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Brian baseball, Cliff Lee, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Roy Halladay, sports, trade, Yankees

If reports are true, Phillies are making huge mistake

OK…most baseball fans are aware of the reportedly impending trade of Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies and the reported companion trade (right now, this does not appear to be a 3-team deal) of Phillies ace Cliff Lee to Seattle.

While I love Lee and appreciate what he did for the Phillies in his short time with them, I understood that the Phillies needed to a) create payroll space to fit Halladay’s contract, and b) acquire prospects from another team to fulfill Toronto’s trade demands.

Also, it sounds like the Phillies were not confident Lee would sign a contract extension. Lee is good friends with CC Sabathia, who signed a 7-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees last offseason, and he was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in August that he was looking to enter free agent market after the 2010 season.

So I was OK with the “Trade Lee” scenario if it meant getting Halladay and signing him to an extension while leaving the Phillies’ top prospects (P Kyle Drabek, OF Michael Taylor, C Travis D’Arnaud) safely down on the farm.

Keep in mind, back in July 2009, when the Phillies pursued Halladay the first time, Phils general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. kept saying Drabek and Taylor were “untouchable.” So instead of giving in to Toronto’s demands, Amaro turned around and traded for Lee by sending second-tier prospects (P Jason Knapp, P Carlos Carrasco, C Lou Marson and SS Jason Donald) to the Cleveland Indians.

Lee went on to be a stud for the Phillies in the playoffs and World Series while Halladay remained untraded in Toronto.

Everyone knew the Phillies would stay in the hunt for Halladay during the offseason, so it doesn’t surprise me that a deal is apparently in the works. But when FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal mused a few days ago that he had a hunch the Phillies might trade Lee in order to create the payroll space to add Halladay, I was among many who didn’t think it made any sense. In the World Series against the Yankees, what hurt the Phillies was not having a clear No. 2 pitcher behind Lee. I assumed the objective was to have Halladay AND Lee in 2010.

But the more I thought about it, the more I was OK with trading Lee…ONLY if it meant the Phillies would be sending the prospects acquired in a Lee trade to Toronto as part of a package for Halladay. I could even support sending Taylor or D’Arnaud as part of such a package.

However, as more and more sportswriters started reporting what they were hearing about the Halladay deal, which started coming to light Monday afternoon, it became apparent that this blockbuster is not shaping up to be a three-team trade. It was starting to become much more evident that the Phillies had worked out a separate deal with Seattle that would send Lee to the Mariners for second-tier prospects in order to cut payroll.

The latest reports indicate the Phillies are still going to be trading either Drabek or J.A. Happ, Taylor, and D’Arnaud to the Blue Jays in exchange for Halladay, who appears likely to sign an extension with the Phillies reported to be in the 3-year, $60 million range.

Now, I’m ecstatic about the Phils getting Halladay and that kind of contract for one of the best pitchers in baseball is awesome.

But if the Phillies were going to wind up trading Drabek et al for Halladay now when they were “untouchable” in July, my question is…why didn’t the Phillies get both Lee and Halladay last July? If the Phillies had made both moves, I’m pretty sure there would be a good chance the Phillies would be two-time defending World Series champions right now.

And they would probably be in the position they are in right now…signing one of the aces to a long-term deal while trading away the other one. But the Phillies would have had a few months with both Lee and Halladay, and likely would have had another ring to show for it. It would have made losing the prospects more palatable.

But now? What’s the point? The Phillies appear to still be selling the farm for Halladay and sending Lee to Seattle in what is a thinly disguised salary dump. Sure, Amaro may say something like, “The Blue Jays were adamant in their demands so I made the best deal possible with Lee to replenish the farm system and make the deal with Toronto.”

But here’s the thing…the Lee trade — as it appears right now — does not replenish the farm system. The Phillies will be getting second-tier prospects back for their ace while trading their top-shelf prospects for Halladay. I mean, if the Seattle prospects were close to the value of Drabek, Taylor and D’Arnaud, why aren’t any of them going to the Blue Jays? The answer is Toronto doesn’t want them.

