News just hit the Phillies community hard.  Long time Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas has just passed away.  He collapsed in the broadcast booth and was pronounced at the hospital.  It's a sad day for the front office, the players, and the fans.  In 1997 we lost Richie 'Whitey' Ashburn and now we lost Harry Kalas.  I'm speechless.  Harry was a great guy.  I never had the honor of meeting him, but I am currently watching ComcastSportsnet and they are talking to people like Dan Baker, Bobby Wine (Phillies coach 1972-83) and they are confirming what I always knew, he was just great.  A great broadcaster and a great person.  Everyone around the baseball world knew his signature homerun call and his distinct voice.  He always had time for everyone.  Harry had the honor of throwing out first pitch the day of the ring ceremony and he had the honor of calling out the final pitch for the World Series.  This is just so sad.  He is unforgettable and will always be in our hearts.  A comfort to everyone is knowing that he is now in Heaven with his long time friend and partner, Richie Ashburn.  He will be missed very much.

***Photos: www.cantstopthebleeding.com    --  mlb.mlb.com ***

Sorry everyone, I haven't written in a long time and sadly, I won't be able to write an actual post for a few days at the least.  I am currently recooperating from surgery.  On Sunday afternoon, I started not feeling well and by Sunday night I was in the emergency room (to make me even more upset that I already was that night, I was missing the Phillies Opening Night :( ).  It turns out I had appendicits.  I went into surgery on Monday evening and came home from the hospital on Tuesday.  It hurts for me to sit up for long periods so that is why I have to keep this short and can't write for a few days.  Plus, I have a lot of school stuff to make up.  Blah.  Yesterday was supposed to be the start of my spring break to have fun, but unfortunatly, I can't even do anything :(

Well, I am going to go lay down again and watch some more movies..I'm going to be sick of TV's by the time I'm better.  Bye everyone!  I'll be back soon!

 On my last post, I received a question asking who my favorite player is and why.  I replied that I have many favorites for different reasons.  Since there a personal story behind pretty much every one of my favorites, I have decided to share them with you as well as a few pictures.  I hope you enjoy! :)  (Note: there is no particular order to this list)

Chris Coste - There was just something about Chris Coste that I always liked him.  It probably had something to do with his personality.  He's just a laid back guy and I really love that about him.  He became one of my absolute favorites when I read his book, The 33-Year-Old Rookie.  I read it in one day, that day being the day it came into stores.  Shortly after I went to his book signing and my dad and I chatted with him.  He was so nice taking time with each person.  He signed the book to that person and if they wanted a picture with him, he was all smiles.  He is such a sweetie and he earned a lot of my respect.  Ever since then he's been my favorite :)

 Jamie Moyer - aka The Ageless Wonder :)  I love how every day he isn't pitching, he's walking along the fence by the dugout signing autographs.  I have gotten his autograph twice over the past two years, one of each of my 2007 and 2008 season baseballs.  I'm pretty sure I will also get one this year as he is always there.  He is the only player who signs everyday.  The first time I got his autograph I was ecstatic.  I can imagine how he makes other kids feel when they get their first autograph by him.  Also, he is my favorite because of his story.  I think it is so amazing how he grew up loving the Phillies and now he is a grown man playing on his team and winning a World Series title for his team.  When he got choked up at the parade and when they won the World Series, so did I.  I was so happy for him.  He will always be my favorite even when he retires.

