Visitor's Views

It’s once again time to inject some opposing viewpoints into this blog. Since the Philadelphia Phillies will be visiting Friendly Fenway tonight, I contacted Jim of The Phillies Room. I asked him to answer a couple questions for me since his was the phinest Phillies blog I’ve seen. He, thankfully, agreed. I asked him the same questions I asked all my visiting fans. I wonder how the answers compare. Here’s what he had to say:


When did you start blogging?
Last March. I had been lurking on a few of the more well known baseball card and Phillies blogs over the past few years and I thought - why not have a blog that combines my baseball card collection and my passion for the Phillies? I have an actual Phillies Room in my house (my wife rocks) so this is the virtual version.

What is the theme/goal of your blog?
To have fun, to feature custom Phillies baseball cards I've created and to give me an outlet to follow the Phillies. I created Phillies scrapbooks for several seasons in the '80s and '90s when I was growing up, so this just feels like the next generation of those scrapbooks.

Which member/group of the Phillies’s are you most confident in?
Roy Halladay. He comes as advertised. I was one of the many who couldn't believe we were giving up Cliff Lee to go after Halladay, but I get it now. It still would have been nice to have them both, but I've bought into the idea that the Phils didn't want to completely gut their farm system in the process.

Which member/group of the Phillies’s concerns you the most?Brad Lidge. He was just awful last year, which was all the more difficult to take after his perfect 2008. There's nothing more deflating than getting to the 9th inning with a lead and exiting the inning not more than 20 minutes later with the lead (or the game) gone. Lidge is such a professional, even in defeat, so it's hard not to pull for the guy though.

Which member of the Red Sox scares you the most? (Yes, you have to pick one)
I'll go with a group of guys - the starting pitchers. It's no secret the Phillies have been struggling mightily at the plate recently, and they looked pitiful against Wakefiled and Dice-K a few weeks ago. We missed Buccholz last time, so hopefully we'll miss him this time around again.


Which member of the Red Sox do you like the least?
J.D. Drew. Boooooo! Drew (via his agent Scott Boras) held out for more money when the Phillies drafted him with their first pick back in '97. The franchise was in shambles back then (as Tito Francona and Curt Schilling can attest) and his refusal to sign with the Phillies just poured salt into the wound. I think it all worked out OK for the Phils though. They went on to put together and lock up a solid nucleus of players without Drew, which they may not have been able to do had they thrown Drew all the money he was seeking.

What’s your prediction for the upcoming Red Sox/Phillies’s series?Phillies sweep. I'll admit I'm a passionate fan and not necessarily a realist. I'll go a step further and predict that either Charlie Manuel or Terry Francona will get ejected during one of the games.


What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say the number “36”?
That's easy - Robin Roberts. The Hall of Famer recently passed away and the Phils are wearing a black memorial patch with Roberts' "36" on their sleeves for the rest of the season.

I hope these questions offer some insight into the Visitor’s Section. (If you have a question you wish I had asked, let me know. If I do this again with other visiting teams, maybe I’ll use it.) Thanks again to Jim for helping me out. I wish the Phillies luck.

Once they stop playing the Red Sox.