Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee led all of Major League Baseball in 2010 in fewest bases on balls per nine innings pitched (.763). In 2011, Lee has issued the most bases on ball on the entire Phillies’ staff (18). Despite this noticeable loss of control, Lee still ranks second in all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts/bases on balls ratio at 5.357, behind only teammate Roy Halladay at 7.000. Crazy numbers.

 

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

Utility infielder Wilson Valdez has more pitching victories (1) in 2011 than Rockies star pitcher Ubaldo Jiminez (0).

 

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

Phillies pitchers Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, neither known as a strikeout pitcher, rank first and second in the majors in strikeouts with 80 and 78, respectively.

 

 

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

Since July 31, 2010, Phillies reliever Ryan Madson has allowed an earned run in just three of his last 53 appearances. Just my opinion, but that’s ridiculously good.

 

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

The 2011 Phillies are 8-14 when scoring three runs or fewer, but 17-2 when scoring more than three runs.

 

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

In 2010, Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay led the National League in K/BB ratio with a career best mark of 7.30. In 2011, he's improved that number to 8.14, yet he does not lead the league. Teammate Cliff Lee is the leader at 8.57, which is actually down from his 2010 American League leading mark of 10.28. Halladay and Lee are well in front of the rest of the league with Florida's Ricky Nolasco third at 5.43. Cole Hamels is fifth at 4.46.

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

Through 30 games in the 2011 season, Phillies hitters have posted a .325 batting average (41/126) with 20 runs scored in the first inning. The second inning has been a different story for the Phils this year with a .119 batting average (12/101) and just six runs scored.

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

In 29 games this season, Phillies pitchers have given up a total of two first inning runs.

 

Mixed Feelings on Osama bin Laden

So, yeah, he's dead. At this point, I'm something of a skeptic when it comes to anything our government tells us, but I tend to believe that bin Laden is really dead. Much like we can never really know for sure that Barack Obama provided a genuine birth certificate, we can never really know for sure what really happened with Osama bin Laden. I think he probably is dead, though, because it'd be too easy for the Al Qaeda to come out with a video to show he's alive and seriously embarrass the Obama White House.

So, yeah, he's probably dead, and I guess that's a good thing. It seems quite evident that bin Laden is responsible for a lot of bad things. I think he probably deserves the fate that he's apparently found. I just don't know that I know how I should feel about it.

I believe in retribution for bad deeds. People should pay for their crimes and by that line of thinking, bin Laden has seen justice. But what does that do for us as Americans? I'm glad the story is finally seeing a resolution, but I don't really feel like it does much for us as a population. It doesn't change what's happened. It doesn't bring back all of those lives lost on 9/11.

I guess I'm feeling some satisfaction that there is a resolution to this story, but I really don't understand the rampant celebration taking place across this nation. Yeah, we should celebrate good things, and I agree that bin Laden's death is a good thing, but I wonder what the point of it all is. I honestly don't feel one bit better about the world today than I did yesterday. Threats will always be there. The death of bin Laden does nothing to diminish that, at least to me. I think maybe what I'm really questioning is the level of celebration here. Are our lives genuinely better as a result of this news? I don't see how they are.

Let's appreciate this good news, but understand that our world isn't appreciably different than it was before.

Amazing Phillies Stat of the Day

Since the start of the 2010 season, the Phillies are 119-73 (.620) in games I have not attended in person (including postseason games). In that same time frame, the Phillies are 1-5 (.167) in games I have attended (including postseason games). I wonder if I should stop going to games.

Games I've attended:

06/12/2010 - Boston Red Sox 10, Phillies 2
06/20/2010 - Minnesota Twins 4, Phillies 1
07/18/2010 - Chica7o Cubs 11, Phillies 6
09/04/2010 - Phillies 5, Milwaukee Brewers 4
10/15/2010 - San Francisco Giants 4, Phillies 3 (NLCS Game 1)
05/01/2011 - New York Mets 2, Phillies 1