Chase Utley - One game last year I made a sign that said "I <3 Chase Utley and Pat Burrell" with "Can I have your autographs please?" in the upper right hand corner.  I was standing by the dugout along the fence when a tv cameraman zoomed in on my sign and panned out to show me.  Chase happened to be on the field during this and I saw him look up at the Phanavison screen while I was on there (this is all true :))  When he was done warming up, he came over directly towards me, asked me for my pen, and signed people's baseballs, hats, shirts, etc. around me.  He then came back to me, after telling one boy that he can only sign one thing per person, saw that I was also holding a baseball with my sign and asked which one he wanted me to have him sign.  I very politely asked him if he could sign both.  Do you know what his response was?  "Of course.  No problem."  Can you imagine how I felt?!  It was amazing!  I then thanked him and he said "Sure. No problem."  It was a day game, start at 1:05, and I don't think I stopped smiling until 11:00 that night :)  Plus, he's my favorite because he is Chase Utley.  Enough said :) (I couldn't get a very good picture of him while he was signing it, but this is his autograph :))  Those are the players I have some personal stories about but they don't even begin to cover all my favorites.  The rest of them I admire because of their personalities and the way they play the game.  So instead of writing the same thing over and over again, I'll just write that now and share some pictures with you of my other favs :) 

(From left to right: Chad Durbin, Cole Hamels)

 My computer is being very slow at the moment so I will continue this either tomorrow or Sunday.  I hope you enjoyed reading it so far! :)

 ***All pictures by me***

I have a lot to catch up on.  From Cole Hamels, to Chase Utley, to Chris Coste and more.

Last Tuesday, March 24th, Chase Utley hit his first spring training homerun in a Phillies win of 7-6.  That is great news!  He has been doing very well since his offseason hip surgery.  I cannot wait to see him play on Opening Night! :)

One player we will not see on Opening Night is Cole Hamels.  He has been set back and it is possible his first start will be on April 10.  Pitcher Brett Myers will most likely be the starter for the opener on April 5th but nothing is official yet.  Cole said he felt fine after his scoreless 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday the 24th.  He gave up 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out five.  He reported no swelling or tightness after the game.  Whew!  That's good :)  I do not want him getting hurt as no one else wants either.

Today when I got home from school, I came home to very good news.  My Chris Coste is looking more and more like the backup catcher for Carlos Ruiz!!  The Phils anounced to other teams the Ronny Paulino is available in a trade.  Well, I am very happy.  Chris is one of my favorite's as you all probably know and like I said before in a previous post, I LOVE his story! :)

Also, it seems like Jayson Werth will be the right-handed bat in the middle of the line-up to break up all the lefties.  Nothing, again, is official.

I'll be back as more updates come along!  Things have been slowing down a bit in school so hopefully I'll be back some more :)  Bye everyone!  I'm off to finish my math homework!

Ah!  Spring has officially arrived this past Friday!  Can you say finally?!  I have in a very good mood these past few days.  The sun is shining, the grass is green...okay, maybe I'm being a little too happy :)  I am NOT a winter kind of person.  I personally hate it.  I like warmth, not cold.  So spring is my favorite season.  Not too hot and not too cold.  And every year I come down with a case of Spring Fever :)

Okay, so, onto baseball :)  I am watching the World Baseball Classic right now.  Jimmy Rollins has just scored from second base on a David Wright double.  The score is now 2-1, top of the third, USA winning, vs. Japan.  Important updates on the game will be coming through as I write :)

The Phillies are now 9-13-2 in their Spring Training games.  I don't know how many times I can say this but, blah!  I cannot wait for spring training to be over!!  I need these games to mean something!  Yesterday's game was televised and I nearly fell asleep in a very boring 2-1 loss.  The highlight of the game to me was seeing Chase Utley play.  That's about it.  Eric Bruntlett's 9th inning homerun almost got me excited, but not quite.  Oh well, only 14 days exactly until Opening Night.  Yay!  I am very excited :)

As of now I am currently falling asleep *yawn* at my computer desk so I believe I will hit the hay.  I will try to get back here on Tuesday and catch up on these past few games, injuries, and of course, the fifth starter position.  That all depends on my teachers and how much homework I get though :)  Thankfully all my projects are done with :)  So goodnight everyone!

