All tied up
We definitely wanted to win two here, but we got a split, so we came up short in the end. I’m sure you guys will be excited for this weekend. We’ll take a day off, work out and be ready for Saturday.
Because we didn’t get the job done with runners in scoring position, maybe it seems like you’re pressing. I know I’m not. I’m sure a lot of guys in here aren’t. Heck, I popped out with two guys on and no one out, and swung at the first pitch. I was trying to get a hit. I’m aggressive. I’m always going to be aggressive.
It’s not about making excuses. We’re just not doing it. They scored early by executing. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria grounded out and two runs scored. We didn’t do that.
Still, we got ourself in a situation to tie the game with one swing, and that’s without executing. We have to look at the positives. We won one game without executing and lost one game without executing. If we do the little things, we’d be alright. We have to keep playing. We’ll show up and get ready to go in Game 3.
Shane Victorino's Postseason Blog 
SHANE VICTORIOUS!!!! Can’t wait for you to come home and Play! I am so excited for the next 3 games, Ill be there Sunday and Monday!! The City is so pumped up! You are my favorite Player, I love watching you play!!!Your such a great player and are always enjoying the game!!!
I have been wearing my Flying Hawiian Shirt, I hope I get noticed Satuday or Sunday and I get the chance to meet you!! That would be awesome!!! Keep up the Great Work! I know you guys will come out strong Saturday, expecially being home and having everyone behind you guys!! Enjoy your day off tomorrow! I will be watching you Saturday!!!!!
-jayne
Shane:
From the beginning it didn’t seem like it was going to be the Phillies night. You know you are going to win some and you are going to lose some and if you have to lose one to the Rays this was the one. You needed to drop one so you could come home to Philly to show your adoring fans one outrageous three-day “ticket to baseball heaven” at CBP and finally put those clanking, stanking cowbells behind you once and for all! Moyer will pitch a fine game on Saturday with the fans, team and bullpen behind him all the way and he will realize his lifelong dream in the finest way possible – at home! Thanks for blogging the postseason. It’s been a lot of fun to tune in and get da scoop.
Split in tampa no problem sets up perfect for moyer to get his win in the first game and the big man to finish it in style on monday fly home deep breath relax and them come back and smoke them this weekend love you guys.City of brotherly love I THINK NOT time for an old style Philadelphia smack down.
Shane, I feel bad for you and the team about last night. I know it was disappointing leaving so many players on base. But. yesterday’s behind you now. We all knew this was not going to be an easy series. Tampa’s been pretty hot and has some good players. Their team is young, though, and I believe the experience of the Phillies will win out in the end — that and the “will to win.” We’re all waiting for you to come home and play here where we can literally stand behind you, pumping you up. So, get ready for a sea of RED and rally towels waving — we’re honoring you and the team and we’re behind you 100%. We love you and the team so much and just want to see you get what you deserve – the World Series win! God bless!
Karen (Boothwyn)
WELCOME HOME!! With MILLIONS of Phillies Fans behind you your gonna take the next 3 games here in Philly, which is what your fans want!! We KNOW you can do this and we are excited because the Phillies are such a great team! I really think those bats are gonna catch fire on Saturday (especially Howard….I’m thinkin’ a few Home Runs!) and a 3 game sweep is gonna happen! Keep the Philly faith!
Margie (Trevose)
P.S. – and NO MORE COW BELLS to listen to!! yahoooo!!
Trite but true, you can’t win ’em all. Although I would have liked to have seen you guys sweep the Rays, I predicted the Phils in Phive. A split in that horrendous dome is outstanding; as was taking game one.
Welcome home guys!
Go Phils!
Helen McK
P. S. Tell Carlos I could watch that play at the plate like a million times! Talk about taking one for the team.
WELCOME HOME PHILLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would rateher you take the lose away & come home to finish the job in five, selfishly I want game five because I’m lucky enough to have tickets! It was fun watching Ruiz make that awesome play at home. Phans want you back home, we cant wait for this run. Go Phils!!!! You are the man Shane!!! Something off the subject, I was watching cash cab and a question was about Which US state consumes the most spam because of a popular snack, and of course it was Hawaii. lol.