The quality of prospects mentioned coming over to Philly from Seattle — reportedly pitcher Phillipe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies (“Gillies the Phillies” must have appealed to Amaro?), and possibly pitcher Juan Ramirez — is not even close to what the Phils’ farm would be losing.

Essentially, if this all goes down the way it is being reported right now, it means the Phils will have given up Drabek (or Happ), Taylor, D’Arnaud, Knapp, Carrasco, Marson, Donald — and CLIFF LEE — for Roy Halladay (through 2013) and two or three second-tier prospects (and cash and payroll flexibility).

That is an awful, awful deal. And the timing makes it even worse.

Again, I would have been OK with trading Lee in a true three-team deal that would have lightened the Phillies’ cost in terms of prospects going to Toronto. But if Halladay is going to cost the Phillies their top prospects anyway, I say just keep Cliff Lee, bite the bullet on payroll in 2010 and beat the freakin’ Yankees in October.

UPDATE: It’s becoming obvious that Amaro is misreading the value of these two deals because he’s not factoring Lee into what is becoming a staggering price to pay for Halladay in terms of prospects. While trading away the farm is never a good idea, keeping Lee while obtaining Halladay is the most beneficial scenario for the Phillies — except from a payroll standpoint. So if that’s the case, why didn’t Amaro simply non-tender Joe Blanton — whose 2010 salary is basically equal to Lee’s — or trade him for a bag of baseballs to create the payroll space needed to keep Halladay and Lee in the Phillies’ rotation in 2010? Maybe the problem is that Amaro is caught between trying to do what Phillies ownership want (keep payroll in line with the budget) and what’s best for the organization (keep the farm system stocked). He’s trying to do both and that might not be the best thing to do. He should be looking at these deals as what would be the best value for the Phillies…and, at this point, acquiring Halladay and keeping Lee for 2010 provides the best value.

Also, Jayson Stark said on ESPN Radio this morning that the Phillies are getting the Mariners’ top two pitching prospects (Aumont, Ramirez) and an outfielder similar to Taylor (Gillies). Well, I saw video of Aumont last night and his mechanics have all the hallmarks of Tommy John surgery in a year or two. Ramirez is supposedly the better of the two pitchers, and Gillies comparable to Taylor? I have seen Michael Taylor play and the kid is a stud so that’s a lot to live up to for Gillies.

Brian arts, links, Mike Doughty, technology

The things Twitter can do

A few days ago, I was looking at a recent issue of Sports Illustrated that featured photographs from a current exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles called “SPORT: Iooss & Leifer,” looking at more than 40 years of sports photography from the two legendary SI photographers.

Now, I became familiar with Walter Iooss Jr. as a child because my dad grew up with him in East Orange, NJ, and played stickball with him. He also admitted to questioning Walter’s manliness at the time for walking around with a camera all the time. Well, that camera led to Iooss covering some of sport’s greatest icons — Michael Jordan, Joe Namath, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus — and photographing some of the world’s most beautiful women for SI’s annual swimsuit edition.

(Way to go, dad!)

Anyway, I checked out the exhibit’s web site and posted a link to it via Twitter, adding that my father played stickball with Walter in East Orange. The venue tweeted me back saying that it was “a great connection.” I then replied to ask if the video portions of the exhibit would be made available on DVD for people like me who can’t get out to L.A. for the show.

Well, today a David Scharff from the Annenberg Foundation tweeted me to say that a SPORT DVD is definitely in the works.

That’s all well and good, but when I get tweeted by somebody, I like to know more about him or her. So I usually check to see if they have a link to a web site on their Twitter profile. David didn’t, so I turned to Google.

As it turns out, David Scharff was once a songwriter and singer for a New York-based band known as The Student Teachers.

