This Day in Fightin' Phils History

On this day in Fightin' Phils history, the Phils inducted former player and coach John Vukovich to the Wall of Fame. On March 8th, 2007, Vukovich succumbed to a brain tumor that he had for six years. For the 2007, the Phillies wore a patch that said "Vuk" and dedicated the season in the memory of "Vuk."

"Vuk" was drafted 10th overall in the 1966 draft and played third, second and first base. In seven seasons with the Phillies as a player, "Vuk" had a .163 batting average, one homer and 22 RBI in 153 games. "Vuk" played for the Phillies between 1970-1971 and 1976-1981. He played two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and one season with the Cinncinnati Reds.

This Day in Fightin' Phils History

On this day i n 1996, Phillies pitching great, Jim Bunning, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Bunning pitched for the Phillies from 1964 to 1967 & 1970 to 1971. Bunning pitched for the Detroit Tigers from 1955 to 1963, the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968 and the first half of 1969 before being trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In six seasons with the Fightin's Phils, Bunning went 89-73 with a 2.93 ERA. Bunning threw 65 complete games while with the Phillies.

In the 1967, Bunning finished second in the Cy Young voting by finishing the year with a record of 17-15 and a 2.29 ERA. Mike McCormick from the San Francisco Giants won the Cy Young Award in 1967 with a 22-10 record and 2.85 ERA.

During the campaign, Bunning threw 16 complete games and threw 302.1 innings pitched. In 1967, Bunning threw 253 strikeouts and only walked 73 batters. Bunning appeared in two all-star games while with the Phillies.

Bunning finished his career with 224 wins and a 3.27 ERA in 14 Major League seasons.

Did the Phillies Make the Right Move?

Yesterday, the Phillies went out and got their front end of the rotation help by acquiring Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros for left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ, outfielder Anthony Gose and short stop Jonathan Villar.

The key to the deal was the fact the Astros will pay $11 million of the $23 million left on Oswalt's contract. This was key because it is well known that the Phillies wanted to keep their payroll at $150 million plateau. That was the reason the organization gave when they dealt Cliff Lee to the Mariners after the Phillies acquired Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Now the debate begins if the Phillies did the right thing by trading away Lee. In some respects, the acquisition of Oswalt was the Phillies admitting to the league and to the Philly faithful that they made the wrong decision in dealing Lee.

Of course, there is no way to tell if the Phillies would have been in the same position they are in now if they had Lee or not. But the contract extension with Lee wasn't going anywhere at the time he was dealt. At the end of the season, the Phillies didn't want someone like Lee to just walk and not get something in return for him. So they thought at the time getting a couple of prospects in return for Lee would be better.

There is still a chance, but slim, that the Phillies will pick up Oswalt's 2012 option. But Oswalt will have to earn that option by his performance on the mound. Oswalt has to show that he can adjust to pitching in "the Bank." The Phils, by 2012, will have $22.5 million cleared out with the departures of Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge. This will create room for the Phillies to re-sign Oswalt and stay under the $150 million plateau the Phils brass want to stay under.

Time will tell if Phils just rented another playoff for a race to the World Series or if this will be an important cog to their machine for the future.

One Year Ago, Today, We Lost a Defensive Mastermind

One Year ago, on this date, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, passed away from melanoma at the age of 68. Last offseason was a tough one for the defense of the Eagles as the front office decided to not re-sign the hard and soul of defense, safety Brian Dawkins.

Later in the summer, during OTAs Johnson's health problems were noticable when he was riding in a motorized cart to coach the defense. Sean McDermott took over the defensive coordinator position and led the defense to 12th in total defense. In 2008, Johnson led the defense to third overall in total defense in the league.

Philly Sports Developments for Today

Here are a couple of Philly sports developments on this Wednesday, July 28th.

1. Phillies top prospect, outfielder Domonic Brown, has been called up to the Fightin's as Shane Victorino goes on the DL with an oblique injury.

The much await debut of Brown will be tonight and can be seen in right field wearing No. 9. This move most likely signifies that there will be no trade involving Jayson Werth. The 22-year old Brown batted .327 with 20 home runs and 68 RBI in 93 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

2. 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala made it threw the first round of cuts for Team USA basketball.

