Lefthanded pitcher Ken Brett, the older brother of Kansas City Royals’ great Hall of Fame 3rd baseman George Brett and who passed away in November, 2003 at 55 after a long battle with brain cancer, never compiled earth-shattering won-loss records (83-85 lifetime) or stats during his 14 year MLB career.  But he did come away from his career with a MLB record and a couple of other notes of distinction including a pretty fair lifetime ERA of 3.93.

Baseball Library writes of Brett;

Although later overshadowed by younger brother George, in 1967 Ken became the youngest pitcher (19 years, one month) to pitch in a World Series game. He went on to tie the modern record for playing with the most teams (10).*  A three- time 13-game winner, the clever lefty was the winning pitcher while representing the Pirates in the 1974 All-Star Game at Pittsburgh.

         *Note: 

Yahoo’s answers notes that Brett does not hold the MLB record for having played on the most teams as journeyman pitcher Mike Morgan played for 12 different teams.

Brett nearly pitched a no-hitter on May 26, 1976 for the Chicago White Sox  against the California Angels which was spoiled by a controversial ninth inning slow roller down the 3rd base line was allowed to roll unplayed and which was scored a hit rather than an error.  Brett went on to pitch the tenth inning and got credited for the win by a 1-0 score when the White Sox pushed home a run in the eleventh inning.  Brett gave up 2 hits for the game.

But Ken Brett was best known for his hitting.  Wikipedia notes;

He was the fourth overall pick in the 1966 baseball draft, selected by the  Boston Red Sox as a pitcher; the 23 other MLB teams coveted him as a sweet-swinging center fielder.

Baseball Library described Ken Brett’s hitting skills this way;

A good hitter (.262), he set a record for pitchers in 1973 by homering in four straight starts with the Phillies.

Baseball Library continues by recording that on June 23, 1973;

Phillies pitcher Ken Brett beats the Expos 7-2 and hits a HR for a ML-record 4th consecutive game‚ three of them leading off innings. He hit HRs on   13th‚ and 18th‚ all solo: he will total 10 homers for his career.

Brett’s 4th homer in 4 starts capped the consecutive homer string as he completed the latter 3 games of the 4 game streak.  Brett hit his 4th homer of the string two years to the day after another Phillies pitcher, Rick Wise no-hit the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 while belting 2 homers in the game.

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Leftfielder Gary Matthews Jr. singled in a run and 5th year 1st baseman  Casey Kotchman followed solving ace lefthander Cole Hamels for a 1 out 2 run homer in a 3 run Angels second inning.  That was all that starter Jered Weaver and the L.A. bullpen needed as the Angels held off the Phillies to win the final by a 3-2 score and to sweep the series.

The Phillies maintained their one game lead in the NL East over 2nd place Florida who lost, but their leads over the Mets and Braves, who won their games, shrunk to 3 1/2 and 4 games respectively.

The Phillies had Weaver in big trouble in the first inning but came away empty.  Shortstop Jimmy Rollins led of with a single to centerfield and stole 2nd base.  3rd baseman Greg Dobbs walked.  After 2nd baseman Chase Utley extended his hitless string to 24 at bats by flying out to left centerfield, Rollins and Dobbs executed a double-steal — runners at 2nd and 3rd base with one out.  But Weaver got 1st baseman Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell on strikes to end the inning.

Then the Angels took heart and came on in the second with Matthews’ single and Kotchman’s two run homer. 

The Phils got a run back in the third as Utley doubled and Howard drove him in with a 2 out single.  But then Weaver got Burrell on a foul pop to end the inning.

The Phillies never came close to scoring again until the seventh.  But by then Weaver was long-gone having given up a sixth inning lead-off single to Howard and striking out Burrell before hitting the showers. Weaver tossed 5 1/3 innings and threw 92 pitches giving up 1 run on 4 hits while walking 3 and striking out 6.

Outside of the 3 run Angels second inning, Hamels pitched a fine ballgame for seven inning retiring 9 of the final 10 batters that he faced.  He threw 94 pitches giving up 6 hits, the 3 runs while walking none and striking out 4. For wont of some offense, Hamels didn’t deserve to lose this one.

The Phils scored their 2nd run in the seventh with one out as Rollins got to lefthanded reliever Darren Oliver for a 1 out RBI double. But then reliever  Scot Shields came in and struck out both pinch hitter Chris Coste and Utley to end the threat.  Shields then retired the Phils in order in the eighth.

Meanwhile, reliever Ryan Madson and closer Brad Lidge took care of the Angels in the eighth and ninth innings and it all came down to the Phillies once again facing closer Francisco Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth.

