Philly Sports Chatter

Philadelphia Phillies' Performance Pathetic

The Philadelphia Phillies usually get off to a bad start in April. And they are once again this year.

They say you can't win the season in April. But you could certainly lose it. And after the first month of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies are letting April showers drown them. They stand at 9-14 going into Friday night's game against the New York Mets. Five games under .500 and their worst start since 2006. Basically there's one word to sum up their performance so far this season: pathetic. The starting pitching has been inconsistent. The bullpen has gotten rocked. The offensive bats aren't just cold; they're pretty much icy. The defense stinks. The fundamentals are lacking. Pathetic. Case in point was Roy Halladay's performance Wednesday night. The pitcher has turned things around since a shaky start and question marks about his …

•  11 Comments
• Photos (1)

ride the lightning

6:59 am on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Nationals are new 2006 phils, just waiting to get to the next level. Hopefully this will still be on patch come october then the phils are well below 90 wins.   more ›

Philly Sports Chatter

Should the Philadelphia Phillies Hold a Fire Sale?

We've gotten used to the Fightins' fighting for first place every year for a while now. But as the All-Star break approaches, they're in dead last.

Editor's Note: This is the debut of a weekly sports column that will focus on professional sports and the four main Philadelphia teams. If you're Ruben Amaro, July is a great month. Usually, the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies is sitting pretty, his team in first place and the time nearing when Amaro gets to play "Let's Make A Deal" to bolster the roster for the annual playoff run. This season, though, Amaro should be humming The Clash song, "Should (They) Stay or Should (They) Go." The Phils are in dead last in the NL East. And with the trading deadline coming up at the end of the month, Amaro needs to determine if the Phillies are buyers or sellers this year. He needs to decide if this team's deep playoff run of the past few…

•  20 Comments
• Photos (1)

Winter EYA Baseball Workouts Underway

Emmaus Travel and Intramural Baseball holding winter workouts.

The Emmaus Youth Association is holding winter workouts for all boys ages 8 through 12 who live in the Emmaus, Upper Milford, Alburtis and Macungie areas and plan to participate in spring Travel or Intramural baseball.   These workouts, which will cover hitting, fielding and throwing, cost $20.00 per two-hour session. Workouts will be held at Elite Sports Academy, 6330 Hedgewood Dr., Suite 310, Allentown, from 5 to 7 p.m. The remaining workout dates are: Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and 20 March 5 and 19  and April 2. For more information, contact Brian Onushco at emmausbaseball06@rcn.com or 610-966-1636

• Photos (1)

Lower Mac Spring Sports Registration Opens

Lower Macungie Youth Association starts online registration for spring sports today.

The Lower Macungie Youth Association (LMYA) is opening online registration for spring sports starting today.  LMYA offers numerous instructional, intramural and travel programs for boys and girls, according to LMYA's Lindsay Taylor. Online registration for spring baseball, softball and lacrosse programs opens today. Online registration for Intramural (recreation) soccer will open January 15, 2012. Online registration for baseball will end February 18, 2012 and online registration for recreation soccer, softball and lacrosse will end February 29, 2012. The online registration process is easy to complete. Walk-in registration will be offered 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 at the Wescosville Recreation Center on Hamilton Boulevard. Fees vary …

• Photos (1)

Five Things to Know Today: September 21

Strike three! You're out!

1. Weather: Mostly cloudy today. The National Weather Service forecast for our area says there's a 50 percent chance of showers. The high will be near 75 degrees. 2. In Case You Missed It: Rep. Doug Reichley will host a Town Hall meeting at 7 p.m. tonight. 3. Quote of the Day: “The most important things in life aren't things.” Anthony J. D'Angelo. 4. Coming Up: "What's next?" was asked at the recent Macungie Council meeting.  5. Today in History: On this day in 1981, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton struck out the 3,118th batter of his career to break Bob Gibson’s National League record for career strikeouts. Despite Carlton’s 10 shutout innings and 12 strikeouts, the Phillies lost the marathon game to the Montreal Expos in the …

• Photos (1)

Five Things to Know Today: September 6

School days, dear old golden rule days.