Igoudala is part of the final 15 players but the Team USA roster will be trimmed to 12 after a camp in New York City that will be from August 10th to 16th. Chester native Tyreke Evans didn't make the final 15.

3. Flyers winger Ville Leino is recovering well from hip surgery.

Leino, who made a huge contribution in the Stanley Cup Finals run this past year for the Flyers, will be on crutches for two more weeks and is expected to be ready for training camp. Leino had 21 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which tied a NHL rookie record.

4. Division I-AA National Champion Wildcats have been selected to finishfirst in the CAA this year.

This comes as no suprise that the Villanova Wildcats are the preseason favorites to win the CAA. Wide receiver and return man Matt Sczcur was selected preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Linebacker Terence Thomas was selected as preason Defensive Player of the Year.

This Day in Fightin' Phils History

In 2007 on this day, general manager Pat Gillick beefed up the starting lineup and, later on, the bench by acquiring infielder Tadahito Iguchi for right-handed pitcher Michael Dubee.

Iguchi played a pivotal role in getting the Phillies to clinching the National League East crown, which was the first since 1993. The Phillies won the NL East on the last day of the regular season as the Mets lost a seven-game lead with seventeen games remaining.

Iguchi had a .303 batting average in 49 regular season games with the Phillies. Iguchi had three home runs and 12 RBI. Iguchi stepped into the lineup immediately as Chase Utley was on the DL with a broken bone in his right hand.

In his four seasons in the majors, Iguchi had a .268 batting average in 493 regular season games. Iguchi had 91 doubles, 44 home runs and 205 RBI. In 2005, Iguchi also finished fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting as reliever Houston Street took that award home.

A Slow Start After the All-Star Break leads to Thompson's firing

After winning a 2-0 extra inning game against St. Louis on Thursday, Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson was relieved of his duties as hitting coach. Greg Gross, who has been helping with Phillies player development in the minor leagues, will take over as the Phillies hitting coach.

The firing of Thompson was a bit surprising but the move could be understood. The Phillies haven't performed up to their offensive capabilities but there is a reason for that. The Fightin's have suffered injuries to key players. Short stop Jimmy Rollins hasn't been able to get things straight at the plate after suffering a calf injury. Also, third baseman Placido Polanco as spent time on the DL. Most importantly, the bat of second baseman Chase Utley can't be expected to be replaced by Wilson Valdez.

As a team, going into Saturday's game, the Phillies ranked sixth in the National League and 12th in the Majors with 443 runs scored. Rollins is currently struggling at the plate with a .234 batting average. Along with Rollins' struggles, Ibanez, Victorino and Utley have had down years. Plus, the bench for the Phillies has been basically non-existent.

Even though Valdez and Juan Castro have been asked to play everyday for Rollins and Utley, the Phils have shown the ability to not get the clutch hit or win the low scoring games. Greg Dobbs, who normally has the best bat of the bench in previous years, has been sent down for a little bit because of his .202 batting average.

The Phils in the past six years, under Thompson instruction, has finished in the top three in the NL in runs scored. But is it Thompson's fault for the injuries to Utley, Polanco and Rollins? Thompson job is to help the Phils offense produce. That could be through helping a batters swing.

The Phillies can't go ahead and trade every player that isn't performing well so the organization made the easiest and cleanest decision by firing Thompson. The firing most likely was done to send a message to the offense to get things done and provide more run support. The Phils, before Saturday's game, are six games out from the NL East lead and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card.

The Phils have a slim chance to grab a playoff spot and may actually be buyers at the trade deadline on July 31st. The firing of Milt Thompson was made to send a message to the whole Phillies roster that the team needs to step it up to make their fourth year in a row to the playoffs.

The Day Has Come, Gagne dealt to Tampa Bay

Today, the Flyers have dealt Simon Gagne, the longest-tenured Flyer, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth-round draft pick. This is the second time this summer the Flyers and Lightning have been trade partners. Earlier in the summer, the Flyers acquired defenseman Andrej Meszaros from Tampa for a second-round pick.

Gagne finished his Flyers career by playing in 664 regular season games, placing him tenth all-time in Flyers history. Gags scored 259 regular season goals, ninth all-time in Flyers history, and had 524 points, tenth all-time in Flyers history.

