Summer Baseball Tour 2011 #3

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AT CHICAGO CUBS, JULY 18th 2011

CUBS 6 – PHILLIES 1 

Wrigley Field

*** Some sections are the same as entry #2

GAME RECAP

It was apparent early on that Roy Halladay didn’t have his best stuff. Aramis Ramirez took him yard in the first inning and the Cubs added two more runs of the Phillies ace in the third. Jimmy Rollins scored Philadelphia’s only run via a solo home run in the fourth. Halladay allowed a leadoff single to Starlin Castro in the bottom of the fourth and was subsequently pulled. After the game the Phillies cited heat exhaustion as the reason for Halladay’s ineffectiveness. The Cubs scored 3 runs off of Phillies relief pitching, including a monster solo home run from slugger Carlos Pena. Erratic Cubs closer Carlos Marmol entered the game in the ninth and walked two before recording the final out by striking out John Mayberry Jr.

CITY:

Metropolitan Chicago is home to 9 and a half million people, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the United States. Filled with many famous landmarks, Chicago is a city of powerful charm and historic relevance. Sports are clearly an important part of the everyday fabric and even as a Pacific Northwest guy, I can attest to Mike Wilbon's assertion that Chicago is North America's best summer city.

HOME TEAM:

The Chicago Cubs are one of the iconic franchises of Major League Baseball. The Cubs roots can be traced back all the way to 1876. Of course, the Cubs are famous for losing, not having won the World Series since 1908, and have been given the nickname the Lovable Losers. Franchise icons include Billy Williams, Andre Dawson, Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, and Ron Santo. Three years removed from consecutive NL Central division titles, the Cubs are now seemingly miles away from that elusive World Series crown. Apart for the middle infield duo of Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney, the rest of the lineup is filled with pricy veterans. Carlos Zambrano was the Cubs de facto ace the last time the Cubs reached the postseason; the game has changed, a strong rotation led by an elite ace is essentially required to be considered a true contender. The Cubs desperately need an influx of talented youth. As of July 18th, the Cubs are 38-58 and 13 games back of the division leading Milwaukee Brewers.

GAME SETUP AND CROWD:

It was a sunny and humid Monday night at Wrigley Field. Many Phillies fans had made the 14 hour drive from Philadelphia. The crowd was more involved and made for a better atmosphere, which included a particularly passionate rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”. The official attendance was 38,183, which is 92% capacity for Wrigley Field.

GRADE:  8 ½ stars

STADIUM:

Wrigley Field is located on the North side of Chicago in the neighborhood of Lakeview. Unlike the majority of its Major League counterparts, Wrigley is situated in the midst of a largely residential district, reminiscent of European soccer stadiums. Built in 1914, Wrigley is the second oldest stadium currently in use behind Fenway Park. Wrigley, also known as, the Friendly Confines is arguably the most unique ballpark besides maybe the aforementioned Fenway. The ivy laden outfield walls; the iconic manual scoreboard that stands elegantly above the centerfield bleachers; the bleacher seats a top the surrounding apartment buildings; the traditional seventh inning stretch and "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". Wrigley is steeped in rich history and provides baseball fans with a trip down memory lane.     

GRADE: 9 stars

View from Section 530 at Wrigley Field

LOCATION OF THE SEAT: Section 530 – Row 2 – Seat 11

We sat in the upper deck in the second row of the second section (at Wrigley the 400 level and the 500 level are in the upper deck,) and we had an exceptional view of the entire diamond. Our only blind spot was a small portion of foul territory down the right field line.

Grade: 9 stars

Phillies all star Cole Hamels

OPPONENT: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies and the Cubs have been National League rivals since the Phillies joined the NL in 1883. The Phillies have been the class of the National League since 2007, they have made the post season each of the past 4 seasons, won the National League pennant twice and the World Series once. Their rotation is loaded. With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels it’s easily the best in the National League. Multi time All Stars Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley lead the Phillies offense. The Cubs lead the head to head from 1901 to 2011, 1063-957 and the Phillies lead the head to head since 2008 45-33. As of July 18th, the Phillies are 59-35 and lead the NL East by 3.5 games.

