he would have to get to the point where he has all his range of motion in the shoulder.

“(Halladay) needs to meet certain milestones before he can progress to the next level,” said Ciccotti. “If he achieves his range of motion if he’s strong and he can pick up a ball. If he can go to a mound and he can pitch and he’s comfortable. He has to pass those tests along the way and if he’s not comfortable and we’re not comfortable, we’re not going to let him get on the mound and pitch.”

As it stands now, the Phillies (20-22) are 3.5 games out of first place behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and they are now down two starting pitchers. John Lannan, who had strained ligaments in his knee, is expected to be off the disabled list in June.

But the real issue facing the Phillies is that their run of success that goes back 2007 and includes one World Series title, two National League pennants and five National East titles is slowly coming to an end.

That’s not to say the 2013 season is a done deal by any stretch of the imagination because we’re not even at the All-Star Break just yet. The Phils can still contend for a playoff spot and a division title, but they don’t have a lot of margin for long stretches of games where they struggle to hit, have bad starts by their pitchers or have their bullpen blow games.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins recently told MLB.com that team could be broken up if they don’t start winning on a consistent basis

“We’ve just got to make sure we do what we need to do before they blow it up,” Rollins said.

You have to think that at some point Cole Hamels (1-6, 4.61 ERA) is going to break out of his current funk. If he doesn’t do it anytime soon, then more than likely, the Phillies will be sellers by the time the July 31 trade deadline.

Oddly enough, Phillies starters outside of Halladay, Hamels and Cliff Lee, have combined for a 7-2 record so far this season while aforementioned big three are combined 7-12.

“We haven’t gotten the pitching performance — other than Lee — the guys at the top of the rotation haven’t pitched the way we know they can pitch, in particular Roy wasn’t very consistent, although he threw a couple good games,” said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.  “And Cole hasn’t been real consistent. But I am less worried about Cole than our offense, which has to come around and be a little more consistent.”

While the offense has played better within the last week or so, Amaro said he is concerned about Delmon Young, who is 2-for-11 on the current homestand and Ryan Howard, who is also 2-for-11, in the Phillies last three games.

“Right now, we have to be patient and see if Delmon starts swinging it and Ryan is going to have to start swinging it,” Amaro said. “If those guys do, then’ we’ll be OK. If they don’t, then we will have to figure out what we are going to do.”

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Howard has to work on finding some consistency at staying on the baseball.

“He’s not right yet,” Manuel said. “His swing is not consistent right now and he’s got to keep working until he finds it.”

The Phillies, whether they want to or not, are going to be finding how good or not so good their minor league farm system is getting ready pitchers are ready to start in the big leagues. So far, Jonathan Pettibone (3-0, 3.41 ERA) has raised as few eyes with his performances on the mound since being called up from Lehigh Valley.

At some point, teams around will the league have a better understanding of what Pettibone is doing on the mound and they will make the appropriate adjustments. If Pettibone can work through that, the Phillies will be in good shape.

Another possible “X” factor for the Phillies starting rotation is Zambrano, who recently signed a minor league contract with the team. In 12 years in the majors with the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins, Zambrano is 132-91 and has a 3.66 earned run average.

If the 31-year-old Zambrano can overcome his volatile past which includes fights with teammates and he comes back and still has something left, it will certainly give the Phillies a much-needed boost.

“We’re just trying to find some additional depth and some options for us,” said Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock. “It’s low risk and hopefully high reward …It’s one of those thing where just get him down there and see where he’s at. From the reports we got the other day, he’s in pretty good shape. We have to get a gauge of where he’s at.”

Meanwhile, some of the players feel that they are on the verge of putting together a run of game that would put them near the top of the division.

“I’ve been feeling that way the whole season,” said Phillies leftfielder Domonic Brown. “We’ve got a great team here. We just got to put it together.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Phillies Bats Support Solid Effort by Pettibone on the Mound

15 May

By Chris Murray

John Mayberry Jr. was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in against the Cleveland Indians Tuesday night.

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun

PHILADELPHIA—For the third time in as many games, the Philadelphia Phillies actually scored enough runs to go along with a solid effort from a starting pitcher.