In 2000, Gagne scored 20 goals and made the all-rookie team along with goaltender Brian Boucher. In 2001-02, Gagne was named co-Most Improved Player on the Flyers along with defenseman Dan McGillis.

Gagne had his best goal scoring year in 2005-06 with 47 goals, when he was linemates with Peter Forsberg and Mike Knuble. In 2006-07, Gagne scored 41 goals and was named the team MVP for the second time in a row.

The career highlights for Gagne include an overtime game-winner that forced a Game 7 in the 2003-04 Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Also, Gagne played a crucial part in the Cup run made by the Flyers this past season, even after missing four games to have screws inserted to into his right big toe. Gagne scored the game-winner in Game 7 against the Bruins, to seal the magical comeback from an 0-3 deficit.

But his career with the Flyers has always been stunted by the amount of time he would miss from different injuries. In 2002-03 season, Gagne played only in 46 games while dealing with groin and concussion problems. In 2007-08, Gagne missed 57 games and the run to the Eastern Conference Finals due to concussion symptoms. Even this past year, Gagne missed the first 24 games of the season due to abdominal surgery, along with the four games Gagne missed in the playoffs due to the broken right big toe.

Walker, 30, posted 5 points in 66 games last year with the Lightning. The 6'4" 215 pound defenseman originally started with the St. Louis Blues in 1998. Walker has three years left on his deal worth $1.7 million per year.

I wasn't shocked at all to hear Gagne got dealt considering the fact that Gagne has one more year left on his deal worth $5.25 million. The Flyers were over the $59.4 million cap by $2.49 million and now this gets the Flyers under the cap. I also wouldn't be shocked to see another deal to occur to bring in a winger since the Flyers now have depth on defense.

This Day in Fightin' Phils History

In 1922 on this day, eleven-year old Bob "Tuffy Reds" Cotter caught a foul ball at the Phillies' Baker Bowl. Cotter refused to return the ball and decided to keep it. At that time, fans use to return foul balls but that day was a turning point. Stadium ushers arrested "Tuffy Reds" and sent him to jail. Cotter was freed the next morning by a judge who said that Cotter was "following his most natural instincts." The Phillies was the first team to create an official policy stating that fans could keep foul balls.

This Day in Philly Sports History

Sandhi Ortiz-Del Valle, on this day in 1991, was the first woman to officiate a men's professional basketball game. Ortiz-Del Valle officiated a United States Basketball League (USBL) game between New Haven Skyhawks and the Philadelphia Spirit.

This Week's Philly Sports Headlines

This is the top five headlines in Philadelphia sports this week.
1. The Phillies swept the Reds going into the All-Star break
2. The Sixers sign draftee Evan Turner
3. Flyers sign winger Nikolai Zherdev; re-sign Carcillo
4. Phillies activate Durbin from DL; designate Figueroa for assignment
5. Eagles sign draftee Riley Cooper

Honorable Mention:
Delonte West pleads guilty to weapons charges
Billy King hired to be Nets GM
Rockets match Cavs offer to Kyle Lowry

Did the All-Star Break Come at the Right Time for the Fightin's?

As baseball fans tonight sit down and watch their favorite players perform tonight, many of those fans whose teams are in contention right now might be debating if the all-star break came at the right time for their team. This debate is for sure occurring in the City of Brotherly Love. Some Phillies fans might already be hitting the panic button. But how is that different from any other year for the Phillies or for your Eagles, Flyers and Sixers.

Living out in Pittsburgh for the time being, I can't really catch all the Phillies on television. But I do try to see the highlights of the games. So when the Phillies came into town for a four game series against the Pirates, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to catch a Phillies in person at PNC Park. I thought it was an great opportunity for the Phillies to make up ground in the National League East as the next series would be against the NL East leading Braves. But that wasn't the case, the Phillies lost three out of four in the series and then lost two out of three against the Braves.

After losing three out of four to the Buccos, I felt like the Phillies missed out on a great opportunity and I started to sweat after they lost the next series to the Braves. The only reason why I started to only sweat was because I understood the Phillies were injury rittled the whole first-half of the season and currently still don't Chase Utley and Placido Polanco back yet from DL.

