Phillies Update - 4/10/2009

• The Phillies are 1-2 after their opening series versus the Braves. At this time in 2008 the Phillies were 4-5, 1.5 games behind 1st place Florida in the NL East.
• The team had an off day yesterday and traveled to Colorado to start a three game series with the Rockies. Cole Hamels makes his season debut. He has never pitched at Coors Field nor has he ever faced the Rockies in the regular season.
• Raul Ibanez is the only Phillie to homer thus far. He also leads the team in RBIs (3) and runs scored (3) and sports a team-leading 1.021 OPS. Chase Utley owns the teams highest average at .364 after three games
• Wednesday's game was amazing for two reasons: first, prior to the game the team got their 2008 World Series Champions rings. Then came the game itself, which became the first Phillies come-from-behind win of the season. The game ended 12-11 and saw a bullpen implosion by Atlanta, allowing the Phillies to steal their first 'W' of the season.
• Kevin McGuire has a nice slideshow from Wednesday's win over the Braves featuring the ring ceremony. [Macho Row]
• He also makes note this morning that today, April 10, is the day the Phillies first played a regular season game in Veterans Stadium. [Macho Row]
  

The Phillies lineup that day:


1. SS Larry Bowa
2. 3B Don Money
3. CF Willie Montanez
4. 1B Deron Johnson
5. LF Johnny Briggs
6. RF Roger Freed
7. C Tim McCarver
8. 2B Denny Doyle
9. P Jim Bunning

• The 700 Level started a movement immediately after word broke that Phillies RP J.C. Romero was to be suspended for his use of a banned substance. Romero will miss the first 50 games of the season. The movement? A "Free J.C." t-shirt. The attire has gained attention and reportedly a "Free J.C." t-shirt hung in every Phillies locker recently. Shirts are available here. [The 700 Level]
• They'd also like to know if you like the new day game batting helmets. Good with the blue or yearn for the normal red? [The 700 Level]
• The ring ceremony was awesome. The rings are beautiful and almost the entire squad from '08 was in attendance, even Burrell. But, as the rings were driven into the stadium, a misstep by a coordinator almost took some of the luster out of the event. Not many seem to have caught it but the astute eye of meech.one couldn't be fooled. [The Fightins]
• Dash Treyhorn recaps the second and third Phillies games against the Braves, on Tuesday and Wednesday. [The Fightins & The Fightins]
• His series of Top 11 Moments of the 2008 Postseason concluded last week. Check out this post for #2 and #1. [The Fightins]
• After the three game set in Colorado the team returns to the east coast for a set with the Nationals. Since they'll be in our nation's capitol, President Obama invited them to chill at the White House to honor their recent World Series victory.