Jennifer -NJ-
Shane
Thank you so much for taking time to do this blog, it means a lot to the fans.
As for last night, no one can be on all of the time. You’re not machines that can keep going and going. Everyone will have an off game. And I’m so sick and tired of those biased Fox announcers. It’s disgusting listening to them. If my radio could pick up Harry, I’d turn the volume down on the TV and just listen to him.
Welcome home.
The bells stop here, let’s get them in five!
Shane,
Dude you guys have got to relax. Why is everybody playing so tight? Just have fun.
I want to be positive, but there’s no way to sugar coat game 2. That was awful man.
Your back home now, You guys will have the home crowd behind you going absolutely crazy.
You guys are the best team all you have to do is relax and have fun playing the game.
Please tell Jimmy to smile!!!!! He’s way too serious out there.
We love you guys! Keep the Phaith! Welcome back to Philadelphia!
Relax is right!!! Have fun, smile, laugh!! Why didn’t Charlie get in the umpires face after that “strike-out, oh wait, did he swing” BS call??? And that pitch did hit Rollins on the shirt! That umpire better never show up in our town! Don’t sweat the loss BUDDY, win it in PHILLY! Tracy and Dee Allen
I’m sure the other Phil’s fans would agree – NO MORE COW BELLS! Thank God! We’re happy that you’ll be home now to win and since Tampa can’t make up their mind if they want to be in Tampa Bay or St. Petersburg????? I think I’ll have a big glass of Tropicana OJ when you guys win the World Series! You’re the better team without a doubt, you can’t win ’em all though. I have every bit of confidence that you guys will come through and win. Tampa Bay is pretty weak and you guys are tough. I’m from Philly and they don’t make us wimpy there! Go Phitin’ Phils!
Welcome home Shane. We are all behind you and know this team is gonna pull through to win the series. You will be surrounded by family and friends, no wories. Have fun.
Shane,
All of us look forward to your return to Philly; here’s hoping the offense will come to life once they reach the friendly confines of CBP. Just one thing…where did they get that plate umpire? He was certainly instrumental in last night’s loss.
Go Phils and Go Shane!
Hey Blue, you gotta be kinding me!!!! I am sure I am not the only one who feels our friendly plate umpire from last nights game should be removed from the crew. His call, one in particular, was indecisive at best and places him among the amatuer umpires that do amatuer baseball. His strike zone was off, his few botched calls were an embarassment, and tomorrow night he should be making calls from his living room. As a pro umpire, there are standards and he is definitely not in tune with what they are. Maybe let him call the foul lines from the outfield and leave the dish work to anyone who can be more consistent in their calls.
A bummer of a loss, that’s for sure. I know we can’t really blame the umpire for the loss, but he did affect the game – twice. That call on Baldelli and then Jimmy not getting 1st base after, clearly, his jersey was hit with the pitch: these things should never happen at this level of the game. Why can’t we get some umpires that know what they are doing? Just frustrating. But we are all behind you guys! I know you will turn it around on Saturday :o) Go Phillies!
Jenn
http://www.PhightinPhils.com
Keep your head up Shane. Yes, last night was bad, but we still have more games to play and hopefully WIN! Enjoy your day off. 🙂
N.R.
Shane honey, please stop swinging at the first pitch. Unless you are absolutely certain it’s going to be a hit. You did it in Game 1 too. Just relax and let the ball come to you. It’s not like you to play like that. That being said, you guys will get em this weekend back home. It’s better to come home 1-1 then down 0-2, right?
Go Phillies!!
Shane ~
No worries – you guys just need to relax and go out there and have fun.
Splitting the first two games means I get to go to game five…
Welcome home, enjoy your day off and come out swinging in game three!
