matthearn.com

I usually remember that Keith Olbermann is wicked smaht, but I always forget that he writes very well.

His act was always the same. He was there when the park opened, and he stayed till it closed. And any time he thought Mauch could possibly see him, he raised his sign, which read, simply “BUNNING.” If he had one friend with him, that guy carried another sign reading “AND SHORT,” but there was supposedly a three-man version (one fellow with “AND” and the other with “SHORT.”). “He has to be reminded,” I heard the guy say. “He has to be reminded, every year, what he did.”

He goes on to explain who should replace Brad Lidge as the Phillies’ closer, and let me tell you, I’m convinced:

And one Philly starter offers these numbers in the first innings of his games: .219 opposing batting average, .259 opposing on base percentage, less than one base-runner per first inning, 3.41 ERA. Another maps out at a.197 BA, .288 OBP, 1.05 WHIP, 1.35 ERA.

The first guy is Joe Blanton. The second one is J.A. Happ.

I’m not sure why Joe Blanton has such a high first-inning ERA if his WHIP is under 1; perhaps he just gives up too many home runs, 30 on the year so far, compared to Happ’s 18. Since the absolute last thing you want a closer to do is give up a home run, perhaps Happ is the better option. I wish he threw harder, though.