The pitching wasn't as big as a problem as the offense was in Pirates series. The offense showed an inability to hit with runners in scoring position.

Now, since the Phillies were able to sweep the NL Central leading Reds with four games straight of late inning heroics, the break has come at just the right time. Polanco will hopefully try to give it a go against the Chicago Cubs, the first series out of the break. But it's most likely he will come back against the Cardinals in the series that follows the Cubs.

The Phils better come out of the gates fast against the Cubs and have a successful series because the Phils go to St. Louis for four games and then come home for four against the Rockies. The Phils get a break, sort of, when the Diamondbacks come in for three and then the Fightin's go to the Nation's Capital, Washington D.C., for three.

The Braves face a tougher road coming out of the gate. They have to face the Brewers and Padres for three games each at home. The Braves then have to go on the road to face the Florida Marlins, Nationals, and Reds for three games each. The Phillies have an opportunity to make more ground up before the trade deadline.

Today's Birthday Wish to a Philadelphia Pro Athlete

I want to send an early birthday wish to Andy Ashby. July 11th marks Ashby's 43rd birthday. Ashby was signed as an amateur free agent in 1986 by the Phillies. He made his professional debut on June 10th, 1991 against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing five runs on four hits while striking out four and walking three in four innings. Ashby took the loss as the Phillies lost, 9-3, to the Reds. Ashby was selected 25th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 1992 Expansion Draft. But on November 10th, 1999, Ashby returned to Philadelphia in a trade from the San Diego Padres for Adam Eaton, Carlton Loewer, and Steve Montgomery. In three seasons as a Phillie, Ashby had a record of 6-15 with a 6.14 ERA. Ashby pitched 14 season in the majors and finished his career with a record of 98-110 and 4.12 ERA. Ashby also was selected to two all-star teams while as a member of the Padres in 1998 and 1999. Ashby pitched for the Phillies, Rockies, Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Philly Sports Fans Now Aren't the Leader in the Clubhouse for being the Worst Sports Fans

Everyone now, even those who aren't sports fans, knows that LeBron James left Cleveland for greener pastures and more sun on South Beach. My personal feelings are that Kobe Bryant is the better all around player, especially the better closer, than the "King."

The media, especially my favorite network, ESPN, has created this media circus around where LeBron would call home. It all culminated, in what people thought, in the hour long special called "The Decision."

The decision seemed to be crystal clear when just 24 hours before Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decided they would team up in South Florida to play for the Heat. Everyone knew James would go where he would get the best chance to win a championship and hopefully more.

Since it was hard to avoid to shake the day-to-day drama of where LeBron might call home, I was 95 percent sure he was going to Miami. So when James told Jim Gray he was going to Miami, I just immediately started to think about what could possibly going on in the city of Cleveland and the neighboring towns.

Just under five minutes after James officially announced his decision to join Wade and Bosh, there was video of LeBron's jersey being lit on fire in Cleveland.

I can understand how those fans feel and why they would do such a thing. They feel they are being betrayed and they hated how they were being dragged along up to the final second. But those fans should really understand what the Akron native did for the franchise.

He revitalized the Cavalier franchise and took them to new heights the team had never been taken before. LeBron pretty much did it by himself as well. He no supporting cast and he wants make the next step from a superstar to a legend. To be a legend you need to win a NBA title.

The disgruntled fans should be upset at the Cavalier front office to not surround LeBron with better players and to have a legitimate chance to win a title.

I hope to god what I see on television isn't the view and opinion of the majority of Cleveland natives. I hope they would be upset at losing out on James but be thankful for the memories the LeBron's most memorable moments.

I don't know much about Cavalier owner, Dan Gilbert, but the letter sent to Cavalier fans showed no class and immaturity. Gilbert could have written in a better way to still get his message across. I like when someone says something from their heart but the statement released was uncalled for.

I feel bad for Cleveland Cavalier fans because the teams front office still doesn't get it and will never get it. Blame it on your ownership and not LeBron. He is just trying to achieve the "American Dream," to be the best.

