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On Monday the Phillies will open up a home-and-home four-game series against the Yankees, with the first pair taking place in Philadelphia and the last pair happening in New York City. After dropping two of three in their season opening series against the Marlins, the Phils look to bounce back and get on the winning track.   New Phillies skipper Joe Girardi managed the Yankees for a decade, winning a World Series title against the Phils in 2009.  Two days shy of the 10-year anniversary of the day the Phillies traded him to Houston in the Roy Oswalt deal, J.A. Happ will start the series opener against veteran Jake Arrieta.  Read ahead for breakdowns of the pitching match ups and other key stats from this series. Monday 7/27, 7:05PM.  LHP J.A. Happ (12-8, 4.91 ERA in 2019) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (8-8, 4.64 ERA in 2019).   In 30 career appearances at Citizens Bank Park, the 37-year-old Happ sports a 3.87 ERA.  In his career against Happ, Andrew McCut...

So far we’ve gone almost two fiscal quarters with no baseball. It’s crazy. Coronavirus robbed us of the first part of the MLB season like Ricky Henderson stolen bases in the '80s. But the delayed start to the 2020 MLB season is almost over. It looks like the league is planning on getting back up and running by mid-June . The logistics are still getting worked out. It seems that there will be a limited number of states where games will be played and of course, there'll be no live audience. But hey, televised baseball is better than nothing. In fact, it’s something that any American sports fan needs right about now. Plus … fantasy baseball to kill some lockdown time. So, who are the favorites to win the World Series if and when the season gets going? Let’s look at the world series odds from SportsbookReview and talk about the top contenders. The exact odds vary depending on the sportsbook you’re looking at, but regardless, three teams stand on top of the boards as the f...

HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to articles like this, EXCLUSIVE interviews and more- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Simmons, Williams & Stott/Image- Jay Floyd In what was a mess of an event, the New York-Penn League All-Star Game was won on Wednesday night by the Blue Team, which included four Phillies prospects, over the Red team, which featured representatives from the home club, the Yankees' Staten Island squad. The score at the ballpark, shown on the scoreboards and announced to those in attendance upon completion of the contest was 7-3.  This conflicted with the account reported by multiple media outlets and the score that appeared on minor league baseball's online box score, 7-4. The start of the annual exhibition was delayed by rain, which came as a deluge during a pre-game Home Run Derby, that led to an apparent cancellation of the aforementioned competition, though that wa...

During the 2017 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees once again demonstrated while he's the leading candidate to win both the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards. Coming into the Derby, Judge led the major leagues in home runs hit through the All-Star break with 30. And on the night of the derby, he bested three different guys who have hit 20 home runs themselves this season, en route to dethroning Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins as the Home Run Derby champion. The Home Run Derby was one of many events where individuals could make wagers on the various events that took place over the course of the All Star break. While you can find many different sites that allow you to make all sorts of bets on these festivities, one of the best sites where you can place sports wagers and play casino games is at Betfair Casino . On the way to winning this year's Derby, Judge beat out some of baseball's elite sluggers...

In the finale of Double-A Reading's road series in Trenton on Sunday, Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda made a rehab appearance for the hosting Thunder. The 26-year-old Dominican native, recovering from an elbow issue, looked strong in his initial frame, shutting down rising Phillies prospects J.P. Crawford , Nick William and Andrew Knapp in a quick 10-pitch, 1-2-3 inning. The second time around, though, the 2011 big league All-Star wasn't as lucky. With a run already home in the 3rd inning, Williams, a key return from Texas in last month's Cole Hamels trade, slammed a fastball to deep center field for a three-base hit. Crawford, an Eastern League All-Star, would lace a liner down the left field line for another triple to score Williams. Knapp, the owner of a 13-game hitting streak entering the contest, would get a second shot at Pineda, but he would fly out to end the inning. That ended Pineda's outing, as he was charged with two earned runs in three inn...

