Cole Hamels is still a Phillie - for now. Jonathan Papelbon is not.
The Phillies traded their disgruntled, All-Star closer to the Washington Nationals yesterday for Double A pitcher Nick Pivetta, who has managed to compile a 7-6 record, with a 3.02 ERA in 18 games, including 17 starts. He’s slated as a possible No. 3 or 4 starter.
Lost in all that is the fact that the Phillies won again last night - getting another solid start from lefthander Alex Morgan against a powerful Toronto Blue Jays lineup stacked with right-handed hitters that had been devouring southpaws all season.
Morgan learned just how powerful pretty quickly. Leadoff hitter Devon Travis hit the second pitch Morgan offered out of the park. Morgan also escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second, and then tamed the Jays' bats.
Ken Giles, the newly anointed closer, slammed the door on Toronto to preserve a 3-2 win.
And yet, none of this is what captured my attention from the world of sports as I drove home last night.
Instead, I was fascinated by this.
KYW Newsradio 1060 now does a simulcast of the CBS Evening News at 6:30. Last night the lead story was not the Iran nuke treaty, not parole for convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, not even Donald Trump.
The lead story on the network news last night was Tom Brady.
Such is the power and allure of the NFL.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced yesterday the four-game suspension of the Super Bowl MVP QB of the Patriots was being upheld. Brady is planning to appeal through the NFL Players Association.
Brady seems intent on trying to clear his name, to remove the stigma of "cheater" that now shrouds all of his accomplishments.
I guess real news will just have to wait.
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