P.S. The USA vs. Japan game is currently in the bottom of the 4th inning with the score still 2-1

Hey everybody!  I'm taking a break from my school work to write this.  Last week it seems like all my teachers got together and thought up some evil and diabolical plan to torture all of their students.  They all decided to give projects on the same day and they are all due on the same day.  Can you say stressful?!  So, before I have a complete meltdown and Spanish verbs and the Byzantine Empire comes pouring out my ears, I figure I should catch up on everything Phillies.

The Phils are currently 7-11 in their Grapefruit League.  They lost the game today against the New York Yankees by a score of 12-0. Ouch!  Kyle Kendrick pitched today and aparently things did not go very well for him.  It seems the two strong competetitors for the fifth starting postion on the squad is between Chan Ho Park and JA Happ.  Chan Ho Park pitched in yesterday's game against former Phillie Kyle Lohse and the St. Louis Cardinals and made quite a name for himself.  He has made three spring appearances and is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA.  He allowed only 3 hits in the scoreless 4 2/3 innings he pitched.  Park and the rest of the gang went on to beat the Cardinals 2-1.

Here's something to brighten up everyone's day, Chase Utley played in yesterday's game!  He was hitless but seemed pretty comfortable.  That is VERY good news.  Can you say Opening Night anyone? :)  Pedro Feliz will also probably be ready in time for Opening Night :)

In other news on a not so happy note, Cole Hamels has been experiencing tightness in his left elbow.  He says that there is no pain, just a tightness.  Cole was flown to Philadelphia today from Clearwater to have the team doctor examine him.  Cole seems optimistic that he will be ready to pitch against the Atlanta Braves on April 5th.  We'll find out tomorrow for sure if he is okay and will be ready for the Opener.  Oh, I sure hope he's ready!  I don't know what I'd do if he wasn't!

Former Phillie Pat Burrell has taken out 2 ads in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News thanking the Phillies fans for the time he has spent here. He signs off his letter saying, "All my best"  Now that is one classy act from one classy guy.  All the more reason for him to be my all time favorite player :)

Okay, well, it's time for me to get back to my homework and projects :(  I'll be back to update some more once school work slows down a little or I'm about to blow again :)  Bye everyone!

P.S Only 20 Days until Opening Night! :D

It's the weekend!  Oh joy!  I can finally get caught up on my blog :)  Well, let's see, the Phillies are now 5-6 in their Spring Training Exhibition games.  Last Monday against Toronto they won 12-7, then they had an off day on Tuesday, and then they got back to the games on Wednesday.  Wednesday they played Team Canada and won 9-2.  Thursday they played Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and the rest of Team USA and fell 6-9.  They also dropped Friday's game to Toronto with a score of 3-4.  However, today was another day as they won 8-2 :)

On another note, Team USA also won today 6-5.  In the top of the 9th inning, Phils players J-Roll and Shane Victorino made all three outs.  J-roll made the first two and Shane the last one.

The race is still on for the fifth starter position with Kyle Kendrick, JA Happ (or JA Happy as I like to call him :)), Chan Ho Park, and Carlos Carrasco.  I personally hope JA Happy gets the call.  I think he'll strive in the Majors with this team.  Also, I hope Chris Coste will get the job as the back-up catcher.  I would absolutely hate to see him go back down to the minors.  I think anyone who knows his story and especially anyone who read his book The 33-Year-Old Rookie will agree with me.  He's always been a favorite of mine and that book made him even more of a favorite to me.  Plus he is such a nice guy.  I went to his book signing last year and he was just so nice and friendly to everyone.  He actually took the time to talk and take a picture with me. :)

Anyways, it's past my bedtime, just kidding :)  But I am awfully tired *yawn*.  Just thought I would write a little before I hit the sack.  So until next time, adios mis amigos! :)

Well it's a snow day here in Philadelphia!  Schools are closed!  Every kid and teen's dream right?  To go out and go sledding?  Wrong.  Okay, so it's MOST kid's dream.  Maybe not mine :)  So I'm here to catch up on the Phils past Spring Training games.