~ Alexa
Shane, Tough one !! I’d guess it was a pretty quiet flight home, Huh? Game aside ( and we’ll leave it that way!), what was up with those Umps ? One word comes to mind PATHETIC!!! Apparently the plate Ump could neither see nor hear !! I heard that ball hit Jimmy’s jersey on my TV!!! How could he not have heard it ? It’s also nice to be struck out but get 1st anyway. WHATS UP WITH THAT ? !!!!!! Absolutely Disgraceful !!!! To coin a much used quote gentlemen, pull up the bootstraps and ” LETS ROLL” . Thanks for your time working this blog Shane. MJM ( One of the front runners) LOL.
Shane,
No worries. The Rays didn’t look all that strong either, they just happened to capitalize on a few of our mistakes. We’re right on the brink of blowing these games wide open, we just have to execute. I think this was the wakeup call, and Philly is ready to welcome our boys home for three fantastic games!!! We’ve got this!!
Christine
One big positive from game #2…Ryan found his rythym.
Big ups to “Chooch” on that play at the plate…and to JW for the throw.
Good that you have the chance to wrap up a home. I really think this will go 6, but you’ll end up parading on Broad Street soon enough. I can’t wait!
Sorry, forgot to mention one important thing:
COWBELLS ARE FOR HEIFFERS
Hey Shane,
You guys are at your best when you’re loose and smiles are all around. You’re living the dream of millions of little leaguers everywhere. Just do what you know how to do and the rest will come 🙂 Have fun and thanks for taking us along for the ride!! GO PHILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Shane,
Now we just have to win 3 games at home, I cant wait!!! I THINK WORTH SHOULD GO BACK IN THE 6TH SPOT AND YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO 2ND JUST TO CHANGE THINGS UP FOR WORTH!!!!! I CANT WAIT!!!!!
GO PHILLIES!!!!
BRIDGET
Shane,
Don’t be disappointed about last night’s loss! A split out there is fine. The calls from the plate weren’t exactly going your way either, but there is nothing you can do about that. It was nice to see Ryan start to get back in the groove. I have to give kudos to Carlos because he has been really on his game. Not only is he hitting the ball well, he is totally working the pitch count too! I think the key is too relax. The look on Jimmy’s face when he is at the plate is so intense. I think he needs to lighten up a little, smile, have fun. I also think everyone has to stop swing for the fence. Homeruns are great, but it only takes a base hit to get things moving along. Stranding all those runners in scoring position won’t happen every game, trust me, I’ve seen this team go through good times and bad and it won’t last. Looking forward to the home games, can’t wait. Hang tough, I know this team can do it.
Kathy
P.S. – can someone get me a direct line to these fox commentators? I think I spend half the game yelling at them through my TV. I now know everything I need to know about every Tampa Ray player right down to their underwear preference??? LOL
Dear Shane,
Itsok.Lose one out there and win 3 here to clinch.This city believes in you guys.Just rest up and be ready for tomorrow.the looks on u guys from the plane was sad but keep your chin up.
U guys will pull together.
Best wishes,
vanessa(wawa)
Thanks for posting, Shane.
I’m so proud of your efforts and this team. We’re behind you guys all the way, and you know it! I have all the confidence in the world in you guys.
Make sure everyone’s loose in the dugout and play the best you can. When you guys are on, it’s lights-out. Have fun out there and we’ll see you tomorrow!
-Pat “not the bat” D
Shane, I want to thank you for posting the blog… I look forward to reading it every day.. Yesterday was just a loss, no big deal.. You guys are back home at CBP now, Our turf. It’s our turn to show Tampa what real cheering is about.. It’s our turn. It’s our time. Just relax and have fun out there. That is the most important thing.. Good Luck tomorrow..
A lot of weird things happened last night…with bad/awkward calls and errors. It just wasn’t right…and you guys got so many on base, but for some reason, you’re right, the hitting couldn’t execute when needed. But it’s OKAY!! I have faith that you guys will definitely win this. That’s why I wasn’t upset about last night’s loss. It’s just one…you split the first part away, which is definitely something that you needed, and now you’re back home. You’re back home with us encouraging fans, not bandwagon jumpers with cowbells. We Phillies fans know what’s what, and we know you guys can win. Just do your best! Relax, play for fun, and just do what you did all year.