Is it the beginning of the end of their hitting woes?

“I think it’s a matter of time,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “I think we can end up having a good offense, but we have to stay at it and keep going.”

In any event, the Phillies will be happy they came away with a 6-2 win over a Cleveland Indians team that mercilessly bludgeoned them into submission by scoring 19 runs in two games two weeks ago.

Center fielder John Mayberry Jr. was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and said it was good to get a win over the Indians after the beating the Indians gave the Phillies in Cleveland.

“You try to forget about it, but it’s definitely in the back of your mind of how the series went in Cleveland,” Mayberry said. “We definitely wanted to come here in front of our home fans and play well. We did that (Tuesday) night.”

Tuesday night, the Phillies offensive performance supported a solid effort on the mound by 22-year-old fifth starter Jonathan Pettibone (3-0), who allowed just two runs on four hits in six and two-thirds innings of work. He also had three strikeouts and two walks.

“Pettibone pitched brilliantly, I thought,” said second baseman Kevin Frandsen, who had a solo homer in the first inning. “He kept us in there when were 2-1 down and he kept fighting, fighting and made great pitches. That’s a stud right there. He’s a rookie, but he didn’t back down.”

Pettibone’s biggest challenge came in the Indians half of the third inning when he hit two straight Indians batters-first baseman Nick Swisher and catcher Carlos Santana-to load the bases with two outs. He got out of the inning by getting third baseman Mark Reynolds to fly out to second to end the threat.

“It’s big, after escaping with no runs, especially after second inning, giving up two you don’t want to dig yourself too big of a hole that early in the game,”  said Pettibone, who retired the last 13 men he faced. “Getting out of that inning, I was able to build off that and go from there the rest of the game.”

The Phillies bullpen came up huge as well. With Antonio Bastardo pitching in the Indians half of the eighth inning, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera tripled off the wall in right center field. Bastardo struck out Swisher, but walked Santana.

Manuel brought in reliever Justin De Fratus who got Reynolds to pop out to second. Jeremy Horst replaced De Fratus and then struck out Brantley to strand Cabrera at third to end the threat.

“Our bullpen did a real good job,” Manuel said. “De Fratus and Horst got some big outs.  Bastardo, I thought, pitched good. We started the eighth with a triple and we left him there. That was good.”

Meanwhile, Frandsen got things going for the Phillies offense in the first inning when he smacked a solo home run to the left field seats off Cleveland left-handed starter Scott Kazmir (2-2).

The Indians took a 2-1 lead in their half of the second inning on a single by left fielder Michael Brantley that scored Santana, who reached on a double and Swisher, who singled to start the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Phillies would take the lead for good on a double by Mayberry that brought home catcher Carlos Ruiz, who reached on a walk and Domonic Brown, who got on base with a lead-off single.

In the sixth inning, Brown, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, added to the Phillies lead with a frozen-rope of a home run to right field. Mayberry and Freddy Galvis added a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Eagles OTAs: Birds Get Acclimated to Kelly’s Way of Doing Things

15 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun

(From left to right): Michael Vick, Dennis Dixon and G.J. Kinne take turns throwing the ball during the first day of OTAs. Photo courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

(From left to right): Michael Vick, Dennis Dixon and G.J. Kinne take turns throwing the ball during the first day of OTAs. Photo courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

PHILADELPHIA—If you drive by the Eagles NovaCare practice facility in South Philly and you’re hearing Nicki Manaj or hearing “What is Love,” a song made popular by a Saturday Night Live skit, you’re not driving by a nightclub nor is there a special on Margaritas.

It’s the 2013 version of Eagles organized team activities for new head coach Chip Kelly who has definitely put his own unique stamp on the team’s culture. As the team goes through its various drills, mostly dance music with a few rock songs thrown in for good measure is being pumped in through loud speakers.

Some players see the music as a way of getting used to cheering crowds on the road while others are experiencing it the way they experience on their I-pods or in the weight room when they’re working out. Eagles wide receiver Eagles DeSean Jackson said the music is forcing him to concentrate even more on what he’s doing on the field.

“It’s almost like a football game where you have the crowd, everybody screaming and all that other stuff,” Jackson said. “You just have to go in there and focus in, you can’t worry about the music.”