Never heard of them? Well, most people probably haven’t. But oddly enough, I have heard of them because one of their songs, “Looks” (listen below) has been covered and performed quite often by one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Mike Doughty.

And while I don’t have any personal connection to Mike Doughty (besides following him on Twitter and going to several of his shows)  or The Student Teachers, I feel a personal connection with Mike Doughty’s music. So it’s just kind of funny how my dad’s personal connection to Walter Iooss Jr. led to my having a Twitter conversation with somebody who wrote and performed an obscure song made somewhat less obscure by one of my favorite musicians.

“Looks” – The Student Teachers

Brian Brian Kelley, Music, TalentTrove

New song: “Alliel”

Back in November 2007, more than a year into my relationship with my now-fiancee, Alison, I had recorded an early, instrumental version of a song for her. I had worked out some lyrics for the choruses and the first verse, but that was it.

Because Elvis Costello wrote the ultimate song called “Alison” — a song my Alison can’t stand, by the way — I just couldn’t bring myself to call it that. Hence, I constructed the name “Alliel” by combining my fiancee’s first name and her last initial. My Alison only spells her name with one l, but “Alliel” looks better than “Aliel” so I added the extra l into the song title.

Anyway, a few days ago, Alison went to a baby shower, leaving me home alone to clean and do some things around the house. Instead, I fired up GarageBand on my MacBook, finished writing the lyrics, changed/added some of the piano parts from the 2007 demo and recorded a more finished demo version of “Alliel.”

I realize my voice isn’t the greatest, but once I start recording vocals, I seem to always find myself trying to do some interesting things with harmonies. And then I added the “big vocals” at the end of the song, which was inspired by a Trevor Rabin (former Yes guitarist who does a lot of composing for films these days) solo album from the late 80s.

Anyway, I posted the song on my TalentTrove.com profile, but you can also listen to it below:

“Alliel” (4:43)
Written, arranged and performed by Brian Kelley

Brian Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, New Jersey, TalentTrove

Revisiting my musical past: “Don’t Lose The Groove”

You might recall that a couple of months ago, I entered a “best piano/keyboard performance” contest on a web site called TalentTrove.com. I came in second place by one or two votes, mostly because the rules said one date was the final day of voting while the voting system itself was set to end 2 1/2 days earlier.

Anyway, despite that experience, I have entered another TalentTrove.com contest…this time for music considered “electronica.”

Now, even when I was into mostly synthesizers, sequencers, samplers and drum machines, I never really considered myself in the genre of “electronica.” I always thought of myself as pop, techno or — in the early 90s — industrial.

And techno-industrial is what I want to talk about right now. As I have written many times before on this blog, my friend Christian Beach and I have worked together musically — on and off — since 1986 or ’87, I guess.  While we were in the ill-fated band TMC & The New Generation (a techno/pop/rap  project that I like to describe as “Run DMC meets Depeche Mode”), Christian and I started listening to music generally classified as industrial or — in some cases — cyberpunk. In any case, we really started to get into Ministry, Front 242, Nine Inch Nails, and Nitzer Ebb, among others. Hence, our writing started getting heavier and our songs became angrier and full of more samples. At this point, we convinced our rapper that we needed a name change and we began calling ourselves Interläken Probe, which borrowed from the name of the town to the west of Allenhurst, NJ, as well as the model of car I was driving at the time (a Ford Probe). The “ä” was used to make it look European.

Anyway, one of the last things we worked on as Interläken Probe was a song called “Don’t Lose The Groove.” The phrase had been mentioned during the recording of another song, but it had always stuck with me. When I was trying to come up with lyrics for “Groove,” I thought the phrase fit pretty well in the chorus. In the context of the song, it referred to the idea of the human race all flowing with the groove, and that each of us does our part to screw everything up by losing the groove every now and then (some more than others, of course)…kind of like a record skipping when a needle loses the groove.