This Day in Fightin' Phils History

On this day in Fightin' Phils history, short stop Kevin Stocker made his professional debut in 1993 at the Vet against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Stocker had a bit of struggle in the 7-6 Phillies victory that was 20 innings long. Stocker, a Phillies 1991 second round draft pick, went 0 for 6 including two strikeouts along with two walks. In the field, Stocker had four assists and two putouts along with an error. In 1993, Stocker appeared in 70 games and finished the year with a batting average of .324, two home runs and 31 RBI. Stocker finished sixth in the 1993 Rookie of the Year voting which was won by Phoenixville native, Mike Piazza, who was with the Dodgers. Piazza finished the season with a batting average of .318, 35 home runs and 112 RBI. On November 18, 1997, Stocker was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Bobby Abreu. Stocker played two and a half years in Tampa Bay until Stocker was released on May 25, 2000. But five days later, Stocker was picked up by the Anaheim Angels, where he played in 70 games. Stocker finished his eight-year career with a batting average .254, 23 home runs, and 248 RBI.

Will Michael Leighton be the Opening Night Goaltender for the Flyers in 2010?

A day before NHL free agency was about to begin, the Flyers locked up their 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs savior in Michael Leighton. Leighton was rewarded with a two-year deal worth $3.1 million. But should have General Manger Paul Holmgren and the Flyers gone in this direction? Or should have the Flyers looked at a more proven netminder in Marty Turco or Evengi Nabakov.

Leighton could have another stellar season between the pipes in 2010-2011 but most likely he will never get back to the success he had last season. First off, if the Flyers want to stop worrying about goaltending being an issue, they can't rely on Leighton to be in net all 82 games. The journeyman hasn't shown he can with stand a whole NHL season. The most games he has played in a season was 35 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2003-2004.

Sure, Leighton came in the regular season and playoffs after injuries to Ray Emery and Brian Boucher and did what was asked of him. But I am not sure Leighton is the man to be the Flyers full-time goaltender.

The other Flyers on the ice at any particular time can only do so much. It is up to goaltender to make the big save that could save a season or end one. My case and point, Patrick Kane's game-winning goal that seemed to find the net threw Leighton's pads that allowed the Blackhawks to raise Lord Stanley on the ice in Philadelphia.

Look for, sadly, one or two big names to be moved to clear cap space to bring in a goaltender that has a proven track record. The Flyers have a good mix of young and old talent on the roster but the window may be closing soon on a great opportunity. Don't let the goaltender be the reason why Orange & Black fans can't celebrate in June during a Flyers Stanley Cup parade.

Flyers aren't done after the wheeling and dealing they did on the first day of free agency. The roster has three very formidable defensive pairs with the resigning of Braydon Colburn, acquisition of Andrej Meszaros and the signing of Sean O'Donnell. The Flyers also added a little more grit to their team with the signing of winger Jody Shelley. Many Flyers fans may remember Shelley for not having a goal until the last two games of the season. Shelley, as a Ranger, almost single-handily kicked the Flyers out of the playoffs with his physical style of play on the ice and his new found scoring touch.

Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter have been linked for weeks now to possible trades to either free up space to sign a Turco or Nabakov or to lure in a young stud goalie in Jonathan Quick. Look for more fireworks to come with the shaping of the 2010-2011 roster of the Flyers.

The Time is Now to Move Jayson Werth

Today's news of second baseman Chase Utley needing to have surgery on his right thumb may have just forced the Phillies to seriously think about trading right fielder Jayson Werth. With Utley being out for the next eight weeks and third baseman Placido Polanco also being out with an inflamed left elbow, a Phillies lineup that once looked very potent now looks like a shell of themselves.

A couple of trades will needed to be pulled off by General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. to strengthen the lineup and possibly the back end of the pitching rotation. Werth will be movable piece on the Phillies since the club's top prospect outfielder Domonic Brown is waiting in the wings for his moment on the big stage.

With each day passing and no progress on a new deal for Werth, it looks more and more like next year the left fielder for the Phillies on opening day will be Brown. Why not now try to get something in return for Werth instead of just letting him walk at the end of the season.

The Phillies have been in this position before when Utley missed some action in 2007 season. That season, General Manager Pat Gillick went out and acquired Tadahito Iguchi, who fared to prosper while being a Phillie.