With 2 out, the Phils made things a bit dicey for Rodriguez but again lacked the clutch hit.  Pedro Feliz, who pinch hit for Hamels in the seventh and took over at 3rd base for Dobbs, singled to leftfield.  Eric Bruntlett ran for Feliz and stole 2nd base.  Rollins was walked intentionally.  So Taguchi was sent to hit for Lidge.  Rodriguez got Taguchi to foul out to 3rd to end the game and to chalk up his 30th save of the season.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s games, click here.

Monday is another open date for the Phillies before they head West to play 3 games against the Oakland A’s followed by 3 games to finish off June with the Texas Rangers.

Veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer opposes Oakland’s Joe Blanton in Tuesday night’s series opener.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Monday’s and Tuesday’s games,  click here and here.

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After riding a 17-7 winning crest into St. Louis 10 days ago and  bludgeoning the Cardinals 20-2 in the series opener, the Phillies offense in their last 5 of 7 games has gone flatter than a pancake or Israeli lafa.  That flatness was obvious in the two games against the L.A. Angels as rightfielder Vladimir Guerrero killed the Phils with 5 hits in 8 at bats, including 3 homers, 5 RBIs and two fine young Angel pitchers and a dynamite bullpen held the Phils to 2 runs on 7 hits in two games as the Angels won the first two games 7-1 and  6-2.

With the losses on Friday and Saturday, the Phillies 1st place lead over the Marlins has shrunk to a scant 1 game as Florida split in inter-league play.  Their lead over the 3rd place Mets, 7 1/2 games earlier last week, is now 4 1/2 games back even though with their new manager (Charlie’s little brother??) Jerry Manuel, they are still 1 game under the .500 mark.  The 4th place Atlanta Braves have also picked up 2 1/2 on the lead this week.

The Phils came up against Ervin Santana and 3rd year lefthander Joe Saunders who had 18 wins between them, now 20, and the offense just wasn’t up to the challenge against either.  Guerrero, going back to his  Montreal Expo days, has totally worn out Phillies pitching during his career.

The Angels supporting cast just plain demolished Adam Eaton on Friday, with Guerrero’s first inning 2 run shot getting them started as Eaton was a disaster reverting to his absolute 2007 worst after having delivered quality starts in his previous 7 appearances.   Santana was excellent through 7 innings giving up 2 hits, striking out out 9 and holding the Phillies in total check to post his 11th win despite poor defense which produced 4 errors.  

2nd baseman Chase Utley, 1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Pat Burrell, the meat of the order accounted for 6 of the 11 total strikeouts by Angels pitching and were collectively 0-10.  Utley was the only one of the trio who walked once.  They left 7 on base and Utley got the only RBI of the game for the Phils on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

For play-by-play on Friday’s game, click here.

For 7 2/3 innings on Saturday, Brett Myers faired far better than Eaton as Myers and lefthander Joe Saunders locked up in a classic 2-2 pitchers duel as rightfielder Jayson Werth’s solo homer and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz’s RBI double kept the Phillies in the game despite their flat offense and Chase Utley’s 0-23 day of rest.. Guerrero’s first and seventh inning homers kept the Angels even.

But in the 8th inning, Angels manager Mike Scioscia was on his toes while Charlie Manuel was not.  Scioscia saw that Saunders had thrown 93 pitches and that was it.  Meanwhile, Manuel held Myers, who tossed 112 pitches through 7 2/3 innings, around long enough for him to give up the major damage and take loss on pinch hitter Erick Aybar’s 2 run shot to rightfield which put the Angels in front to stay at 4-2. The Angels scored 2 more unearned insurance runs in the ninth inning off of reliever Chad Durbin while Angel closer Francisco Rodriguez registered his MLB leading 29th save of the season as recorded win #11.

The Angels bullpen held the Phillies hitless the rest of the way with 4 Phils reaching, 3 on walks and a 4th on a 3rd strike Scot Shields wild pitch in the eighth. Shields however recorded 4 strike outs in the eighth.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s and  Saturday’s games, click here and here.

In Sunday’s final, the Phils hope, NEED to salvage something from the disastrous 6 game homestand as ace lefthander Cole Hamels seeks his 8th win vs 4 losses and is opposed by Jered Weaver who sports a 6-7 mark.

Monday is another open date for the Phillies before they head West to play 3 games against the Oakland A’s followed by 3 games to finish off June with the Texas Rangers.

Veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer opposes Oakland’s Joe Blanton in Tuesday night’s series opener.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s and Monday’s  games, click here and here.

