The Show.

What Up Wednesday is one of three new installments (the other two will be coming to you very shortly) on The Show. The concept of What Up Wednesday is to give weekly doses of props to those in the sports world whose achievements deserve some recognition. Soon to be coveted sports honor sought by the world's top athletic figures, What Up's will provide an easy way to catch up on the good going on in the sports world. So, without further ado:


What Up Ruben Amaro Jr. Being a sports blogger requires me to be objective, so I need to make it clear that I'm not doing this because I'm a Phillies fan. I'm doing it because what Ruben has done can only be defined as a colossal achievement that will effect the entire National League for years to come. Phillies fans have spent the last year "what-ifing." Fans were greatly disappoint when the team traded Lee after the '09 season, but of course ecstatic about acquiring Roy Halladay. However, there was always that lingering question in the back of their minds that wouldn't go away no matter how well the staff pitched: what if we hadn't traded Cliff Lee? Now Phillies fans can rejoice because Ruben Amaro Jr. has ended the "what-if" days and spawned the "best-rotation-in-baseball-history" days. Cheers Ruben.


What Up Brett Favre. Brett gets two what up's this week. One for his amazing streak. No matter how much you hate the guy you have to respect what he has done. 297 games in a row in unbelievable. It's a record that may never be broken and the man's legacy will always be that of a warrior because of this streak. Although annoying, Brett deserves congratulations on this amazing feat. His second what up is for ending the streak. Yes, it's a great streak, but we've been waiting for it to end for years now, so thank you Brett. However, if you attempt to break your own record your What Up will be stripped.


What Up Sidney Crosby. You're in the midst of a 19-game point streak, during which you've acquired 38 points. Your team is 2nd in their division and 2nd in the NHL. And you lead the league in points (51) and goals (26). Oh, and you've done it all with a really dusty mustache. I'd say that just about does it.











What Up San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are the first team to 20 wins this year and they've only lost 3 games. The Spurs have shown that they'll without a doubt be contending for a ring this year. The biggest question with the team is whether they'll be able to stay healthy. However, they have five players averaging 12 PPG or more, so their offense is dynamic and they get contribution from more than one or two players.









and finally...




What Up DeSean Jackson. This celebration is - well, words don't quite do it for me. I just want to thank you.

Roy Halladay was a question to some going into playoffs. Yes, he had an unbelievable season - one that will most likely earn him his second Cy Young award - but he had never pitched a playoff inning, and regardless of how good a player may be, there's always a question about how an athlete will perform come playoff time. However, Roy took that question and answered it with an exclamation as he pitched a no-hitter in his first ever playoff start.


As I saw this happening it was of course exciting. There had been only one playoff no-hitter in the history of baseball, but what's more is that, for those who forgot, Halladay already pitched a no-hitter this year (actually, it was a perfect game if you want to get technical about it.) Tonight he became the first player to ever pitch a no-hitter in the regular season and playoffs of the same year. So like I said, exciting? Of course. Surprising? Not totally. If there's one guy in baseball who could do this it'd be Doc Halladay. His work ethic is legendary, and the amount he studies his opponents gives Peyton Manning a run for his money. So with that being said, let me rephrase what my emotions were like: was I surprised that a major league pitcher was able to throw a regular season and playoff no-hitter in the same year? Absolutely. Was I surprised that that pitcher happened to be Roy Halladay? No.

As for an impression, Halladay has Phillies fans breathing easy. Like I said earlier, how a guy will perform in the playoffs is always a question. Look at A-Rod. He's notorious (with the exception of last season) for slumping in the playoffs. He'd put up great numbers all season and come playoff time he'd choke. That's what the post-season can do to a lot of players. The pressure is too much, it gets in their head and they crumble. Halladay isn't like other players though. You wanna talk about pressure? This start has been building up for 13 years. He's been a top three pitcher in baseball for the last decade and now, after all that time and all that dominance he was getting his shot in the spotlight with everyone watching. So being the kind of player he is, he took that shot and did what he's been doing his whole career. With the pressure on he was like a rock. He was in the zone and there was no way he was gonna crack. If you watched the game you know what I'm talking about. Some of his pitches were literally unhittable. But that's what Doc does, even when it counts most.

As for the Phils, they've been known as an offensive team, which explains a majority of the success they've had in the last few years, but now combine that veteran offense with the three aces the team has and you have a very scary combination (unless you're a Phillies fan, of course.)

And in case you missed it:

It's funny how sports work sometimes. During the 2008-2009 NHL season Brad Thiessen, a goalie who played at Northeastern University, got called by the Penguins after his junior season ended. He went to play for the Penguins' AHL team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and got called up to practice with the Penguins during their playoff run. The Penguins ended up winning the Stanley Cup that year, and Thiessen got himself a ring. Roy Halladay, on the other hand, is in his 13th season of big league ball. He's a Cy Young winner. He has pitched over 300 games in the show and has won just under 170. He has had three 20+ win seasons, has pitched 58 complete games and has 19 career shutouts. Stats like this seem deserving of a championship, but he's not just ringless - he's without a single inning of playoff baseball. Sometimes the most deserving players are also the most deprived players. Halladay has been deprived of post-season baseball his entire career, but with the Phillies clinching the NL East crown for the fourth consecutive year, he'll get his long overdue shot at October baseball.

The Phillies acquired Halladay from the Blue Jays during last years offseason and it was a win-win for both parties - the Phils get a top 3 pitcher in the league who the thought would most likely win them 18+ games, and Halladay finally got a shot at the post-season and the World Series with a legitimate contender. That was the plan, and so far it is coming together just as expected.

The Phillies have been baseball's hottest team in September going 19-6 as of Sept. 29th, which isn't too surprising considering this teams experience when it comes to winning when it matters. They've been able to run away with the division and will now enter the playoffs as a group that is well-tailored for a third consecutive World Series appearance. They have a lot of players who have had great success in the playoffs, and adding a post-season-starved Halladay to the mix certainly won't hurt. Halladay isn't the only Phillie who has been yearning for a chance at the post-season, however. Mike Sweeney, a first baseman the Phillies acquired during the season from the Kansas City Royals, is in the midst of his 20th MLB season, and the playoffs have managed to evade him until now. Sweeney, although a great player, is not expected to be the kind of guy who is going to carry a team through the playoffs. However, one of the things you constantly hear about Mike Sweeney is what a great clubhouse guy he is. He's well respected by his teammates and he's a seasoned vet who knows a lot about the game, and having him in the clubhouse during the playoffs is not something to overlook.

There's a lot of pressure during playoff baseball, especially if you're a pitcher. The importance of each game makes mistakes fatal, which is a factor that Halladay hasn't dealt with until this point in his career. The city of Philadelphia is relying on him to pitch the way he's capable of, because if he does they'll have a great shot to win the whole thing. It will be interesting to see how he responds, but knowing the type of player he is I'd say it's safe to say he'll be fine, and hopefully he'll get a shot at his AL rivals that always kept him out of the post-season. After all, he's been building up to that first playoff pitch for his entire career.