In between the different drills, a computerized voice blares over the loudspeakers and simply says: “Period 20 Teach.”  That’s when the coaches walk through the various schemes that they just ran on the field.

Meanwhile, if you’re trying to get a reading on who’s ahead in the race to be the Eagles starting quarterback, Kelly’s not going tell you anything just yet. At Monday’s practice, the quarterbacks were working with a mixture of starting and backup running backs and receivers.

“It’s May 13th and we’ve got a long ways to go before we set a depth chart or do anything like that,” Kelly said during his post-practice press conference.

Last week at a team charity event, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said Michael Vick got most of the reps during the pre-draft minicamp last month and appeared to more than few people that he was getting most of the work at Monday’s practice.

“He hasn’t,” Kelly said. “Count them up. Someone charted them, I would imagine. (Vick) and Nick switched to different groups. We’re just trying to get the reps off and trying to get film and look at it.”

Relying on the eyeball test based on the idea that Kelly wants his quarterbacks to make quick decisions with the football. Vick seemed slow in going through his progressions, but was accurate with his passes.

Dennis Dixon, who worked with Kelly at Oregon, seemed to be the most comfortable with the offense in both the seven-on-seven drills and the 11-on-11drills.

Former USC star and seventh-round draft pick Matt Barkley did a good job of getting the ball out and quickly finding the open receiver. He doesn’t necessarily have the strongest arm in the world. According to Kelly, Barkley has done a good job of learning in the offense in the four days he has been with the team.

“Matt has been really good. Really thought he picked up things quickly,” Kelly said. “He’s an extremely hard worker. He’s every morning at six a.m. working at whatever it is to work on.”

Nick Foles looked comfortable in the offense and made some decent throws, but made some bad throws, too.  He also made some good reads when he handed the ball off in the running game. G.J. Kinne was about average, nothing to write home about.

Speaking of the running game, LeSean McCoy said the tempo of the offensive is a good thing for the running game and that there will be more touches for the Eagles running backs in this offense.

“There’s definitely a difference,” McCoy said. “Being able to run the ball a lot more because if you look at (Kelly’s) track record, a lot of his backs touched the ball quite a bit.  Sometimes, a big hole may be happening when a guy (on defense) might be out of place. With the backs we have here you don’t need that much room to get going.”

One of the features of Kelly’s up-tempo offense is that the players, as they are going up to the line of scrimmage will be getting the plays signaled in from the sidelines similar to the way it was done at Oregon.

“I think the game is about making quick decisions,” Kelly said. “The difference here that we didn’t have in college is we can communicate to the quarterback and there’s a lot to put on him, so there’s a whole system involved in that. We can talk to him.”

 

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Halladay Headed to Disabled List After Marlins Rout Punchless Phillies

5 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and The Philadelphia Sunday Sun

Roy Halladay has struggled in his last two outings of a sore right shoulder. Photo by Webster Riddick.

Roy Halladay has struggled in his last two outings of a sore right shoulder. Photo by Webster Riddick.

PHILADELPHIA–If you were wondering if there was something physically wrong with Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay after two disastrous starts in which gave up 17 earned runs in five innings, you absolutely right.

After the Phillies 14-2 loss at Citizen’s Bank Park to the last-place Miami Marlins in which he gave up nine earned runs in less than three innings, Halladay told reporters after the game that he had been experiencing soreness in his right shoulder since an April 19 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“My shoulder was bothering me,” Halladay said. “I woke up and I really didn’t think anything of it. I thought it was regular soreness. It kind progressed over the last two weeks or so. ..I felt good all spring, I felt good all year. It was after that start against Pittsburgh, I had soreness in there and I wasn’t able to get rid of it.”

 Meanwhile, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Halladay will be on the disabled list sometime within the next day or so once the team decides who they’re going to bring up from one of their minor league affiliates. He said Halladay will be examined by doctors in California.

“Clearly, it does seem like he’s not healthy,” Amaro said. “It was pretty apparent with his performance today unfortunately.”

Halladay apparently kept his condition from manager Charlie Manuel and Amaro. Because Halladay is a proven veteran, he felt that he was able to pitch his way through his soreness.