Anyway, despite promoting world peace and unity, the song was kind of angry and full of somewhat violent samples. Here is the original rough mix of “Don’t Lose The Groove” that Christian and I recorded around 1990.

OK…back to the present. While thinking about the TalentTrove.com electronica contest, I decided to update one of my old techno songs and submit that for the competition. But which one?

Well, that answer came to me when I stumbled upon “Don’t Lose The Groove” on my iPod. I decided to rerecord “Groove” into GarageBand on my MacBook and bring it a little up to date.

First, I tamed it by removing the samples. While keeping touches of its industrial origins, I made it a more of a dance track. I tried to actually sing the lyrics instead of screaming them like I did in the original. But it just sounded better when I screamed them…although the newer version features more restrained and refined vocals than the original.

Anyway, you can hear “Don’t Lose The Groove (2009)” below.

Brian football, Michael Vick, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, sports

The Philadelphia Eagles are dead to me

It has been a few days since the Philadelphia Eagles — defying all sanity and logic — signed disgraced NFL quarterback, illegal drug user, alleged STD transmitter and, oh yes, dogfighting kingpin Michael Vick (aka Ron Mexico).

Upon learning of the signing during the Eagles’ preseason opener against New England, I immediately flipped the TV to another channel and proclaimed my full support to my usual “B team,” the New York Jets, by chanting “J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!”

All of this talk about giving Michael Vick a second chance is ridiculous. This is like his 10th chance. Just take a look at Vick’s Wikipedia entry under early incidents. Sure, there weren’t any convictions or arrests, but you know the saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”? Well, Vick seemed to be quite a hotspot.

And then the allegations and evidence began to mount that Vick ran a dogfighting ring out of one of his homes in Virginia, and that he personally took part in torturing and killing dogs in a variety of vicious ways, including hanging, drowning and electrocution.

Vick didn’t just make a mistake that he paid for by serving a prison sentence. He engaged in violent, sociopathic behavior and only stopped because he was caught, convicted and stripped of his livelihood and money. And just because he is now a free man does not mean he has proven himself to be rehabilitated.

Now, all of that being said…in no way would I deny any person redemption. I think the NFL could have reinstated Vick, but told him he had to sit out as a player for one more year. However, during that year, the league could have hired him to speak to NFL players about the horrors of animal cruelty and also work with the Humane Society, the SPCA and other animal rescue organizations. If Vick stayed out of trouble while also being a true asset to supporters of animal rights, it would have gone a long way in shedding the monster image he has bestowed upon himself.

But, no…the Eagles’ organization decided that Vick is a changed person already — despite not having done a damn thing for animal rights except for some minimal work he has done for the Humane Society of which I have yet to see proof.

And here is where my anger gets to the breaking point with the Eagles. Knowing that this signing was going to meet with controversy, the team should have been ready to communicate with local animal rights/rescue organizations (especially Utley All-Star Animals, the charity run by Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and his wife, Jennifer) and develop the framework of a strategy for using Vick as a force for good.

Basically, there were things the Eagles could have done right away to make the signing of Michael Vick a bit more palatable to animal lovers and fans like me who can’t stomach rooting for a team employing such a vile individual.

At the press conference announcing Vick’s signing, the Eagles should have done at least these three things:

  1. Announced the creation of a program that would raise funds for area animal shelters and rescue operations.
  2. Designated a number of these shelters and rescue operations and make a generous donation that would be split among these groups.
  3. Proposed the creation of an advisory panel that would include Vick, team officials, city and state officials, and leaders of area animal rights organizations with the purpose of communicating the evils of animal abuse to the general public and working with law enforcement in identifying and shutting down dogfighting rings.

In addition to announcing these plans, the Eagles would have needed to set a timeline for implementing these programs and ensure Vick’s full participation and cooperation. In addition, there should have been a clause in Vick’s contract stating that, upon the first instance of his non-compliance to these terms, he would be suspended without pay and released (yeah, I know…the NFL Players Association would get in a tizzy over that, but put it in anyway and let the arbiter figure it out later).

