BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Turns out Phillies media is only slightly detached from reality regarding Houston Astros, World Series
Oct 27, 2022, 12:39 pm
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Earlier this week I was watching the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During his monologue, Colbert mentioned the upcoming World Series and called the Astros "cheaters." I hit rewind, taped his dumbass remark and posted it on Twitter. That lit a fuse. Right up top was this comment by Philadelphia media personality Glen Macnow.
"Because it's true."
Now you've gone and done it. Remember that song by Michael Jackson ... Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'?
Macnow is a big deal on the Philadelphia sports scene. He's been a sports columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, talk host on WIP and author of several books including The Great Philadelphia Fan Book. Up in Philly, they call him "The Professor" because he used to teach at St. Joseph's University. He's also part-owner of five Conshohocken Brewing Company pubs.
He's a friend. We started as rookie reporters together at Today newspaper in Cocoa, Florida. We lived in the same apartment building in Cape Canaveral. The ground shook and windows rattled during a launch. On slow news days, like hard-charging, ambitious reporters we often went out "into the field" to "beat the bushes for stories" ... and by that, I mean we drove down to Melbourne to bet on jai alai.
OK, Macnow, defend your tweet. And answer a few more questions to rile up Astros fans. Trust me, you're poking a bear that don't need poking.
SportsMap: Seriously, do you believe that the Astros are (present tense) cheaters?
Macnow: Do I think they're currently cheating? I don't know. But we all know they got caught cheating before, and that stink will stick to them through the ages. Always and forever when people look back at this franchise they'll think of cameras and buzzers and using trash cans as bass drums. Hey, the rest of the baseball world regards Mike Fiers as Karen Silkwood.
SportsMap: Weren't the Phillies the target of cheating accusations recently, too?
Macnow: Are you referring to Kevin Gross getting caught using sandpaper in 1987? Or to the 1901 Phillies running a wire from the outfield wall to the third baseman? Yeah, those are certainly relevant arguments these days. What else you got?
Editor's note: The Phillies were accused of cheating as recently as 2009 during the season and in the NLCS and World Series.
2009, Phillies. Accused of using video cameras to steal signs during the season and in the NLCS and World Series. https://t.co/plez10RftP pic.twitter.com/ThvFSM0Ios
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) August 30, 2020
SportsMap: After the Phillies won the NLCS, their fans were chanting, "We want Houston." Think that was smart? How'd that work out for Yankees fans who chanted the same thing?
Macnow: The fans were chanting that because they knew the team was going to face the Astros. That was a foregone conclusion. What would you want them to be chanting at the time, "Dallas sucks?" Actually, they chanted that as well, but that's a football crossover that gets shouted at every sports and civic event in Philadelphia. Hey, if the Astros need this for bulletin board material, they're a sensitive lot.
SportsMap: Let's see, the Astros had a better record this year in a tougher league, they have the Cy Young winner going in Game One, they have more players with postseason experience, and they have home field advantage. What makes you think the Phillies will win the World Series?
Macnow: Well, I'm not going to tell you that the Phillies are a more talented team, because they're not. We're loud in this town, but we're not stupid. I do note, however, that the aforementioned Justin Verlander is 0-6 with a 5.68 earned run average in seven World Series starts, and that trend must mean something. The Phillies are suspect on defense. Their bullpen is shallow. They were the last team to make the playoffs and had just the 10th-best record in the Majors this year. But they were a team with high expectations going into the season, and they're gelling at just the right time. They can beat you with power and beat you with small ball. They've got Wheeler and Nola going four of the seven games, and both of those pitchers have been terrific recently. Underdogs frequently win in the postseason. I'll ride with the mojo.
SportsMap: For Astros fans flying up for Games 3 and 4 (get it?), where's the best Philly cheesesteak in Philly?
Macnow: You should avoid the usual tourist traps. Instead, find your way to Steve's Prince of Steaks, Dalessandro's, Sonny's Famous or Tony Luke's. Or, perhaps even better, get to John's Roast Pork in South Philadelphia, which not only has a terrific cheesesteak, but may have the best sandwich in town right in its name. Roast pork sandwiches - with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe - are a gastronomic specialty of this town and well worth the trip. Better than a cheesesteak. Just don't go in there - or anywhere - wearing one of those ugly Astros jerseys.
A step too far?
No wonder Astros fans might think it’s us against the world. I have an Echo smart speaker from Amazon. I asked “Alexa,” who’s going to win the World Series? Here’s her answer, and I’m not kidding.
“This year I'm a Philly Phanatic. The Astros might be the favorite but allow me a little name-dropping. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are two bona fide ace starting pitchers for the Phillies with magical right arms. So my pick goes to the underdog, the Philadelphia Phillies who are on a roll knocking off three tough opponents with strong pitching and timely hitting. Houston, you're going to have a problem.”
