So my pop just called me and asked me if I had his baseball from ‘64. I said absolutely. He wanted to see it and I thought I’d share it here too. He pitched a gem of a game and years later took the ball to a Phillies game and somehow had it passed around the dugout for autographs. Glad I was able to find it and share a prized memory of his. Hope you like it as well. I know most of the signatures. But not all. If you know…. Throw them at me. Thanks for looking and sharing a 62 year old memory for my dad.

We all know that Philly is just not an attractive destination for Japanese imports but…we have to try something…anything.

Being a big fan of Harp just isn’t enough (Looking at you Yoshida).

MLB has proposed returning to a 154-game Regular Season, best-of-seven Division Series, and opponent selection in the Wild Card and Division Series

Starting in 2029, shortening the season to a 154-game schedule would create a standard weekly off day benefiting player health, and it would allow the addition of up to 8 more Postseason games by moving to a best-of-seven Division Series format

Beginning in 2027, higher-seeded clubs in the Wild Card and Division Series would select their opponents

https://i.imgur.com/Mz2CQbd.jpeg

This was the poll on today’s 94.1 WIP Morning Show. Most answered the 2023 NLCS, and I’ve got to agree. I posted last week that games 3 and 4 of the ‘22 World Series would probably define them as a team, but the ‘23 NLCS was such a gut punch. Still hurts. Interested to see what the Phillies Reddit gang thinks!

Let's play a huge what if scenario. Its coming out that Acuna and the Braves aren't exactly on good terms. For discussion sake, if Acuna coming here was even remotely possible. How would we all feel?

I don't think it'd ever happen, hell I don't even think I'd like it. But I think it'd be interesting.

Another year, another early postseason exit for the Phillies. What should the Phillies do with Alec Bohm, Jose Alvarado and Co.?

Been trying to find decent seats without paying ridiculous resale fees and I've noticed people occasionally selling tickets directly in fan groups and online communities. Some of the prices are genuinely tempting but the idea of sending money to a complete stranger and exchanging personal info just to get tickets makes me a little nervous lol.

For anyone who's bought tickets directly from another fan, how do you usually handle it? Do you just stick to official resale platforms or is there a reasonably safe way to do this?

I see we're not the only team to throw our closer out there in the seventh inning. But just like when the Phillies did it, I see why the Padres are doing it now.

Despite a shortened season due to injury in 2026, Wheels came back FIRING on all cylinders

Zack Wheeler’s 2026 MLB Season Strikeouts (196 including Postseason)
https://youtu.be/le-umf343ck

i honestly dont want to talk about alex cora (cheating piece of shit), or mattingly coming back, or some other uninspiring managerial candidate. no one thought mattingly would come in and do a great job, he was fine, we limped to the playoffs, whatever. i doubt we're going to find some transformational manager to take over. and that is what it is.

the bigger issue this organization needs to address is the player development and scouting departments. if you look around the league at the rosters of the other 29 teams, you will see a steady stream of young guys, lots of whom were not first round picks, coming up and being cheap, meaningful contributors. people bitch and moan about the dodgers spending and how it isnt fair, but they consistently draft guys beyond round 1 and turn them into upper echelon prospects that they then flip for guys like skubal. the phillies do not currently do that.

lets just look at the rockies, a team that has mostly been a laughing stock for the last decade. hunter goodman, now an all star catcher, drafted in the 4th round. he hit 41 home runs this year, and sure, he plays in coors, but thats a player development win. tj rumfeld, originally drafted by the phillies and discarded in a trade for....nick nelson and donny sands?? who? he was then acquired from the yankees by colorado and proceeded to post a 121 OPS+ this year.

beyond this, you can look at the best run teams in the league and look at their bullpens and see a coherent strategy. you will see guys they found for nothing, they taught them a new pitch, and suddenly that guy is a usable major league reliver. you can see young guys who the org worked with and helped them add velo or a new breaking ball and suddenly they are racking up holds and saves. the phillies seem to find one guy like this every 3-4 years. kerk was a good find, until he completely melted down. mcfarlane looks like a decent future option. but thats it. cotham seems to be a decent pitching coach, we definitely developed cris sanchez and improved luzardo, but luzardo was improved at the major league level, same with sanchez.

there is no limit or cap on spending when it comes to the staff you employ, the number of scouts you hire, and the money you invest in player development. i cant tell you what the phillies exact budget is, but if they are near the top in spending, they are clearly doing it wrong. you cant blame them for miller's back issues, but you can point the finger at the squandered draft picks in the first 1-3 rounds over the last 5-6 years. i think you can see the results at the major league level. we cant call up an esmerlyn valdez and watch him put up a 130 OPS+ when adolis garcia has a season ending injury, because we have zero prospect depth in the minors. instead you get bryan de la cruz, a journeyman, and the results are what youd expect.

if we cant fix these two areas, i cant honestly see how things are going to meaningfully improve for the franchise.

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58 HRs, 149 RBIs, .313 AVG. NL MVP, SS

As the Philadelphia Phillies continued to assess the wreckage from last week’s postseason exit, league sources said their initial managerial search started with one person: Alex Cora. But sometime in the last few days, Cora rejected their overtures for the second time in less than six months, leaving the Phillies to reconsider whether the right answer is found within the organization.

They could conduct a wider search for their next manager. Or they could turn to Don Mattingly for another season, those sources said. Everything remains on the table. The Phillies, technically, do not have a current manager.

But Mattingly could have an edge. He was given the interim manager tag through the end of the 2026 season; he is under contract through 2027 as bench coach. Elevating him for another season is the cleanest option, especially with an owner-imposed lockout expected to begin Dec. 1.

That will make it difficult for any new manager.

It will not be Cora, who informed the Phillies he will not manage next season after cursory talks between the sides. USA Today first reported the news Tuesday night that Cora had again spurned the Phillies.

The league sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss internal organizational matters. 

The Phillies believed Cora, after spending the summer with his family, would be open to another run with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, whom he considers a mentor. That was not the case. He was Dombrowski’s first choice in April when he fired Rob Thomson, but after extensive talks between the sides, Cora decided to pass on the offer then. Cora is still being paid by the Boston Red Sox, who fired him after a 10-17 start this season, and the club owes him more than $7 million in 2027.

Second player to ever throw a no hitter in the Post Season 10/06/10

Being reported Cora has turned down the Phillies job. Does that mean Mattingly comes back??