1. Weather: Chillier. The National Weather Service forecast for our area says there's a 90 percent chance of showers today and a high of 68 degrees. There is a possibility of another three-quarters of an inch of rain. 2. In Case You Missed It: Bruce Frassinelli was not happy to start kindergarten. 3. Quote of the Day: "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey 4. Coming Up: Lower Macungie residents called on their volunteer fire department 35 times during Hurricane Irene. 5. Today in History: On this day in 1995, Baltimore Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive games played.

• Photos (1)

Get Out

Get Out: Five Things to do This Weekend

Patch to the rescue! We’ve got the best bets for your done-work-outta-here time.

This week we have a brand new community day, a classic play, yummy yoga, baseball and nostalgia. 1. Emmaus Community Day When/Where: Begins at 1 p.m. in Emmaus Community Park. Why Go: Because, in addition to the old timers' baseball game at 5:30 p.m. you can douse your favorite -- or least favorite -- council member in the dunk tank. Pricing: Free, but participating eateries will be selling food. 2. Pride and Prejudice When/Where: 8 p.m. July 23 at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in the Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center, DeSales University. Why Go: Because it's a classic. You have Elizabeth, you have Mr. Darcy; they have pride. And prejudice. Pricing: Tickets start at $47. 3. Yoga in the Vineyard When/Where: 10:30-11:30 a.m. July 24 …

• Photos (1)

East Penn Continues to Play and Make Up Rain-Outs

The spring schedule has been a soggy one so far.

The following Emmaus Hornet athletic teams will be in action this week as a busy spring season continues to be even busier thanks to lots of rain: Monday, April 25 Tennis: Varsity travels to Bethlehem Catholic for a match at 10 a.m. Baseball: Varsity competes in the Don Hunt LVC Challenge against Central Catholic at 3 p.m. at Coca Cola Park in Allentown. Softball: Varsity travels to Central Catholic for a game at 6 p.m.   Tuesday, April 26 Tennis: Varsity hosts Central Catholic for a match at 3:30 p.m. Track: Varsity boys and girls travel to BASD Stadium to compete against Nazareth and Liberty for a meet at 3:30 p.m. Baseball: Varsity hosts Easton for a game at 4 p.m., while JV travels to Easton for a game at 4 p.m. Softball: Varsity hosts…

• Photos (1)

How do you get to the Iron Pigs’ game? Study!

New program rewards good grades with free tickets to baseball games at Coca Cola Park.

When Dean Browning was a junior high student growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, he won tickets to Cincinnati Reds Major League baseball games by making straight A’s at his school. It turned him into a lifelong Reds fan.  On Wednesday, Lehigh County Commissioner Chairman Browning, and representatives of the Iron Pigs Minor League baseball team and the Coca Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley announced the creation of a similar program that will reward local 7th and 8th grade students who get good grades with free tickets to Iron Pigs games. It’s called the “Straight A All Stars.” “When you’re in 7th and 8th grade you don’t think long term,” Browning said later. “Your parents say you need to study hard, it’s going to pay off down the …

• Photos (2)

East Penn's Spring Sports Continue

The hornets are busy this week.

The following Emmaus athletic teams will be in action this week as the Spring season continues. Monday, April 11 Tennis: Varsity hosts Freedom for a match at 3:30 p.m. Track: Boys and girls host Parkland for a meet at 3:30 p.m. Softball: Eyer hosts Allen for the middle school game at 4:00 p.m.; Lower Macungie travels to Broughal for their game at 4 p.m. Girls’ Lacrosse: Varsity travels to Southern Lehigh for a match at 4 p.m., and JV follows at 5:30 p.m. Boys’ Volleyball: Varsity travels to Northampton for a match at 5:30 p.m., and JV plays before hand at 4 p.m.; Eyer hosts Springhouse for the middle school match at 4 p.m., while Lower Macungie hosts Northampton for their match at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 Baseball: Varsity travels to …

• Photos (1)