Is it Possible to Be Mathematically Eliminated by Memorial Day?

Boy, the Phillies make life interesting if you are a fan in this town...I went from being at Citizens Bank Park for the "high" of Cole Hamels' nearly perfect game last week, to the lows of Rod Barajas playing worse than any catcher I can ever remember this side of Lance Parrish, Brett Myers throwing his arm off, and the Phillies losing two out of three to the flippin' Marlins...And then they sent Chris Coste back to the minors again...I never give up on the Phillies, but boy, do they make it hard to defend them sometimes...Ryan Howard comes back tonight...I'm supposed to go to the game on Memorial Day against the Diamondbacks...There is no bullpen to speak of (despite valiant efforts from Geoff Geary, Ryan Madson and Antonio "Hey Little 12 Toes" Alfonseca)...Pat Gillick seems to be "standing Pat" once again...And Harry Kalas seems to miss almost as many plays on television in one game that he used to miss in one decade...I keep hoping the Phils can pawn Barajas off on the Yankees (who originally signed him, I think, in the off-season only to have the deal "voided" when he changed agents -- I may be off on this but it sounds like what happened) and maybe get one of their minor league pitchers (again)...Sometimes I wonder why they let Jeff Conine go...Hard to believe, Harry...I actually miss Jeff Conine...It's a long season, Pat Gillick -- don't let it get away from you in May and June, or cutting you loose and giving Ruben Amaro Jr. free rein begins to look better and better.

Ron Reid

Word reached DeLorenzo's Dugout last week that one of my all-time favorite people, sports writer Ron Reid, had passed away...Ron was at the Philadelphia Inquirer covering track & field when I was Villanova's assistant sports information director (1985-1990) and then director (1990-1995) -- and since I had the pleasure to work with the track & field program every day in the late 1980s (with Marty Stern's great women's teams of that era), Ron and I were frequently sitting together in press boxes across America...My favorite memories of Ron involve his loud booming voice and unbelievable comedic timing, and trips to Oklahoma City, Provo, Eugene, Indianapolis, and especially Madison Square Garden (running quotes from the finish line back to the always-on-deadline Mr. Reid, including quotes from other runners not even remotely affiliated with Villanova!)...I was unable to get to the viewing last week, but that won't end my extremely fond memories of a true gentleman and friend...My last encounter with him personally probably came long after I left Villanova, when I was visiting with some editors at the Inquirer and spotted him in the newsroom...We sat and talked for about a half hour, laughing at some of the memories, and that's how I will remember him. Rest in peace.