-Kelsey
Shane-
Welcome back home. I’m sure you all will feel more at ease playing at home. We are all behind you! This team is special. I love to watch you play. Can’t get enough of the Phillies. Good Luck Tomorrow. GO PHILLIES!!
Hey Shane! Again, thanks for the blog…it’s great stuff!
Welcome Home to Philly guyz…take a deep breath & relax…we all know this Series has only started!!! Just wanted to mention to Brett–while some people see only a game loss, you pitched a helluva game last night! You were awesome to keep the Rays down to only 4 runs…we’ve seen that they can do some major damage. And with that home plate ump’s crappy calls…I guess things really didn’t go “our” way. (Well, no excuses, but “we waz robbed!” LOL). But now that you’re home, guyz, go out and get ’em…GO PHILLIES (and shut those Fox guyz up…did McCarver forget he was a Phillie??)
Shane,
Don’t worry about losing the game last night it actually works out better for everybody! We philly fans get to see more games at home, and you guys get to hear us philly fans cheer you on!!!!!! Keep your heads up we are a strong team that alot of people doubt and that’s why it makes it even better for this team to win the WS to shut them all up! Espeically Fox commentators. I’d like to watch the game on mute sometimes just not to hear their mouths. First everything was about Manny this and Manny that now its all about tampa this and tampa that the same way we beat La, WE WILL beat Tampa! Play with your hearts and its a guarenteed win!
Good Luck Tomorrow, and enjoy the day off.
T.Kahana
WELCOME HOME SHANE!!! We missed you here in Philly!! Keep your chin up and enjoy yourself!! I always love to watch you play with that HUGE smile of yours!! Lots of luck tomorrow!!
Stacie
Shane,
you guys should be verrryyy excited to come home because you have no idea how CRAZY it is around here! Not a minute can go by without either hearing someone talk about the phillies or seeing someone wearing our phillies gear! We are so excited to see you win games here..It is going to be so loud in the park Tampa is not gonna know what is going on..We are a city that FIGHTS for our teams that we love & I can’t wait for the parade after you win theWORLD SERIES!! Good luck !
Allie & everyone in South Jersey sends their love to the team to beat!
Shane,
I have watched enough games to know that you and the team have your down times. It never lasts long and I can never figure it out nor do I ever try to figure it out.
Ryan got back his swing, Meyers held on.
You need to be home and glad you are.
Chill out.
Go get em.
Lori
Oh my gosh, I forgot to say Carlos was Fantástico.
Lori
Shane:
Game 2 was just not meant to be a win for you guys. Between the guys left on base and that home plate umpire this game just did not go as we would have liked. We all know Tampa is a good team, but the Phils are great. No one expected this to be easy. So as always you guys just need to take a deep breath and regroup. We Phillies fans are so proud of our team. I am looking forward to the games at CBP and seeing how the Rays deal with the cold and the best fans in baseball. You guys had a night where “if it could go wrong it did.” That was only one game. Jamie is going to come out strong and you guys will all start clicking. Things were starting to gel in the 9th and then that ump went wacko again. I hope he misses his flight to Philly. Good luck to you all. I will be cheering the loudest for you guys. We don’t need cow bells to make noise. We’re gonna show them how to root! Go Phillies!!!
I was correct in my prediction about Howard, pulling out of his slump, and I think Rollins will follow, at Citizens Bank Park.
That was the WORST OFFICIATING at the plate I have ever seen, in 55 years, and contrary to what one commenter said, Fox supported the Phils, calling the ump’s challenging of his own call, on the third strike to Baldelli, a “horrible call.” It also cost you guys a run. We’ll never know how many runs the Phils might have scored, had Rollins been allowed the base-on-balls he was definitely entitled to. Still, with having the game refereed away, and playing away, you guys only lost by 2 runs.
