Phour for Phour

Welcome back to another round of Phour for Phour!

This week we'll look at a Hamels hitting a milestone, Romero getting the boot, Oswalt's struggles, and Vick still being protested two years after his release from prison.

We're also going to skip a week of ticket giveaways in order to get feedback from the readers.  What types of sporting events would you like to attend?  Reading Phillies?  Lehigh Valley Ironpigs?  Philadelphia Union?  Or would you like us to continue to give away tickets to Phillies games?  Email your suggestions to slavetologic@gmail.com.

The Good

1,000

Congratulations to Phillies Ace Cole Hamels for being the third-fastest active pitcher to reach 1,000 strikeouts, behind only Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants and "King" Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners.

It's a shame that Hamels reached the milestone in a loss, but reaching 1,000 strikeouts in such a short time speaks volumes about his ability to pitch and keep batters on their toes.

Through 15 starts this season, Hamels has posted a 9-3 record with a 2.51 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.  He's holding opponents to a measly .208 batting average, and has a sub-1.0 WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched).

Thus far, it's been an incredible season for the former World Series MVP. Hopefully, people are starting to realize what an amazing talent Hamels truly is. 

Question: Through 15 starts, what would Hamels's record look like if he’d received league-average run support?

So Long, Juan Carlos

Much to the delight of Norristown Patch reader Tom McMenamin, J.C. Romero is no longer with the Phillies major league club. He was designated for assignment last week.

If Romero isn't picked up on waivers or traded within 10 days of the designation, he'll be given the option to join the AAA club, which Romero will most certainly decline.

Up until he was suspended for using performance enhancing drugs, Romero was a rock in the bullpen, serving as the Phillies 8th inning setup man during their glorious run to the 2008 World Series championship.

After his suspension, he mainly served as a lefty specialist, and even in that minor role, he still managed to stink it up.  For each of the last three seasons, Romero has walked more batters than he has struck out.  The velocity on his fastball is way down, and his location on all pitches has been atrocious.

With the emergence of Stutes, Bastardo, and Worley, the numbers game finally caught up to J.C.

Question:  Does knowing that Romero used PEDs change your view of his contributions to the 2008 championship?

The Bad

Lil’ Roy

It's been a rocky season for Roy Oswalt.

He suffered his first career loss at Citizens Bank Park, his back issues have surfaced once again, and his hometown was destroyed by a series of tornados.

So far, Oswalt has a 4-5 record, with only 41 strikouts and an inflated WHIP.  Though his command is ok, the loss of velocity on his fastball has some questioning if it'll ever return.

After his loss to the Mariners over the weekend, Oswalt seemed shellshocked.  Asked if he still enjoyed playing, he answered with an unenthusiastic, "Yeah".

With Oswalt's recent comments about retiring at the end of the season, his history of back issues, and his mind focused—deservedly so—on his hometown, we may have already seen the best Oswalt will ever have to offer.

Let's hope he can somehow rebound, as it never gets tiring watching a hitter's knees buckle on a 65 MPH curve.

Question:  Do you think Oswalt can bounce back this season?

The Ugly

Vick The Villain

Where's Chris Crocker when you need him?

More than 50 anti-Vick protestors showed up at an autograph signing event at Butler Sports Cards in Butler, New Jersey, still seething over Vick's past participation in dog fighting.

When are people going to let it go?

Vick lost everything, as he should have, and went to prison, which he deserved.  He has expressed remorse countless times, and has devoted hundreds of hours to helping steer kids away from crime.  He's even given a couple of students scholarships out of his own pocket.

What is it that the protestors want?  What will satisfy them? 

Vick’s name will forever be tied to dog fighting, and his story will remain a cautionary tale for generations to come.  It would seemingly make more sense to have that tale end on a high note, with Vick rehabilitating his image and following the straight and narrow while continuing to speak to youth about the perils of poor decision making, lapses in judgment, and surrounding yourself with bad company.

No one will forget what happened, so there's no need to waste a perfectly good Sunday afternoon screaming at kids for getting an autograph.

Question:  What is your view of Michael Vick?

Quote of the Week

“I’m not bringing him in because he killed dogs. I’m bringing in him because he’s the biggest autograph draw out there right now." — Jeff Robbins, co-owner of Butler Sports Cards

Video of the Week

Sometimes, it's not the pitcher who hits a batter. 

Looking Forward

After another successful week, which saw the Phillies go 5-2, they have Monday off, followed by a three game road series against the Cardinals and a home series against Oakland.

The Union will also square off against Chivas USA at PPL park on Saturday.

Here's your Philadelphia sports schedule for the week. 

---

Today:

Phillies at Cardinals  8:15 p.m. on PHL 17

Wednesday:

Phillies at Cardinals  8:15 p.m. on CSN and ESPN

Union vs. KC  7:30 p.m. on TCN

Thursday:

Phillies at Cardinals  8:15 p.m. on PHL 17 and MLBN

Friday:

Phillies vs. Oakland  7:05 p.m. on CSN and MLBN

Saturday:

Phillies vs. Oakland  7:05 p.m. on CSN and MLBN

Union vs. Chivas USA  8 p.m. on ABC

Sunday:

Phillies vs. Oakland  1:35 p.m. on PHL 17