On the 42nd edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast Tug and Jay are joined by Phillies OF/1B Darin Ruf who chats about the Phillies' disappointing 2013 season, his production this year and more.  The guys also discuss Roy Halladay 's health and future, what the Phils' pitching rotation might be like next year and the retirement of Yankees legend Mariano Rivera . Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE. You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

With the Phillies not participating in the MLB post-season for the first time in six years, regional baseball fans are confused about what to do with their time, how much playoff action they can enjoy and who they might root for. Rest assured, fans, it is perfectly okay to cheer for and have been happy when former Phillie Raul Ibanez single-handedly downed the Orioles in game three of the American League Division Series, giving the hated New York Yankees a 2-1 series lead. On Wednesday night, the 40-year-old outfielder/designated hitter pinch hit for superstar Alex Rodriguez in the 9th inning and launched a solo homerun that tied the game at two runs apiece and sent the contest into extra frames. In the bottom of the 12th inning, Ibanez smacked another blast that gave his team a 3-2 victory. Philadelphia fan reaction on Twitter was mixed. Some Philly faithful were happy that the veteran, who has never won a World Series, could help his team in such a tremendous fashion. O...

The above images feature Brad Lidge sporting the uniform of division rival Washington, while outfielder Raul Ibanez is seen rocking a different color pin stripes than folks might be used to, the New York Yankees' blue. Both pictures seem a bit odd and force me to wonder which one would bother Phillies fans more. The 35-year-old Lidge is best known for his "perfect" 2008 season, when he led the Phillies to their second ever World Series title by successfully converting all 48 saves chances in the regular and postseason. Ibanez, who will turn 40 years old in June, left the Phillies as a free agent after becoming an All-Star and patrolling leftfield for Philadelphia over the past 3 years. What is fairly stunning is that this pair that earned an estimated combined total of $24 million in 2011, will now earn a measly total of $2.1 million in base salary with their new organizations in the coming season. Such is the professional life of a pair of aging stars as they move ...

The following is a guest post by Mark Evans. Mr. Evans is a professional singer-songwriter that participated in an interview last season here on PhoulBallz.com. Click here to visit his website. Andy Pettitte officially announced his plans to not return as an active pitcher on Friday, leaving the New York Yankees with the void they were hopeful he could fill, in their pitching rotation. I’m not a GM. Heck; I don’t even know any GM's. Though I did once sort-of-know a girl who sort-of-knew former Toronto GM JP Ricciardi, and in the world of six degrees of separation that may count for something. But this is baseball...exact, and to the point, and the closest I’ve come to knowing a GM was the Olds Delta 88 I totaled on a slick road one night many years ago. All that to say this – GM or not, I can’t help but recognize the most logical and doable trade that no one’s talking about: Philadelphia Phillies RHP Joe Blanton (9-6/4.82 ERA/175 IP) to the New York Yankees for switch hitting rig...

This afternoon Jayson Stark stated on ESPN.com that the Philadelphia Phillies were the rumored "mystery team" in the mix, along with the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, for the services of a free agent known as Cliff Lee. Later in the evening, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal cofirmed via Twitter that the Phillies are involved in the pursuit of Lee. Other info via the likes of Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (yes, the real one ) and others state that the Yankees still have the edge on the monetary value of the contracts offered. However, if location means enough, as Lee stated in the past that he loved his time in Philadelphia, the Phils are certainly a contender to be high on Lee's list of desired destinations. Other reports state that the Phillies have touched base with multiple teams in an effort to trade Joe Blanton, which would help to free up money in the team's ever-rising payroll. Blanton is owed $8.5 million ($17 million total) in each of the 2 yea...

In a report from USA Today , the wife of Texas Rangers ace pitcher Cliff Lee, Kristen, described many issues the Rangers' families had to deal with at Yankee Stadium during the American League Championship Series. Mrs. Lee stated that wives of Rangers players were taunted with vulgar language and had beer thrown their way while being spit at from above. "The fans did not do good things in my heart," Kristen Lee told USA Today. "When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal." With free agency in Lee's near future and the Yankees widely considered a front runner to acquire any greatly desired elite MLB player on the market, the treatment of Lee's wife by some hardcore New Yorkers doesn't bode well for their team's chances. Cliff Lee told the NY Daily News , "There were some people that were spitting off the balcony on to the family section and stuff like that, which is kind of weak. What can ...