“Listen, he’s a competitor. If he feels he can pitch, he can pitch,” Amaro said. “Clearly, he wasn’t pitching to his custom level and it was apparent today and after his last outing.”

Going back to his last start against the Cleveland Indians, Halladay has given up a grand total of 17 earned runs, 12 hits, seven walks, two hit batsmen and four homeruns.  He hasn’t been able to pitch beyond the fourth inning.

The competitive portion of Sunday’s game ended in the first and third innings.  In the first inning, the Marlins scored five runs on two hits because Halladay had absolutely no command over his pitches. He walked three batters and hit another in the back.

“He couldn’t find his pitches today,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “He didn’t have his location and command. It was a combination of things. He kept falling behind and when had to come in and throw the ball in the big part of the plate he got hit.”

 Halladay gave up a two-run double to Miami rightfielder Marcell Ozuna that was almost a home run.

Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria hit a bases loaded triple to put the Phillies in a 5-0 hole after one half of an inning.

But Hechavarria wasn’t done with Halladay. In the third inning, the Miami shortstop hit a grand-slam home run that sent Halladay to the showers.  For the game, Hechavarria had seven runs batted in.  It was 9-0 and the rout was on.

With Halladay definitely out of the starting rotation, the Phillies, starting with their seven-game road trip to San Francisco and Arizona, will be playing a stretch of games against teams with winning records with the exception of the Marlins.

“I think our road trip is big,” Manuel said. “I think we need to win today’s game.  I think we need to win tomorrow’s game. I come here with the mindset that we’re going to win. We definitely need to start winning some games.

Last season, it was late May in which Halladay wound up on the disabled list and the Phillies went from being a game above .500 to being 13 games below .500 prior to the All-Star break. They were in a huge hole from which they never recovered.

In addition to Halladay’s problems on the mound, the Phillies offense in the last two games of the Miami series could only muster just two runs. After being shutout in Saturday night’s loss, the Phillies managed to score two runs (one earned) in the eighth.

“Until we start hitting the ball and start making better contact and doing things right, we’re going to struggle,” Manuel said. “We’ve got to come out and play-get runners on base and hit the ball. With the lineup that we got we better get some extra base hits because we’re not getting a whole lot out of our speed right now.”   

 

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Brown Starting to Find His Rhythm for the Phillies

5 May

By Chris Murray

Brown is getting better with each game. Photo by Webster Riddick.

Brown is getting better with each game. Photo by Webster Riddick.

For the Chris Murray Report

PHILADELPHIA—When Phillies leftfielder Domonic Brown was struggling in just about every aspect the first time he came up the big league club in 2011, there was a huge sentiment among fans calling the local sports talk stations that said he was a bust.

Even though he was the best prospect in the Phillies organization and lacking in significant league experience, there were more than quite a few fans and local media folk calling for the team to cut ties with the rising young star.

Coming into the 2013 season, Brown had a grand total of a year and 78 days of service as a major league player and had never played a full 162-game season.  How can somebody be a bust win just a short period of time? Can we at least wait until the guy has a full year or two before we make that kind of judgment?

So far this season, Brown is getting a chance to play on a regular basis and for all his critics out there, he’s not playing badly at all. We’re not ready to anoint him as the team’s next superstar just yet nor are we saying he’s a lock to make the National League All-Star team.

“You definitely can find your rhythm when you’re playing every day because that’s what I’m used to,” said Brown, who went 0-for-3 in the Phillies 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins. “I’m not used to coming off the bench. It’s been a blessing for Charlie to tell me I’m going to be in the lineup every day.”

But Brown is starting to show the potential that the Phillies were raving about since the team selected him in the 20th round of the 2006 draft.

In his last nine games coming into Saturday’s game against the Marlins, Brown is batting .382 with two doubles, three homeruns and eight runs batted in over his last nine games. He is currently tied for second on the team in homeruns (five) and is third on the team in runs batted in with 14. Brown has also batted .353 with runners in scoring position.