Even if the Phillies weren't in their injury depleted situation, they should have looked to move Werth anyways to acquire prospects to replenish the farm system. With recent acquisitions of pitchers Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee, and Roy Halladay, the farm system has been emptied out. Even with the Phillies trading Lee to Seattle this past off season, the farm system doesn't have the prospects that the organization should have if they run into a situation like being injury riddled.

2010 Draft Recap for the Sixers and Flyers

The latter half of the previous week allowed to quietly go on a winning streak and try to right the ship. The reason why you ask the spotlight was taken off the Phillies for the past couple of days is because of the NBA Draft held on Thursday night in New York City and the NHL Draft held on Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles.

The Sixers made it official the worst kept secret that their man they were drafting was guard/forward Evan Turner. This comes a week after shipping, Captain Underachiever, Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento for forwards Spencer Hawes and Andreas Nocioni. The trade of Dalembert and the drafting of Turner has sent a message from the new head coach Doug Collins to the rest of the team that the Sixers will be full of hard workers and players that will themselves to victories.

After the LeBron sweepstakes is over and all the big stars like James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, and Joe Johnson decide what their new addresses will be, those teams that will loose on the sweepstakes will take a look at what will take to bring in Elton Brand. In no way, realistically, were the Sixers going to be able to move Brand's $51 million. It was evident that the main players like Chicago and Miami were dumping salary just to make room to make max offers to the before mentioned free agents.

Unlike the major retooling the Sixers have to do their roster, the Flyers just to make a few tweaks to their roster to make a hopeful return to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers as well last week before the draft make a deal aquiring the rights of defenseman Dan Hamhuis and a conditional draft pick in 2011 from the Atlanta Thrashers for defenseman Ryan Parent. During the season, the Flyers made a push to try to acquire Hamhuis from the Thrashers. Hamhuis, before being dealt to Pittsburgh during this weekend's draft, would have given the Flyers three formiable pairs on defense.

But the Flyers management and Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott, weren't getting any closer to reaching a deal. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren realized that the Flyers weren't going to be able to reach a deal before July 1st and wanted to make sure they could get value for Hamhuis before they would loose him to free agency. The Flyers were able to acquire a third-round pick in the 2011 draft.

Since the Flyers acquired defenseman Chris Pronger from Anaheim last year, the Flyers didn't have a pick until the third round. But the Flyers were still trying to make deals to address needs on their team. Rumors have been circulating that the Flyers were looking at the Boston Bruin netminder, Tim Thomas, along with the Jonathan Quick from the LA Kings. But the newest name out their is that the Flyers are trying to bring in San Jose Sharks soon-to-be free agent Evengi Nabakov.

I will be shocked to see the Flyers bring back Michael Leighton back after his success in the playoffs. Personally, Leighton had an unforgettable run but the journeyman will most likely not be able to repeat the success he had last year. I would prefer a proven winner like Nabakov or a young and talented goalie like Jonathan Quick. It is very fitting that Patrick Kane's winning goal was a "soft" goal that went between Leighton's five hole. The achille's heel of the Flyers will forever be the goaltender position until they get a franchise caliber netminder.

The Most Annoying Day for Athletes: Media Quotes from Thursday

Captain Mike Richards response to the Flyers being referred to as the underdog in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

"We're obviously feeling confident about ourselves, so are they...For you guys, the media and TV, you probably want to label someone the underdog but we feel confident in our capabilities...we got here for a reason."

Defenseman Kimmo Timonen explains how he has prepared for the Blackhawks.

"They were saying that Chicago is a quick team with a lot of skill and their D-men can really move the puck and they can jump into the play ... They were saying to me that they tried to play physical hockey and tried to limit their D jumping into the play. That's going to be one key for us."

Coach Peter Laviolette's response to who he think will win the battle in front of the net, Dustin Byfuglien or Chris Pronger.

"It's certainly something that's going to have to happen ... Our defense has done a really good job, not just Chris, but our defensemen in front of the net and team defense has been really good in these playoffs.

Coach Laviolette's feelings about being asked to take over the coaching duties for the Flyers in the middle of the season.

I'm grateful to [Flyers GM] Paul [Holmgren] and grateful for the opportunity because there's not a lot of jobs."