So far the Phillies are 2 - 3 in their Grapefruit League.  They dropped the first three and won the last two.  Their first game they played the Pittsburgh Pirates and lost with a score of 2-8.  Second game they played the Toronto Blue Jays and fell to them 2-6.  Then on their third game of the year, while playing the Cincinnati Reds, they lost 3-10.  But fear not everyone!  This is only Spring Training.  No need for panic :)

The Phillies' luck changed on Saturday, the 28th, when the Tampa Bay Rays and my beloved Pat Burrell swam into Clearwater.  It sure was weird seeing Pat in a different uniform.  His back side still looked good though.  That's a plus :)  Anyways, hehe :), Pat kind of came full circle in a way.  During the second part of Game 5 in the World Series last year, Pat Burrell led off the 7th inning with a double against the Rays.  Now in this Spring Training game, Pat hit into another double only this time it was against the Phillies.  Just thought I'd point that out.  The Rays went on to lose to the Phillies 12-5 giving the Phils their first win.  Woohoo!  Finally! :)  They continued their "winning streak" yesterday against the Atlanta Braves with a score of 7-3.  Next game is today vs. the Blue Jays again at 1:05pm 

I cannot wait until these games start to mean something.  Spring Training goes too slow for me.  Oh well, the baseball offseason and the drag of games not meaning anything is a necessary evil! 

Also, I may have to take a break from blogging until next weekend.  School re-opens tomorrow which means homework, homework, and more homework!  I also have more to do than everyone else as I was absent from school all last week with the flu :(  Ugh, I can't wait for summer where the only thing I have to worry about is Phillies games and making sure Cole Hamels never ever cuts his hair.  It's too adorable the way it is :) So until next time, Go Phils and who says girls can't play baseball? ;)

Hey everyone!  I'm gonna try this whole blogging thing again.  Hopefully it works out :)  I'll introduce myself again, I'm Michelle aka Miss Phillies here to bring you everything Phillies and everything cute and girly :)  Let's start off by saying I'm not one of those teenage girls who goes to baseball games just for players' butts.  I actually watch the games and enjoy everything about baseball (which does include a few players rear ends ;) Sorry everyone, but I AM a teenage girl.  It's normal for me to notice these things.)  I've been a Phillies phan since I was born and I have pictures to prove it ;)  I love writing which is pretty much the whole reason for this blog.  I hope to major in Journalism in college and go on to be maybe a beat writer for the Phillies.  I also hope to be a Phillies Ballgirl for a year or two, or as long as they let me if i make the team.  I also love photography and I always have my camera with me.  I try to go to as many Phillies games as I can.  Translation: I try to go to as many games as I can convince my Dad to take me to :)  Me and him are HUGE Phillies phans and we always go to the games together.  It's kind of our special thing.  So far we're going to 3 games this year and we planned a trip to Cooperstown with my Mom over the summer as the Phillies are the defending World Champions :)  Oh, how it feels so good to say that.  I haven't been waiting as long as adults for the Phils to win it all, but it has been quite awhile.  During the winter I pretty much go through what I like to call Baseball Withdrawl.  The only cure being a game, so I am ecstatic about Spring Training right about now.  I'm even happier that yesterday's game (2/28) was televised.  I got to see my all-time favorite player Pat Burrell!  Ahh I miss him!!  I was extremely upset when the Phils signed Raul Ibanez and Pat signed with the Rays.  He's been my fav. since he's been in a Phillies uniform and it was heartbreaking to see him in another.  But hey, at least I got to see him :)  I don't really have another individual favorite except maybe for Aaron Rowand.  My favorite is just the whole gang of Phillies players from Chase Utley to the bat boy :)  Just kidding!  I really do like everyone though :)

So I guess that's pretty much it for now.  Comments/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated by anyone!  Like I said before, I'm a newbie at this!  Thanks and until next time, Go Phillies!  And who says girls can't play baseball? ;)