“When the season started, he was working to hold his own,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “I think right now you’re starting see that some of the at-bats he’s putting on that’s how he was doing it in the spring. He was very consistent in the spring. He showed his power, he showed his talent. We’re starting to see that and that’s good.”

During spring training, Brown batted .356 with seven home runs and 17 runs batted in. Manuel said playing on a regular basis at the major league level and being around batting coaches like Wally Joyner has helped him as well.

“I think being around the game, learning about the major leagues and learning about himself,” Manuel said. “I think he talks a lot with our coaches, he’s relaxed and feels a lot better about himself.”

Of course, the name of the game for Brown will be consistency and doing it on a regular basis. That also means doing in the field as well. Since Brown misjudged a ball that turned a routine single into a triple in the Phillies home-opener versus the Kansas City Royals, he’s done a solid job playing the outfield.

For a team that already has sluggers like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, Manuel believes that Brown has the potential to hit a lot of home runs for the Phillies.

“I think he’s capable of hitting some. How many he hits, I’d like to let him play and see how many hits,” Manuel said. “(30 home runs) is not beyond the realm of possibility.”

We’ll have a quite few games to see if that all rings true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hamels Gets No Run Support as Marlins Rookie Holds Phillies to One Hit

5 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun

Cole Hamels pitched eight innings and allowed just two runs and struck out six. He got no run support from the Phillies offense.

Cole Hamels pitched eight innings and allowed just two runs and struck out six. He got no run support from the Phillies offense.

PHILADELPHIA—You can’t put the Phillies 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins on the shoulders of Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels because he did his part.

In eight innings, Hamels allowed a pair of solo homeruns with six strikeouts, no walks and just four hits. He also retired the last 13 men he faced.

Unfortunately, the Phillies offense could not figure out Marlins 20-year-old starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, who simply shut down a hot Phillies offense and held them to just one hit while striking out nine in seven innings of work.  It was his first major league win.

“He was on,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “He brought his game to the yard today. He was on and he was really good. “I’ve seen a lot of young pitchers (Bert) Blyleven when he was about that age or younger. I remember Jim Palmer when he was young. I’ve seen quite a few pitchers. When you’re good, you’re good.”

It was just one of those nights where the Phillies simply had to just to tip their collective hats to the performance of the other guy. After Freddy Galvis first-inning single up the middle, it was all Fernandez.  The Phillies also could get anything Marlins relief pitchers Mike Dunn and Steve Cishek.

“(Fernandez) was real good,” said Manuel. “I thought their guy was throwing strikes. He was throwing strikes with his secondary stuff, his breaking ball, his changeup. He was aggressive and he came right at us with good fast ball.”

The Phillies faced Fernandez on April 13 in Florida and found themselves on the short end of a 2-1 loss. The Phillies players who saw the young pitcher Saturday night said Fernandez was even better and did a good job of keeping them off balance at the plate.

“He mixed up his pitches well the whole night,” said Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown, who went 0-for-3 on the night. “I got ahead in the count and he was still throwing his off-speed pitches where he wanted to throw them.”

Brown said the real disappointment for the Phillies offense was not being able to give Hamels any run support.  The Phillies simply could not find a way to break through a pitcher who was just too hot to handle.

“It sucks. As hitters we’re trying our hardest to produce runs for Cole,” Brown said. “He pitched a heck of a ball game and we only can buy one hit. We hit a couple of balls hard. The second baseman made a couple of good plays, but that’s baseball. ”

Meanwhile, from one pitcher to another, Hamels couldn’t help but admire Fernandez’s performance.

“(Fernandez) is really impressive,” Hamels said. “He’s going to be a really great pitcher for a really long time because he came up early and he’s going to learn how to pitch, if he already doesn’t how to. He’s got a power heater, a power curve ball, a pretty good changeup and he’s not afraid. I think that’s what ultimately what separates for being great because he’s not a afraid.”

Hamels gave up a solo homer to Miami rightfielder Marcell Ozuna to left center and another one to first baseman Chris Valaiaka in the third inning. Other than the two yard shots, Hamels had an outstanding effort that wound up going for naught.

“There are some instances when you don’t get any runs, you just have to keep playing the game because it definitely turn around,” Hamels said. “Last year, I gave up some runs here and there, but we were always able to score more than the opposing team.