This Day in the Broad Street Bullies History

On this day one year ago, former Flyer Peter Zezel passed away from a rare blood disorder, hemolytic anemia at the age of 44. Zezel was selected by the Flyers 41st overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Zezel spent the first five seasons of his 15 year career with the Flyers. Zezel played in 310 games for the Flyers while scoring 91 goals and having 170 assists. In 1986-87, Zezel had his best offensive output for the Flyers. Zezel had 72 points during the season including 33 goals and 39 assists. Zezel spent the rest of his career with six others teams including the St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks. Zezel retired during the 1998-99 season after being traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Zezel finished his NHL career with 873 games played, 219 goals and 389 assists, with a total of 608 points.

This Day in Fightin' Phils History

On this day in 1933, outfielder Chuck Klein hit for the cycle in a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. This was Klein's second of his career. Klein's previous cylce occurred in 1931. Klein spent 15 of his 19 year career with the Phillies. Klein finished the 1933 season with a .368 batting average, 28 homers and 120 RBIs. Klein was voted to his first of two All-Star teams in 1933, while finishing second in the NL MVP race behind New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell. Klein led the NL in ten statistical categories including hits, doubles, homers, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, OPS, OPS+, and total bases. Klein was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1980.

Also on this day in 1980, pitcher Steve Carlton became the National League pitcher to throw six one-hitters in their career. Ten years later, third baseman Mike Schmidt's uniform #20 was retired by the Phillies.

Do I or Do I Not Touch It?

On Sunday afternoon, after winger Kris Versteeg scored the empty netter for the Blackhawks, I started to wonder will captain Jonathan Toews touch the Clarence Campbell Bowl. Toews decided to stay as far away from the Campbell Bowl as he could while taking a photograph with the hardware.

When captain Mike Richards skated up to the Prince of Wales Trophy on Monday night, Richards was itching at the chance to grab the trophy. Richards was so anxious that he almost forgot he had to pause and take a photograph before leaving the ice.

After the game, Richards admitted that the Flyers season hasn't been a conventional one, so he decided to against the supposed jinx labeled with touching the conference trophies.

Last year, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby decided to touch the Prince of Wales trophy. The Penguins ended up beating the Detroit Red Wings in seven games. In 2008, Crosby decided to stay away from the trophy like it was the plague and the Penguins lost to the Red Wings in six games.

One fact to make Flyers worried could be that in 1997, Eric Lindros decided to touch the Prince of Wales trophy. Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman said publicly that he won't touch the Campbell Bowl. All Flyers fans can remember the Flyers decided to not show up and got swept by the Red Wings.

I can't blame Richards for being excited for getting a chance to lift Lord Stanley because it has been 13 years since the last appearance in the Cup Finals by the Flyers. This might be the only chance that Richards would be able to lift any trophy. The man was living in the moment and letting what the Flyers just accomplished all soak in.

In no way a hockey player really thinks that the main goal of their season is to win the conference trophy. Their goal is to drink out of Lord Stanley during the summer. There is going to be no worries that Richards and the rest of the Flyers will be focused. They will try to bring a parade down Broad Street this summer.

As much as the Flyers are a "team of destiny" right now, they should have been here the whole time. They had one of the best paper rosters coming into the 2009-2010 season in the Eastern Conference. Because of injuries and the under-achieving of the team, the Flyers dug a huge hole for themselves and had to win in a shootout to sneak into the playoffs.

The Chris Pronger deal, last summer, addressed a huge hole on the squad, a shutdown defenseman. Now, with Pronger and fellow defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, has given two shutdown defense pairs, which will be crucial to shown down Toews and Patrick Kane along with Marian Hossa.

If you aren't Flyered up already, well then you might as well start because this series won't be a cakewalk for the 'Hawks. Look for this series to be one the best ever and going either six or seven. Let's Go Flyers!

This Day in the Broad Street Bullies History

On this day in 1997, Eric Lindros netted a hat trick as the Flyers defeated the New York Rangers, 6-3, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. Lindros scored his first goal in the first period on a wrap around that just barely crossed the goal line, as the Flyers took a 1-0 lead. In the third period, after two quick goals by the Rangers in the period, Lindros responded with a slapper that beat Mike Richter glove side, giving the Flyers a 3-2 lead. Lindros scored his ninth goal of the postseason, as the captain added an empty net goal with time winding down. The Flyers closed up the series with two more victories over the Rangers, winning the series 4-1. The Orange & Black advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals and were promptly swept by the Detroit Red Wings.