The Rays aren’t executing, either. What is Crawford doing, or Longoria, to speak of? Basically, I think now that you guys are a little PO’d at the officiating, and at home, you’re going to taser the Rays.
hey shane.
dont worry bout yesterday you guys just had a bad game. just put it behinds u guys. and come and play on saturday with a postive attitude because u will have the fans behind you at home on saturday. good luckk and just keep up the good work.
i believe in your guys.
love you shane.
i will be cheering you on at home with my rally towel =)
Shane,
I know the last night’s loss was hard on you and the rest of the team. My dad doesn’t like baseball so when he came home from a meeting he said that everyone wanted to get home to watch the game. I wouldn’t change the channel. I wanted to show him that you guys were worth watching. Unfortunately, you didn’t score, while he was watching. You guys made some mistakes that normally doesn’t happen. But I know you guys will be back and ready to play. That home plate umpire was horrible. My uncle is here from Germany and he’s been watching. I think he’s impressed. Good luck and remember we love you.
Welcome Home Phillies!!! We want you guys to win at home, so it’s alright that you let the cow bells have their only win at home last night. Now get er done in South Philly where you are all loved and admired. I’ve been a Phillies fan all of my life and it continues with my sons. I am so proud and excited for this weekend. GO PHILLIES!!! YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!! Love, Jeannie 🙂
Ok, so we didnt’ get two in Tampa, or St Pete or whever that wierd stadium is…that just means 3 great games here at home! This is our year and I can just see the team coming out tomorrow and showing just who is the better team!
go Phillies!
My 8-year-old and ten-year-old kids were absolutely dispondent this morning when they got up this morning and my husband told them about last night’s game. I ended up giving them a little peptalk, too. It’s the same peptalk I gave to a really depressed facebook friend this morning:
“They are going home to CBP. They *know* they can win there and WIN BIG. They can actually SEE the ball there. They know they are loved there, too. Lots and lots of red in the stands. But most importantly: NO STUPID COWBELLS!!!!!!!!!
They can do this. And they can do it in the 3 in Philly. They just need the big bats to heat up. And they need a nice relaxed outing from Jamie. See the ball, be the ball, pitch the ball, hit the ball.”
We love you, Shane!! And we have a tremendous amount of faith in you and the rest of the guys! YOU ARE THE BEST!!
Your #1 fans in Syracuse, NY.
Shane-o,
How blessed are we that the Dodgers didn’t keep you. You are the man, dude. We should bring batteries to the game to throw at the ump, huh? Like we did with J.D. Drew. Wouldn’t that have been something if Drew was here again for the Series. HA HA!!! Anyway, those morons at Fox are…well, morons. If it were up to me, I’d tell L.A. or “Sarge” and the play-by-play announcer for the Rays to announce the games instead of those other two gays…I-I mean guys. You guys are obviously laughingstocks no more. You have the “major” stations kissing your butt saying how great you guys are when, just years ago, they talked trash about us. I remember that it was all Yankees-Red Sox on SportsCenter until Rollins had that 36-game hit streak and Utley had the 35er. All of a sudden, (teasing voice) “Yeah, watch those Phils.” I can easily tell the bandwagon jumpers from the true fans. I am a true fan and I love to see you guys succeed. I may be understandably criticized for this, but I think Tampa has a good shot at winning as well. If they win, they can enjoy their only title since Philly will rule the rest of the way. GO PHILS!!! LET’S TAKE THIS THING AT HOME!!! Love ya, buddy. Stay in Philly and stay as you are. Your classy attitude in Los Angeles will never be forgotten because YOU are a true role model, unlike those other “players.” I call them losers. BEST OF LUCK, SHANE-O!!!
Trevor L.
WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that the series is tied, it’s like starting all over. You are back home for three games, this is your territory. No more cow bells to deal with. I’m sorry, but those bells are very annoying.