All of this, in my mind, would at least told me that the Eagles and Vick were serious about addressing the controversy the signing would bring.

But, no. The Eagles didn’t have any of that prepared.  In fact, the Eagles’ lack of interest in the animal cruelty issue was made very apparent when Jennifer Utley attempted to attend the press conference to start a dialogue with the Eagles and Vick. She was turned away at the entrance to the Eagles’ NovaCare practice facility. Instead, the press conference was all about this mythical “second” chance for Vick.

Well, what about the dogs that Vick brutally tortured and killed? They didn’t get a second chance.

The signing of Michael Vick represents a big F.U. to a good portion of Eagles fans — myself included. And until I see evidence that Vick and the Eagles are going to work with the community on the issue of animal rights, they will continue to be dead to me.

And if you are interested, you can sign an online petition to boycott the Philadelphia Eagles for signing Michael Vick.

Brian Artist to Watch, iTunes, Music, video, YouTube

Artist to Watch: Winter Gloves

Winter Gloves
Winter Gloves

Right on the heels of the post I did on Passion Pit the other day, I would like to share with you another artist to watch.

I first heard of Winter Gloves when I happened to catch the track “Invisible” from their “about a girl” CD on XM Radio’s The Verge channel. It was the catchy electric piano riff over a techno beat that drew me into the song. I hit the info button on my radio to find out the artist and saw the name Winter Gloves.

Unfortunately, I never wrote down the name of the band and forgot it hours later. Over the next 48 hours or so, I told my friend Jason and my fiancee Alison about this great song I heard on XM, but that I couldn’t remember the name of the band who performed it.

Then, while at a party for one of Alison’s friends, I checked an e-mail on my phone. It was a message letting me know that WinterGloves was now following me on Twitter. I instinctively blurted out, “Holy crap! That’s the band who did that song I heard! It’s Winter Gloves!”

So thanks to a combination of XM Radio and Twitter, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the Montreal-based band Winter Gloves, which consists of Charles F (lead singer/songwriter/wurlitzer), Pat Sayers (drums), Vincent Chalifour (synths) and Jean-Michel Pigeon (guitar/glockenspiel).

According to the band’s bio…

Winter Gloves began as one guy’s way of figuring out how to plug himself into life in the big city. It was a single microphone and minimal equipment gathered into Charles F’s downtown Montreal apartment to piece together all the distances he’d covered since growing up in rural Quebec.

A three-song EP (“Let Me Drive”) was offered as a digital-only download and created additional buzz in anticipation of the release of the full-length “about a girl” CD in 2008.

I just bought “about a girl” from iTunes this past weekend and had a chance to listen to it a few times while driving up to Scranton, Pa., for a work-related meeting. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to catch Winter Gloves live in the near future.

Here is a video of Winter Gloves performing “Invisible”:


Winter Gloves – Invisible

Brian artist, Artist to Watch, Music, review, WXPN, YouTube

Artist to Watch: Passion Pit

Passion Pit
Passion Pit

As someone who uses Pandora as a tool for new music discovery and listens to WXPN, the great radio station operating out of Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania, and to the emerging artist channels on XM Radio, I sometimes hear a band I like and think to myself, “You know, I wish I blogged about them sooner. Now they’re everywhere.”

But then I realize the artist isn’t everywhere…just everywhere I go for new music. So even though “those in the know” are raving about a certain artist, when I bring that artist up in a conversation about music, I’m always stunned to hear that most of the people I’m talking to have no knowledge of said artist.

So while I may be late to the party among those who pay close attention to the music industry, that shouldn’t stop me from writing about certain artists. After all, if my blog post connects just a few more people to a deserving artist, it’s worth the time to write it.

For instance, in this piece — my first “artist to watch” post in ages, I’m going to take a look at Passion Pit, an electronic group out of Cambridge, Mass., fronted by songwriter Michael Angelakos. Their first full-length CD, “Manners,” was released back in May, but there was buzz about the band after the ecstatic reception to their 2008 EP, “Chunk of Change.”