Hey “Alexa,” the Houston problem thing is tired and why am I arguing with you, you're just a stupid computer voice.
For the record, I asked “Siri” the same question. She said she didn’t know.
While holding one’s breath that for a change the Astros aren’t publicly grossly underestimating an injury’s severity with Jose Altuve having missed the last game and a half with “right side discomfort…”
The Astros averting a sweep vs. Oakland Thursday was in no way a must-win, but getting the win allowed a mini sigh of relief. The Astros are NOT in the process of choking. Could they collapse? Sure that’s possible. Also possible is that they’ve just been in one more ebb phase in a season of ebb and flow. They certainly have left the door ajar for the Seattle Mariners to swipe the American League West, but with the M's simply not looking good enough to walk through that door the Astros remain in commanding position. The Astros made a spectacular charge from 10 games behind to grab the division lead. But there was a lot of runway left when the Astros awoke June 19th 10 games in arrears. September 3 the Astros arose with a comfy six game lead over the M’s. With Seattle blowing a 4-1 eighth inning lead in a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers Thursday night, heading into Friday night the Astros' advantage is back up to four and a half games despite the Astros having lost six of their last nine games and having gone just 10-12 over their last 22 games. Not a good stretch but nothing freefalling about it.
While the Mariners have the remainder of their four-game series vs. the dead in the water Rangers this weekend, the Astros play three at the lousy Los Angeles Angels. The Astros should take advantage of the Halos, with whom they also have a four-game series at Minute Maid Park next weekend. Since the All-Star break, only the White Sox have a worse record than the Angels 19-31 mark (the White Sox are 6-43 post-break!). Two of the three starting pitchers the Angels will throw this weekend will be making their third big league starts. To begin next week the Astros are in San Diego for a three-game-set against a Padres club which is flat better than the Astros right now. That does not mean the Astros can’t take that series. The Mariners meanwhile will be still at home, for three vs. the Yankees.
There are some brutal Astros’ statistics that largely explain why this is merely a pretty good team and not more. As I have noted before, it is a fallacy that the best teams are usually superior in close games. But the Astros have been pathetic in close games. There used to be a joke made about Sammy Sosa that he could blow you out, but he couldn’t beat you. Meaning being that when the score was 6-1, 8-3 or the like Sammy would pad his stats with home runs and runs batted in galore. But in a tight game, don’t count on Sammy to come through very often. In one-run games the Astros are 15-26, in two-run games they are 10-14. In games that were tied after seven innings they are 3-12. In extra innings they are 5-10. The good news is, all those realities mean nothing when the postseason starts. So long as you’re in the postseason. In games decided by three or more runs the Astros have pummeled the opposition to the tune of 53 wins and 28 losses.
General Manager Dana Brown isn’t an Executive of the Year candidate, but overall he’s been fine this season. Without the Yusei Kikuchi trade deadline acquisition the Astros would likely barely lead the AL West. Brown’s biggest offseason get, Victor Caratini, has done very solid work in his part-time role. Though he has tapered off notably the last month and change, relief pitcher Tayler Scott was a fabulous signing. Scrap heap pickups Ben Gamel, Jason Heyward, and Kaleb Ort have all made contributions. However…
Dana. Dana! You made yourself look very silly with comments this week somewhat scoffing at people being concerned with or dismissive of Justin Verlander’s ability to be a meaningful playoff contributor. Brown re-sang a ridiculous past tune, the “check the back of his baseball card” baloney. Dana, did you mean like the back of Jose Abreu’s baseball card? Perhaps Brown has never seen those brokerage ads in which at the end in fine print and/or in rapidly spoken words “past performance is no guarantee of future results” always must be included. Past (overall career) performance as indicative of future results for a 41-year-old pitcher who has frequently looked terrible and has twice missed chunks of this season to two different injuries is absurd. That Verlander could find it in time is plausible. That of course he’ll find it? Absolutely not. His next two starts are slotted to be against the feeble Angels, so even if the results are better, it won’t mean “JV IS BACK!”
Presuming they hold on to win the division, the Astros’ recent sub-middling play means they have only very faint hope of avoiding having to play the best-of-three Wild Card Series. Barring a dramatic turn over the regular season’s final fortnight, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown are the obvious choices to start games one and two. If there is a game three, it is one game do or die. Only a fool would think Verlander the right man for that assignment. No one should expect Brown to say “Yeah, JV is likely finished as a frontline starter.” But going to the “back of the baseball card” line was laughable. Father Time gets us all eventually. Verlander has an uphill climb extricating himself from Father Time’s grasp.
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.