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Boston rightfielder J.D. Drew, vilified for years in Philadelphia for refusing to sign with the club when they drafted him second in 1997, and 3rd baseman Mike Lowell hit back-to-back homers, Drew’s being a 3 run shot, in the first inning off of young Kyle Kendrick.  Boston added 2 more in the third inning off of Kendrick with Drew driving in 1 more in the fourth for good measure off of reliever Clay Condrey as the Red Sox held off the Phillies for a 7-4 win in their series final.

Meanwhile, with the loss, the teams beneath gained ground on the NL East first place Phils.  2nd place Florida is now 2 games behind.  Atlanta and the Mets close to 5 1/2 games behind as all 3 teams won their inter-league games.

AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi provides background on the Phillies fans’ fued with Drew as well as perspective on the two teams post-series for Yahoo sports;

Drew has been vilified in Philadelphia since refusing to sign with the Phillies after they drafted him with the second overall pick in the 1997 amateur draft. Now with his fourth different team, the rude treatment hasn’t changed. Drew even had to dodge batteries thrown from the stands the first time he came to Philly with St. Louis in 1999.

“They’re not going to forget, I know that much,” Drew said. “It’s always one of those situations where you go out there and battle and you’re going to hear things that you don’t normally hear at other parks. It makes it fun.”

After winning the opener, some Phillies talked about playing the defending champion Red Sox in the World Series. But they had a tough enough time against a depleted lineup.

Designated hitter David Ortiz (wrist) and first baseman Kevin Youkilis (back) missed the series. Left fielder Manny Ramirez sat out the final game to rest his sore hamstring and center fielder Coco Crisp left after feeling discomfort in his left hand following his first at-bat Wednesday.

Kendrick faced the first four hitters of the Red Sox lineup and let in 4 runs on Drew’s and Lowell’s back-to-back homers before notching the first out of the game.

The Phillies got a run back in their first inning against starter Justin Masterson on a two out RBI single to right by 1st baseman Ryan Howard.  Kendrick seemingly settled down and retired the Red Sox in order in the second.

The Phils got runners on 1st and 2nd with one out in their second but Kendrick grounded into a first-to-shortstop (covering 2nd base) inning-ending doubleplay.

The Red Sox lead increased to 6-1 when the Red Sox loaded the bases with 2 gone in the 3rd inning and pinch-hitter Brandon Moss, batting for Crisp who left with left hand discomfort, drove in two runs with a two-out single in the third.

Meanwhile, staked to the early lead, young Justin Masterson held the lead through 5 innings only giving up the 2nd Phillies run in the fifth on pinch hitter Jayson Werth’s fielder’s choice RBI grounder.  But Masterson, who was credited with his 4th win vs 1 loss, tossed 92 pitches in the process and was replaced as the Boston bullpen took over.

Clay Condrey, who relieved Kendrick to open the 4th inning, got the first hitters out.  But then 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia doubled to leftfield and Drew followed with his RBI single to rightfield to cap Boston’s scoring.

The Phillies threatened in the seventh inning scoring 2 runs off of reliever  Craig Hansen on pinch hitter Pedro Feliz’s 2 run single as Hansen retired no one.

Reliever Manny Delcarmen entered and closed down the Phils with no further damage in the seventh and retired them in order in the eighth.

Closer Jon Papelbon finished up setting the Phils down in order in the ninth.

After Condrey gave up his one run in 2 innings of work, the rest of the bullpen; Chad Durbin, Rudy Seanez, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge shut down Boston over the final four innings on 3 hits and 1 walk.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Wednesday’s games, click here.

After Boston, the Phillies have an open day on Thursday before inter-league play continues with 3 games against the tough L.A. Angels on Friday through Sunday.  In Friday’s opener, Adam Eaton is opposed by  Ervin Santana whith his 8-3 record.  On Saturday, Brett Myers tries again to get his season back on track and is opposed by 3rd year lefthander Joe Saunders who sports a 10-3 mark.  In Sunday’s final, ace lefthander Cole Hamels goes for his 8th win vs 4 losses and is opposed by Jered Weaver who sports a 6-7 mark.

Monday is another open date for the Phillies before they head West to play the Oakland A’s.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.

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His passing didn’t get much ink, but this past Sunday former Chicago Cubs,  Phillies and Chicago White Sox hurler John Buzhardt died at 71 in Prosperity, S.C. after a stroke followed by several years of illness.

As a young pitcher with a lot of potential, Buzhardt had the misfortune to have been part of some of the worst teams in MLB history.  He started his career with the Cubs.  Baseball writer Bob Spear recalls his interview with Buzhardt 4 years ago;

He signed a pro contract with the Cubs in 1954 — for $250.