Passion Pit also has an interesting “from out of nowhere” back-story. “Chunk of Change” actually began as a four-song CD that Angelakos — who was attending Emerson College at the time — made for his then-girlfriend as a Valentine’s Day gift. The CD, however, wound up becoming quite popular on the Emerson campus and soon Angelakos was getting attention from record labels and promoters.

That resulted in the formation of Passion Pit (which currently consists of Angelakos, Ian Hultquist, Ayad Al Adhamy, Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer) and the production of the “Chunk of Change” EP, which included the original four songs on the Valentine’s Day CD plus the tracks “Sleepyhead” and “Better Things.” Additional exposure for Passion Pit came from the use of “Sleepyhead” in a Canadian commercial for Sony’s PSP game system and spots for MTV’s “What the Flip?” promotion.

Passion Pit was named one of the top bands at the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon in New York and placed ninth in BBC’s Sound of 2009 list of emerging music acts. The band was also XPN’s Artist to Watch in June 2009.

Built upon electro-pop bass grooves and punchy synth-based hooks, the tracks on “Manners” draw from a number of musical influences. One can clearly hear touches of Brian Wilson/Beach Boys (“Let Your Love Grow Tall” and “Seaweed Song”), early Prince (“Eyes as Candles”) and even U2 (“Moth’s Wings”). For a taste of “Manners,” check out the video for “The Reeling” (my favorite track from the CD) below.

But Angelakos and Co. manage to incorporate those various influences into a cohesive collection of songs on “Manners” that makes for a enjoyable listen throughout. The one issue I have with “Manners” is the sequencing. While the first track, “Make Light” is a decent enough song, it isn’t quite successful as an album opener. If I hadn’t already heard many of the tracks that were to follow, I’m not sure “Make Light” would have drawn me into the rest of the CD on its own.

But if you like intelligent electronic pop music suitable for dancing or just driving around, pick up a copy of “Manners” by Passion Pit.

More information: Passion Pit on MySpace


Passion Pit – The Reeling

Brian baseball, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, sports

Vote for Victorino…TODAY!

Vote for Shane Victorino!
Vote for Shane Victorino!

Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino is in a tight race for the National League team’s final roster spot in MLB’s Final Vote competition. Voting ends today at 4 p.m. ET, so CLICK HERE NOW and vote as many times as you can (there is no limit) before 4 p.m. to send Shane to the All-Star Game.

Last night, Victorino was the hero for the Phillies as he delivered a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Phils a 3-2 walk-off win. And, as the official campaign video below shows, Shane has come through time and time again for the reigning World Series champions.

Vote Victorino…TODAY!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Vote for Victorino…TODAY!“, posted with vodpod

Brian arts, Asbury Park, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, concert, links, Music, New Jersey

Another gig this weekend…

Christian Beach @ Twisted Tree Cafe
Christian Beach @ Twisted Tree Cafe

I will be playing accordion for my good friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach, when he performs at Twisted Tree Cafe in Asbury Park, NJ, on Friday, June 19, at 9:45 p.m. The performance is part of the annual Wave Gathering Festival, which features more than 175 artists appearing at more than two dozen venues throughout Asbury Park.

Gorgo (mandolin) and Agency‘s Michael Scotto (percussion) will also be taking part in the ensemble.

So if you are in the area, please stop by and take in some great local music.

Brian baseball, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Raul Ibanez, sports, video

Beating the Mets sounds great in any language

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Comcast SportsNet-Philly featured a chat with the lead announcer for the Phillies’ Spanish-language affiliate during last night’s Phillies-Mets game, which the Phillies won 6-3 after Raul Ibanez hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 10th inning.

After Ibanez hit the home run, CSN played the Spanish version of the call, which The Fightins has posted online (thanks!).