Late in Tuesday night's ALCS game 4, Nelson Cruz hit a 2-run upperdeck blast that put the Rangers up by a score of 10-3. New York fans began to evacuate Yankee Stadium early for the second consecutive day and partial owner of the Rangers Nolan Ryan was loving every second of it. Check out the media player below to see footage. The Rangers now lead the Yankees 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. ___________________________________________________________________ For updates, facts & stats, follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE .

For $1,000 in the category of douche bag teams that are mistakenly regarded as the class of Major League Baseball, the answer is: The idiot franchise that let a rapper diss them lyrically on their own field prior to a World Series game and later rewarded him with a championship ring. Question: Who are the New York Yankees? Correct! The Yankees invited Jay-Z and Alicia Keys to perform their single "Empire State of Mind" prior to game 2 of the World Series last year at Yankee Stadium. The track contains the lyric, "I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can." Yankees fans in attendance cheered. Firstly, the phrase is not true. Also, the Yankees should not have let that happen. If the front office wasn't aware of the lyric before the concert was booked, why didn't the players take exception at some point? The team should be embarrassed for giving Jay-Z a World Championship ring after he clearly took credit for people buying their merchandise. And if yo...

For $500 in the category of Pretty Boy Performance Enhancing Sluggers, the answer is: This slugging third baseman from New York, who has made headlines for cheating his sport by using steroids over a 3-year stretch, is now into new questionable actions on the baseball field...some kinky ones. Question: Who is Alex Rodriguez? Correct! A-Rod was photographed on Sunday getting frisky with the batting cage in New York, prior to the Yankees' match up with the Boston Red Sox. _____________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE .

These days, many phans would advise the Phillies to avoid doing silly things like trading away ace pitchers for garbage prospects and signing guys with silent S's at the end of their first name. Those tips would, of course, use hindsight and look into the Phils' own recent mistakes. PhoulBallz.com has been reviewing some other MLB franchises, and has developed some tips for the home team. Today, we offer a list of 5 things the Phillies should avoid doing. #5- Letting their manager hang out with the city's head football coach, like they do in Seattle. Charlie Manuel's family is drug free and his team can win championships. Nothing good would come from rubbing elbows with the likes of the Eagles' coach. #4- Fruity flying hip touches. Leave that to the Metros in NYC...and that other team too. #3- Engaging in any sort of contact like these Padres. Shoulder impalement and stinky fingers do not help players win baseball games. #2- Doing their hair as though they are t...

It's the rematch! Both the Phillies (32-29) and the Yankees (40-23) will have their aces going in the series opener when Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia meet up in the collission of last year's World Series opponents. The Yankees won the best-of-seven series in six games. The Yankees enter the series tied for first place in the American League East with the team the Phillies faced in the World Series two seasons ago, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies, however, are struggling to climb back atop the National League East, as they are in third place, 3 1/2 games behind the first place Braves and 1 1/2 games behind the second place Metropolitans. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups for this series as well as loads more information. Tuesday, 7:05pm. Roy Halladay (8-4, 1.96 ERA) vs CC Sabathia (6-3, 4.01 ERA). In 37 games against the Yankees, Halladay has an 18-6 record with a 2.84 ERA. In 6 road starts this season, Halladay is 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA. Curtis Granderson is 5-f...

On a beautiful day for morning baseball in New Jersey, Wednesday saw two shining prospects from last year's World Series opponents facing off in front of a matinee crowd at Lakewood's FirstEnergy Park. The Low-A level Yankees affiliate, the Charleston RiverDogs, are in town visiting the defending South Atlantic League Champions, the Phillies' affiliate BlueClaws, and as might be expected if the parent clubs met up again, a pitcher's duel broke out. 22-year-old Graham Stoneburner, a starter for the Yankee's Low-A level Charleston RiverDogs, came into the game leading the South Atlantic League in strikeouts with 43 K's in 38 innings pitched. Although, he was winless through 5 starts, Stoneburner had become somewhat of a darling among Yankees farm followers, because of his name and the high strike out rate. He entered the game sporting a 2.61 ERA, so the win issue was certainly not his fault. The RiverDogs had been shut out twice in Stoneburner's 5 starts. St...