“It’s just matter of being comfortable and making sure you’re confident in what you’re able to do.”

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Coming into His Own: Kyle Kendrick is Finding His Rhythm in the Phils Starting Rotation

3 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun

Kyle Kendrick is off to a good start for the Phillies in 2013 after going 9-4 after the 2012 All-Star break. Photo by Webster Riddick.

Kyle Kendrick is off to a good start for the Phillies in 2013 after going 9-4 after the 2012 All-Star break. Photo by Webster Riddick.

PHILADELPHIA—Outside of the Phillies big starters-Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Hamels- Kyle Kendrick has been doing more than holding his own so far this season.

He hasn’t lost a start since the team’s home opener against the Kansas City Royals and has been the most consistent pitcher in the Phillies starting rotation. He has gone six or more innings in his last five outings. Since the loss to the Royals, Kendrick has a 1.54 earned run average.

“He’s being aggressive with his pitches and I think he’s really consistent,” said Phillies catcher Erik Kratz. “I think his ability to throw all of his pitches in any situation is what gives him a lot of success.”

In the Phillies 7-2 win Thursday over the Miami Marlins, a team he has owned throughout his career, Kendrick had another solid outing, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out five and giving up just two walks. He retired the last six batters he faced after giving up a solo home run to Miami centerfielder Justin Ruggiano in the sixth inning.

Dating back to last year’s All-Star Break, Kendrick has found his rhythm as a starter. In his last 18 starts, Kendrick has 12 wins and has firmly established himself as the team’s fourth starter.  While the Phillies big three starters have struggled at various times this season, Kendrick has been the team’s most consistent starter.

“There’s a lot of things that go into that, but I think just having good secondary pitches that I feel comfortable with throwing,” Kendrick said. “Knowing what kind of pitcher I am, and not trying to do too much out there and getting ahead and throwing strikes. I use my secondary pitches—my cutter and change up-when I want to.”

Manuel said Kendrick’s workout and conditioning have made him a stronger pitcher and he’s improved where he places the ball and he’s done a better job of commanding his pitches.

“His fast ball, his sinker is a little bit better velocity wise and he’s improved his location with his cutter and his changeup,” Manuel said. “He’s more relaxed and calmed down is a good word for it. I like it when he doesn’t take a long time to throw the ball and I like for him to get into a good tempo and rhythm and keep the flow of the game going.”

After a pretty good rookie campaign in 2007 where he won 10 games, Kendrick has had his ups and downs over the last six years. He has been scrapping and fighting to get back into the Phillies starting rotation. He has had his share of stints in the bullpen and in the minor leagues.

But in the second half of last season, Kendrick made his case to be the Phillies fourth starter. He went 9-4 and had a 2.87 earned run average.  Kratz said Kendrick has gotten even better in 2013 thanks to his success in the second half of the 2012 season.

That certainly came through against the Marlins Thursday night even when some of Kendrick pitches weren’t working at first. Kratz said that Kendrick didn’t panic and fought his way through it.

“Early tonight his cutter wasn’t there and so he didn’t us it early and his changeup, he wasn’t commanding it as well,” Kratz said. “He was basically pitching one pitch on both sides of the plate and still being aggressive. When certain pitches aren’t working, I think you get a little tentative. You pick here, you pick there, afraid of contact.  He’s not afraid of contact.”

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It’s Time to End Homophobia and Anti-Gay Bigotry in the African-American Community

2 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun

“Civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, it’s all wrong. Call in the Cavalry to disrupt this perception of freedom gone wild. Goddammit, first one wants freedom, then the whole damned world wants freedom. Nostalgia that’s we want. The good old days when we gave them hell.”-Gil Scott-Heron’s “B” Movie

Jason Collins admission that he is gay has sent shock waves throughout the world of sports.

Jason Collins admission that he is gay has sent shock waves throughout the world of sports.

PHILADELPHIA—Unless you have been living under a rock or didn’t pay your cable or Internet bill this week, you know that NBA player and former Stanford University star Jason Collins used an article in Sports Illustrated magazine to tell the world that he is gay.

