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Happ pitches in Dunedin

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19 comments

Happ pitches in Dunedin

POSTED: Saturday, March 28, 2009, 1:13 PM

Andy Martino

The Phillies play the Pirates in Bradenton today, but the more newsworthy game may well have occured on a minor league field in Dunedin, where J.A. Happ pitched (Jamie Moyer starts in the Grapefruit League game, and he seems pretty much assured of a spot in the rotation).

It wasn't Happ's finest outing, but most of the damage came in a three-run first inning. Here's the line: 5 1/3 IP, 5R, 3BB, 4K, 6H. He threw 94 pitches, 54 for strikes.

Pedro Feliz went 0 for 6 in that game.

***

If there were an award given for Best Discussion in the Comments Section of a Blog, yesterday's answers to the Thomas Jefferson:John Adams::Charlie Manuel :? would at least win a nomination. You gotta love talking baseball and Federalists in the same post. Of the many interesting arguments, this one deserves to be highlighted. Though bski declined to offer an answer, his reasoning wins the day.

Posted by bski 03:51 PM, 03/27/2009

OK, let's see if we can't clear some of this up. JEFFERSON/MADISON: the reference to the generalissimo and the general is accurate, as Madison was, without question, a Jefferson devotee. As such, when talking about an analogy to Charlie Manuel, we should be looking for exactly that, a disciple. Short of that, I guess we'd be looking for someone of like mind. However, we cannot discount the fact that although Madison was not, strictly speaking, a Federalist, he did indeed want a stronger central/national government and collaborated closely with Hamilton on The Federalist Papers. He also worked tirelessly both in the creation and in support of the constitution and it's ratification. His falling out with Hamilton had more to do with their differing opinions as to the scope of power vested in the national government. Hamilton interpreted the constitution more loosely (the necessary and proper clause) and wanted to impart broader powers, whereas Madison wanted a more limited government, only giving it the powers expressly stated in the constitution. Hence the problems over the assumption of state debts, the formation of a national bank, and other broad, reaching, national economic plans...............As far as JEFFERSON/ADAMS, even though they were close friends early in their careers, especially during their years together in Paris, the inevitable Federalist/Republican schism is undeniable. Beyond that, however, I would say that another key difference between them would be that Jefferson was more of a philosophical thinker who dealt in lofty ideals without much concern as to the "real world", whereas Adams was much more a "cold hard facts" realist and, as such, much more pragmatic in his views. I would say that looking for an analogy to Manuel, whom I see as more of a pragmatist, would mean that we are searching for more of a dreamer/idealist.

19 comments

Comments (19)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:51 AM, 03/29/2009

Hey RichieAllen64, I really didn't follow a lot of your rambling comments, but what I did follow I didn't agree with. Real baseball fans enjoy putting the sport in a broader context. You obviously didn't get it. And, by the way, Park was mentioned in the post.

— spinmeister

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:55 AM, 03/29/2009

Sorry, my mistake. Park was mentioned in this morning's article: "Trade Helps Settle Phillies Roster." My typo was "post." Lots of amateur proofreaders and editors out there.

— spinmeister

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:04 AM, 03/29/2009

RichieAllen64 -- I'm with you. Too much nonsense about everything but baseball. One beat writer likes to discuss eaterys and his music preferences, now this one wants to discuss simulatities between Jefferson/Madison and Charlie/? I will differ only in the reasoning you apply to Happ being in the rotation vs. a reliever. The fact that Hamels is being held back has two messages and if you sit down and work out the starting lineup, bench, relief core, and rotation you will realize why.

— Wally 24