This Day in Fightin' Phils History

On this day in 1983, Steve "Lefty" Carlton struck out four in a 5-0 loss to the San Diego Padres. But the southpaw was able to move into second place on the career all-time strikeout list, passing Walter Johnson, who finished his career with 3,511 strikeouts. At the end of the season, Carlton finished the season ahead of Nolan Ryan with 3,709 strikeouts. Carlton finished his career with 4,136 strikeouts and is currently sitting fourth all-time.

Let the Ping Pong Balls Fall Where They May

The Philadelphia 76ers organization and fans have been waiting for this day to come for about a month now. This day I speak of is the "John Wall Sweepstakes" or more well-known as the NBA Draft Lottery.

The Draft Lottery is a day for all the losers in the NBA to have a chance to turn around their organizations by getting one of the top three picks in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Going into the day, the Sixers would select sixth overall, if the ping pong balls fell in order. But, the Sixers had a 5.3 percent chance to get the first pick, 6.03 percent chance to get the second pick, and 6.97 percent chance to get the third pick of the draft. In the worst case scenario, the Sixers would stay in the Top 10, by selecting ninth overall in the upcoming draft.

But this draft for the Sixers organization is the most important draft for the franchise since the 1996 NBA Draft, where the Sixers selected shooting guard Allen Iverson. "The Answer" was the face of the franchise for a decade and helped selling out arenas throughout the NBA. Even this past year, the Sixers decided to bring back Iverson, in an attempt to drive up attendance at the Wachovia Center. But that experiment failed as Iverson appeared in 25 games, averaging 31.9 mpg, 13.9 ppg and 4.1 apg. Iverson left the team in the middle of the year due to personal and family issues.

The 2010 NBA Draft includes a handful of prospects that would be able to contribute to a franchise but two prospects are considered franchise players. Those two players include the freshman phenom sensation, John Wall, and most pro-ready prospect, Evan Turner. Many Draft guru's have said that the winner of the NBA Draft Lottery would win the right to select Wall, the 6'4" point guard out of Kentucky over Turner, the 6'7" swingman out of Ohio St., as the first pick of the 2010 NBA Draft.

After getting a solid contribution from their rookie point guard Jrue Holiday last year, it would have made no sense for the Sixers to hope for the first pick in the draft. The only use for the first pick of the Draft would be to select Wall and hear possible trade requests for Wall's rights. This way the Sixers could somehow get a greater return but that still doesn't make much sense. Selecting second overall would benefit the franchise by selecting the much needed swingman Turner.

Imagine next year having Holiday and Turner in the backcourt along, for now, the new A.I. at the three. If Thaddeus Young bounces back from a right thumb fracture and the rest of the team decides to achieve to the best of their abilities, the Sixers will end up in an annually weak Eastern Conference next year.

But I might be jumping ahead of my assertion being that the Sixers currently don't have a head coach. The door hasn't been kicked down by any particular prospective head coach for the Sixers job. The reason being the team is filled with horribly large contracts held by underachieving players. President and General Manager Ed Stefanski tried to make a splash in the summer of 2008 by signing forward Elton Brand to a $82 million deal over five years. Stefanski also signed forward/guard Andre Iguodala to a $80 million deal over six years.

Luckily, the only bright spot, before getting the second overall pick in the upcoming draft, was the fact the Sixers do having a couple of expiring contracts this year. The Sixers could finally be able to move center Samuel Dalembert and his $12 million remaining on his contract. Other flexibility and possible players on the move could be guards Willie Green and Jason Kapono with their combined $12 million currently on the Sixers books.

The Sixers organization and fans might now be able to say they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The flexibility to move the expiring contracts of Dalembert, Green and Kapono contracts gives the Sixers the chance to improve their team and give some cap relief. This will be a rebuilding process, which should be centered around Holiday and Turner. But for a change Stefanski will have to select a coach that loves to run instead of a coach who loves to slow down the game and run a complicated offense like the Princeton offense. If Stefanski doesn't select the right coach, then you might as well show Stefanski the door.