The reaction was mixed. On one hand, Collins was applauded for having the courage to come out while he is still an active player.  Considering the macho, often-times homophobic world of male sports, what Collins did took on a lot of significance.

But on the other hand, some believed that Collins would have been better off staying in the closet.

The most visceral of these reactions came from ESPN basketball writer Chris Broussard, who said that people who engage in homosexual behavior are in rebellion against God. To his credit, he mentioned fornicators and adulterers as among who are allegedly against the Almighty.

Then there was comedian Kevin Hart’s comment on Twitter:

“Tim Tebow: ‘I’m a Christian.’  Media: ‘Keep it to yourself.’ Jason Collins:  ‘I’m Gay.’ Media: “This man’s a hero.”  #justsayin.

Hey Kevin and Chris—intolerance and hatred of your fellow human being on the basis of religion is an even worse abomination against God.  Just sayin’.

But the rather judgmental views of Collins’ admission from folks like Broussard and Hart is reflective of a deep homophobia and a curious insensitivity that seems to exist in the African-American community when it comes to the issue of gay rights.

I noticed on various social media sites that most of the negative reaction to Collins has come from African-Americans. I find the hostility to gay rights or someone revealing him or herself as a gay a strange brand of bigotry from a people who should know better due to its history of experiencing hate and intolerance due to difference.

The Black community’s estranged relationship with the idea of homosexuality has its roots in the Christian church as well as the mosque. Folks are quick to tell you that it is an abomination against God and then you receive the requisite scriptural chapters and verses as to why we should frown on those “people.”

Pssst, I’ve got a news flash for ya…:  Folks have used scriptural passages to justify the enslavement of African-Americans, putting Jews in concentration camps for being “Christ killers” and to say interracial marriage among heterosexuals is against God.

Conveniently left out, of course, are those passages that refer to loving thy neighbor as thy self and judge not, lest ye be judged. In my view, the worse type of sin we have in the world today is the sin of the reasons and justifications we find to hate each other—whether it be race, religion, gender or income level.

What’s funny is that we as Black people have often been referred to as “those people.”  For all the things we have been fighting for in terms of our struggle for equality, we now have the nerve to put a “scarlet letter” on another group fighting for their rights. Really?!

In social media parlance, I am SMDH

(That means “shaking my damn head” for those of you who don’t know….)

And when you dehumanize folks as “those people,” you have to come up with your own bizarre stereotypes.

Recently, one of my friends told me that a childhood friend, also an African-American, pulled her daughter out of basketball for fear that her child would become gay, as if it was some kind of disease. They are examples of the kind of homophobia that you sometimes hear in our community.

And today you have the curious habit of guys saying stuff like, “No homo” whenever some guy expresses some sort of agape type affection for another guy to let everybody know that he’s not gay. It’s like, who are trying to convince? Are you really that unsure of your own sexuality?

In what I refer to affectionately as “Black World,” folks are quick to tell you not to compare the Civil Rights and gay rights movements, although the Civil Rights Movement is the inspiration for all the human rights movements of the 1960s.

Some African-Americans will point out the visibility of our skin color as to why this struggle is different. We can’t help that our difference is evident. After all, gay people don’t have tell anyone that they’re gay. They can cover it up. No one has to know.

And there lies the problem. For fear of violence, discrimination, being shunned by friends and family, gays and lesbians have had to cover up who they are. The Gay Rights movement is about  fighting for the right to be accepted for they are, not what society says is normal.

If they are seen in the streets holding their hands of their partners, they’ve often faced violence or the same types of hostile looks that interracial heterosexual couples would get back in the day, especially in the South.

Often times, openly gay people have beaten up and killed. The torture and death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 was eerily similar to that of Emmitt Till in 1955.

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that all Americans born here in the U.S. deserve equal protection under the law. That’s all gays have ever asked for and that’s what we as African-Americans have been fighting for as well, the freedom from injustice.

The African-American community and the Gay Community should be allies, not enemies in this struggle.

But even if you can’t see or don’t want to see the parallels between the civil rights experience and gay rights experience, shouldn’t we as African-Americans, for all the things we have gone through, have some empathy and compassion for our gay brothers and sisters, many of whom are our family, friends, and co-workers?

