GaryMrMets
05-28-2006, 11:37 PM
http://philadelphia.comcastsportsnet.com/view_content_0p.asp?ID=31310
Phillies Notebook: Rowand's Defense Doesn't Change Despite Injury
by Zach Berman
ComcastSportsNet.com
Aaron Rowand, who returned from the disabled list on Saturday after suffering a broken nose on May 10 while making an unforgettable catch, had two more impressive catches in Sunday afternoon's victory over Milwaukee.
The fan favorite did not jam into the wall either time, although the velocity with which he was running might have caused him to had either fly ball been just a few feet longer.
“When the ball is hit in my direction, I try to catch it. I don’t put anything more into it than that,” Rowand said with his typical everyman demeanor after the game. “I’m concentrating on the ball. If you take your concentration off the ball and worry about other things, you end up not catching it like you should.”
The first catch came in the first inning when Bill Hall’s deep fly ball could have scored leadoff hitter Rickie Weeks, who singled to start the game. Rather, it was a deep out and Weeks retreated to first base. The Phillies came out unscathed.
The second catch was in the ninth inning, when Carlos Lee’s shot could have started a rally. The Brewers already had a runner on base and two of their better hitters – Prince Fielder and Corey Koskie – were coming up. Instead, Rowand’s catch was the second out. Fielder struck out, giving closer Tom Gordon the save and the Phillies the victory.
“I was hoping that he wasn’t going to challenge that fence,” Manuel said. “But at the same time, I was hoping he’d catch the ball.”
Stretch Madson
While pitchers usually alternate between the stretch and the wind-up depending on how many players are on base, Madson switched to pitching exclusively out of the stretch in the third inning, a move that yielded five of his strikeouts and no runs.
“All the mechanics right now are new and we really worked them out of the stretch at first,” Madson said. “We only had one opportunity to work out of the wind-up, and I really wasn’t comfortable with them yet out of the wind-up.”
Madson said he’s going to work on the wind-up in a bullpen session to try to get more comfortable with the timing.
Above .500
The Phillies were in danger of falling below .500 for the first time since May 3. It would have been a devastating blow for a team that’s playing well but inconsistently. Nine of the Phillies’ 24 losses have been by one run. Four of their five losses to the Brewers were by one run.
“We haven’t been playing bad. We’ve just been coming up a hair short,” Rowand said. “It’s not like we’ve been coming out and getting blown out. We’ve gotten ahead in ballgames after being down, and that shows character. Unfortunately, we’ve been losing a lot of those close ballgames just in the end where a little bounce here and there could win you the ballgame.”
Phillies Notebook: Rowand's Defense Doesn't Change Despite Injury
by Zach Berman
ComcastSportsNet.com
Aaron Rowand, who returned from the disabled list on Saturday after suffering a broken nose on May 10 while making an unforgettable catch, had two more impressive catches in Sunday afternoon's victory over Milwaukee.
The fan favorite did not jam into the wall either time, although the velocity with which he was running might have caused him to had either fly ball been just a few feet longer.
“When the ball is hit in my direction, I try to catch it. I don’t put anything more into it than that,” Rowand said with his typical everyman demeanor after the game. “I’m concentrating on the ball. If you take your concentration off the ball and worry about other things, you end up not catching it like you should.”
The first catch came in the first inning when Bill Hall’s deep fly ball could have scored leadoff hitter Rickie Weeks, who singled to start the game. Rather, it was a deep out and Weeks retreated to first base. The Phillies came out unscathed.
The second catch was in the ninth inning, when Carlos Lee’s shot could have started a rally. The Brewers already had a runner on base and two of their better hitters – Prince Fielder and Corey Koskie – were coming up. Instead, Rowand’s catch was the second out. Fielder struck out, giving closer Tom Gordon the save and the Phillies the victory.
“I was hoping that he wasn’t going to challenge that fence,” Manuel said. “But at the same time, I was hoping he’d catch the ball.”
Stretch Madson
While pitchers usually alternate between the stretch and the wind-up depending on how many players are on base, Madson switched to pitching exclusively out of the stretch in the third inning, a move that yielded five of his strikeouts and no runs.
“All the mechanics right now are new and we really worked them out of the stretch at first,” Madson said. “We only had one opportunity to work out of the wind-up, and I really wasn’t comfortable with them yet out of the wind-up.”
Madson said he’s going to work on the wind-up in a bullpen session to try to get more comfortable with the timing.
Above .500
The Phillies were in danger of falling below .500 for the first time since May 3. It would have been a devastating blow for a team that’s playing well but inconsistently. Nine of the Phillies’ 24 losses have been by one run. Four of their five losses to the Brewers were by one run.
“We haven’t been playing bad. We’ve just been coming up a hair short,” Rowand said. “It’s not like we’ve been coming out and getting blown out. We’ve gotten ahead in ballgames after being down, and that shows character. Unfortunately, we’ve been losing a lot of those close ballgames just in the end where a little bounce here and there could win you the ballgame.”