Ryan Howard starting hitting the ball last night and now everyone has to follow. I know you know this, but you can’t win games leaving all those runners on base. I am very confident that everyone will start hitting and this team is definitely capable of winning three in a row.
We Phillies fans are very excited and behind you all the way. We know this 2008 team is special. LETS GO PHILLIES, LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shane, Aunty Brenda and I are so incredibly proud of you – your accomplishments, your “ohana” spirit, and your love and respect for the game. Yes, last night’s game was tough to watch, but I’m sure it was even more frustrating for your teammates. You’re doing your part, so all you need to do is continue to stay focused. Your teammates WILL come around. Carlos had a great night, and Ryan is seeing the ball again. Pat, Jimmy and the rest of the boys know what needs to be done, and we’re all confident that they’ll come through. Meanwhile, you relax and enjoy yourself. You are in our hearts and prayers! Malama pono! Uncle Jim.
They say a good umpire is one who goes unnoticed. Well,
that guy last night was certainly noticed! Between him and
the “big market” announcers the team didn’t have a chance.
Philadelphia fans will show them a thing or two. I have all
the faith in the world in you guys. I’ve been a Phils fan since
the 70’s and I’ve seen my share of offbeat teams. You guys
play like, not only teammates, but like friends. When one
falls down the rest pick him up. Now that you are back home
everything will fall into place. The headlines will read,
“Phillies sweep 3 at home”. Everyone is going to contribute.
Put last night behind you. Relax, have fun, and silence
those darn cow bells!!! We love you all!!!
Shane,
Wait until you see the fans and hear us roar back in Philly-you’ll know, feel, and believe that you have an entire state behind you, not just 25 guys and the team staff. I know that extra energy will lift you guys up and bring the series home. It’s incredible that you got the split in the first place, so we are all thrilled and excited to cheer you on to the finish line. No worries, no negativity, no BOOING Philly fans, no matter what!!!
*ya gotta believe* and we do!
Trish
To honeysd@aol.com and the rest of you “Fox Haters” – I AGREE! I was thinking the same thing last night myself that honeysd put into words – Did McCarver forget he was a Phillie”? I cannot even believe they have NEVER MENTIONED that during this playoffs. It’s sick. I used to LOVE Tim McCarver, would watch his show on Sunday afternoons after the game. Can’t stand the sight nor sound of him now. I am so disappointed. I also used to love Joe Buck, but not anymore.
Back to Shane and our Phillies – You guys are a lot more used to the wind, rain, and cold then the “Rays” are and you will be HOME to “bring it home” and we KNOW you will WIN BIG! We love you all and are praying and believing for THREE MORE in a row! And don’t forget your angels June and Irene are still with you and will help you win I know!
God bless you all and keep on smiling and flying!
Carolyn
Just go out and play your game Shane. Relax and have fun and the hits will come. I’m so tired of the announcers on Fox and the hype about the Rays. We fill our park, win or lose, year in and year out. Their fans didn’t even show up in any numbers until the end of the year. Our players hustle on every play, ground out or not. Watch their so called “bright stars” trot down the line on a ground out. Let’s see how they like a lot of noise and a little chill in our house. We’ll be filling every seat…as usual..and win or lose , be behind our Phils.
Tim Mac hasn’t gotten over our beating out his Mets two years in a row…and we booted his butt out of the Philly alumni the day he started calling Mets games!
Aloha No Shane,
Maui No Ka Oi,We are so proud of the way you have handled yourself during the entire season. You represent your ohana and Hawaii. We are residents of Kennett Square, PA and have been enjoying watching the phillies and you play for the last 4 years. When in Philly, should you ever need some brownies to hang out with, send us an email. My husband Chris and I (U’ilani) are from Kalihi, Oahu, we’ve been here for 19 years; with our 5 children, 3 daughter in laws and 6 mo’opuna’s. We would be glad to make you some spam musubi’s or any kind local foods. Mahalo Nui Loa, The Talbert’s!!!!