During the Civil Rights movement, folks felt they were marching not just for Black rights, but for the rights of all Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King, in his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” reminds us that everyone’s rights are important: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

We might want to remember that when the next Jason Collins decides to share his truth.

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Urban Youth Racing School Celebrates its 15th Anniversary

30 Apr

By Chris Murray 

For the Chris Murray Report 

and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun 

Siblings Davion and Jasmine Ferrell proudly show off their awards at the Urban Youth Racing School 15th anniversary Gala dinner held at the National Constitution Center last weekend. Photo by Webster Riddick.

Siblings Davion and Jasmine Ferrell proudly show off their awards at the Urban Youth Racing School 15th anniversary Gala dinner held at the National Constitution Center last weekend. Photo by Webster Riddick.

About 15 years ago, Anthony Martin used to watch auto racing on television with a buddy of his at his home on 21st and Tasker.

A huge fan of racing, Martin once dreamed of being a race driver himself, but was too old to pursue the sport at the time. He wanted to kids to experience the passion he had for the sport in the hopes that they would someday become race professional car drivers, however.

Martin somehow got in contact with Indy racecar driver Michael Andretti who brought his car to a location in West Philadelphia.

“The first event that I ever did I got Michael Andretti to bring his race car into West Philly and that was huge,” Martin said. “It brought 300 kids out… What we saw from the kids who were there that were inner city kids that liked racing.”

For the last 15 years, the Urban Youth Racing School has not only become a place where kids can learn how to race cars and study the mathematical and scientific aspects of the sport, it has become a full-service venue that provides mentoring and educational opportunities that go beyond the sport of racing.

“The thing that was more powerful than anything else is our passion for the kids,” Martin said. “My passion has always been for the kids being successful whether they be engineers or not.”

More than 3,500 students have come through the doors of the UYRS’s headquarters on North Front Street where they have introduced young people to career and educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The Urban Youth Racing School recently celebrated its 15th anniversary during its awards banquet at the National Constitution Center near Independence Mall. The young people in the program, who range in age from 6 to 18, were honored for their participation and their achievements in the program.

State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams attended the award ceremonies and said the UYRS has done an outstanding job in terms of reaching young people and guiding them in the right direction.

“I’m awestruck by the breadth and the impact and the reach of the program,” Williams said. “There are a lot of anti-violence initiatives, but clearly this program is a standard bearer… Considering everything that’s occurred in this country in Boston, Connecticut or the lives of the kids who die on the street of Philadelphia, this program represents the possibility of not only removing children from harm’s way, the but the possibility of them doing something for themselves and others.”

While the dream of having one of their students compete as drivers on major racing circuits such as NASCAR has not been fulfilled, the UYRS program has expanded into several initiatives such as Urban Youth Naval Engineering Program and the What it Takes E-Mentoring Program.

“It’s grown a lot,” Martin said. “We’re strong in STEM (science,technology, engineering and math) now and our e-mentoring program.”

Over the years, the UYRS has also developed partnerships and relationships with NASCAR along with several racing teams within the sport including Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Rensi Motor Sports, the U.S. Navy, Chevrolet, Bank of America and the Knight Foundation.

U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Kevin McCoy, who gave the keynote speech at the awards ceremonies, said the Navy needs young people, especially those of color, to consider careers in the sciences and that programs like UYRS do well with helping steering kids in that direction.

“If you look at the 99 percent graduation rate and if you look at the 90 percent who go on to college and the close association that they have with the Naval professionals at our ship engineering centers here, we think we’re get these young folks back into our employment and they’re going to be the engineers and scientists of the future that keep our Navy No. 1.”

The impact of this program is not only felt on kids in Philadelphia, but children in other places. Seventeen-year-old Christopher Morgan participated in the program even though he lives in Brooklyn, New York.  His parents drove him down the New Jersey Turnpike every weekend for 22 weeks so that he can be a part of the program.

“This program means a lot to me because you learn commitment because you can’t expect everything to fall in your lap, you have to be committed,” Morgan said. “In New York, there were no mechanical engineering or racing programs like UYRS. I love racing and I want to do that or design engines.”

 

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