GRADE: 8 ½ stars

QUALITY OF STARTING PITCHING:

RHP Roy Halladay (11-3. 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Rodrigo Lopez (1-2, 4.02 ERA)

There are around 12-15 elite aces in the big leagues, and Roy Halladay is undoubtedly at the top of the list. Since arriving in the National League at the beginning of last season Halladay has been as good as it gets and won the NL Cy Young after leading the Phillies to a fourth straight NL East division title. Lopez has made 13 appearances this season, 4 of them starts. The 35 year old Mexican has bounced around, playing for six different teams since making his Major League debut in 2000. The presence of one of the league’s biggest stars makes this a quality match up, regardless of his counterpart.  

GRADE: 8 ½ stars

ALL STARS:

CHICAGO

LF Alfonso Soriano – 4 time AL All Star, 3 time NL All Star, 4 time Silver Slugger award winner

- In his prime, Soriano was a 40 HR – 40 SB threat, now he’s an overpaid defensive liability who no longer steals bases.

July 18th: Soriano was 0/4 with a strikeout and an error.

3B Aramis Ramirez – 3 time NL All Star, 2008 Hank Aaron award winner

- Ramirez has been one of the most productive third baseman of the last decade, and a mainstay in the middle of the Cubs lineup since 2003.

July 18th: Ramirez was 1/3 with 2 RBI and a solo home run.

1B Carlos Pena – 1 time AL All Star, 1 time Silver Slugger award winner, 1 time Gold Glove award winner,

- Pena is boom or bust. He’s a power hitter with a low average who strikes out a ton but counters that by drawing an inordinate amount of walks.

July 18th: Pena was BOOM today, going 3/3 with a walk, 2 RBI, and a home run.

SS Starlin Castro – 1 time NL All Star

- The future of the Cubs franchise, Castro appears to be one of the Majors brightest prospects.

July 18h: Castro was 2/5 with a stolen base.  

PHILADELPHIA

Roy Halladay - 1 time AL Cy Young, 1 time NL Cy Young, 6 time AL All Star, 2 time NL All Star

- Roy Halladay is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and has been one of the most dominant since 2005. His ERA over that span has been under 3.00 five of seven seasons.

July 18th: Halladay lasted only 4 innings, giving up 7 hits, 1 walk, and 3 earned runs and recording only 1 strikeout.

Ryan Howard – 2006 NL MVP, 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, 3 time NL All Star, 1 time Silver Slugger award winner

- One of baseball’s greatest sluggers, Howard has hit an average of 46 home runs since 2006.

July 18th: Howard went 0/4 with a strikeout.

Chase Utley – 5 time NL All Star, 4 time Silver Slugger award winner

- The best second baseman of the past decade, Utley has averaged a .388 OBP, 36 2B, 27 HR, 95 RBI, and a .908 OPS since 2005.

July 18th: Utley went 0/3.

Jimmy Rollins – 2007 NL MVP, 3 time NL All Star, 3 time Gold Glove award winner, 1 time Silver Slugger award winner

- The Phillies starting shortstop since 2001, Rollins has shown an above average ability to reach base, run the bases, and he plays good defense.

July 18th: Rollins went 1/4 with a home run and accounted for Philly’s only run of the game.

Raul Ibanez – 1 time NL All Star

- The fifteen year veteran has been a productive outfielder since 2000.

July 18th: Ibanez went 0/4 with a strikeout.

RECAP: The Phillies are star studded and the grade reflects it.

GRADE: 9 stars

FOOD:

I decided to have another Chicago style hot dog but there is another Chicago specialty that I enjoyed outside of the Friendly Confines. We went to Giordano’s to try a Chicago style pizza. We ordered the special which includes sausage, green peppers, onion, and mushrooms. The main difference between a deep dish pizza and a regular pizza is that the tomato sauce is placed on top of the cheese and the toppings. Giordano’s Chicago style pizza is worth a try if you ask me.

Next stop on the Summer Baseball Tour 2011: Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Tuesday, July 19th.