“I got another $250 if I lasted 60 days,” he said jokingly.

After turning 3-0 and 4-5 records in his first 2 seasons with the Cubs, he was traded to a Phillies club which was sooo bad (How bad were they??), sooo bad that manager Eddie Sawyer who managed them to last place finishes in 1958 and 1959 gave up on them and quit after they lost the opening game of the 1960 season.

They were sooo bad that they managed one the worst trades in MLB history, 1958 rookie of the year Jack Sanford for the horrid and inept battery of Ruben Gomez and Valmy Thomas and that the Phils held on to Gomez for two seasons although then-owner Bob Carpenter later called the deal “the worst trade he ever made.”

However Buzhardt commented to Bob Spear on those Philly teams; “Not a bad team, just a young team,”

When Buzhardt came to the Phils, the sports writers and the radio, TV announcers all pronounced his name “Buzhardt” pronouncing the “h”.  But when he arrived at Clearwater in 1961, he asserted that the correct pronounciation of his family name was “Buzhardt” with the “h” silent.

John Buzhardt is best known by MLB historians for having won the second game of a doubleheader with the San Francisco Giants on July 28, which preceeded the now infamous Phillies “modern NL-record 23-game losing streak,” and winning over the Milwaukee Braves 7-4 in the 2nd game of a doubleheader on Aug 20, 1961 ending the winless string.

Although Buzhardt had a lifetime losing record of 71-96 in his 11 year career, he finished his career with an enviable 3.66 ERA.

Buzhardt had his longest and most successful stretch with one club from 1962-1967 with the AL  Chicago White Sox.  The Sox acquired him in exchange for 1st baseman Roy Sievers, a slugger with the Sox who came to be known in Philly as “Pop-Up Sievers” during 2 1/2 failed seasons.   Buzhardt’s career best season was in 1965 with the Sox with a recorde of 13-8 and a 3.01 ERA.

Baseball writer Spear also recalls Buzhardt’s personality from during the interview;

“My first hit,” he said. “A line drive that gets longer and harder every year.”

Even after a motorized scooter and wheelchair replaced a golf cart for transportation, John Buzhardt remained a beacon for good humor.

John Buzhardt, however one pronounces the name, will be missed and not forgotten.

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Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp solved veteran Jamie Moyer for a 2 run second inning homer as Moyer was uncharacteristically wild and shakey through five innings.  Meanwhile 24 year old Jon Lester and the Boston bullpen handcuffed the Phillies throughout enroute to a 3-0 shut out win in series game 2.

Depite losing, the Phillies remained 3 games up on 2nd place over Florida and 6 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta and the Mets as all 3 teams also lost in inter-league play.

Lester, who no-hit the Kansas City Royals nearly a month ago, was in total control in this one as the Phils offense never seriously threatened throughout. 

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, rightfielder Jayson Werth and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz each had 2 hit games.  But the big guys; 2nd baseman Chase Utley, 1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Pat Burrell went a collective 0-12 striking out 8 times against Lester, who registered his 6th win vs 3 losses as well as lefthanded reliever Hideki Okajima who made short work of Phils in the eighth inning and closer Jonathan Papelbon who struck out the side in the ninth to notch his 20th save.

Moyer, who walked 5 in five innings while striking out 4 as his record fell to 7-4, gave up Crisp’s 2 run shot in the 2nd, was in jams throughout the first three innings and the score could have been far worse.  To view the play-by-play on the game, click here.  Moyer managed to settle down somewhat in the fourth and fifth innings retiring five in a row and six of the last seven hitters he faced before leaving.

Boston scored their final run in the sixth on shortstop Julio Lugo’s 2 out, RBI double to left centerfield off of reliever Ryan Madson as Coco Crisp stole 2nd and 3rd base in the inning.  The Red Sox ran freely against catcher Carlos Ruiz through the entire game stealing 6 bases in 7 attempts.

Reliever Rudy Seanez replaced Madson for the eighth inning and walked 1 while striking out the side.  Clay Condrey finished up for the Phillies in the ninth.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Monday’s games, click here.

The Phillies hope to take two of three from Boston with Wednesday’s final where two youngsters go head-to-head as Kyle Kendrick opposes Justin Masterson.

After Boston, the Phillies have an open day on Thursday before inter-league play continues with 3 games against the L.A. Angels on Friday through Sunday.  In Friday’s opener, Adam Eaton is opposed by Ervin Santana whith his 8-3 record.  On Saturday, Brett Myers tries to get back into the season and is opposed by 3rd year lefthander Joe Saunders who sports a 10-3 mark.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Tuesday’s games, click here.

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