Four Versus The Brew Crew: Links!

• The Phils face the guys pictured above (in baseball, not bull riding) for a 4 game series starting tonight in Milwaukee for what could very well be a NLCS preview. Guys in flannel shirts just don't scare me.

• Hot topic over the weekend was obviously the Double/HR/Fan Interference that happened to Hunter Pence down in Florida. Kulp from the700level.com issues a Public Service Announcement for all of you would be fan interferers. Now my first reaction to the fan interference call on that play was "so what, it's still a ground rule double, right?" Setting aside the whole argument about whether the umpires had the right to review the play and whether or not Joe West is an arrogant d-bag, how is it that a fan interfering with the home team's outfielder is an automatic out? Sure, the kid was wearing some Phillies gear, but he could very easily be a Marlins fan in disguise who intentionally swatted at Bryan Peterson's glove to get the automatic out. Yeah, okay that's far fetched... but if he were a Marlins fan, he'd actually have done his team a favor on a play like that. If Howard was on third instead of first and fan interference was called, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to tag up. Seems like there's a hole in that rule to me...

• CBS Philly is running a "Most Valuable Blogger" contest. Quite frankly, I'm disappointed in all of you for failing to nominate me. I can guarantee that I'm better than a surf fishing website! There are more than a handful of other subpar blogs on the list as well. My votes have been going to ThatBallsOuttaHere.com because 1) the dude comes up with some hilarious stories, 2) he's self deprecating enough about his own blog to have let me guest post once. I believe today is the last day to vote, so get on it! 

• A lengthy piece by phuturephillies on why Charlie Manuel is probably the best candidate for Manager of the Year but probably won't win it. As of late, the award has been going to a manager that overachieves the most from year to year, but there's really something to be said for a guy who wills his team through tons of injuries, gets the most out of his players, and performs exactly as well as expected. This season is on pace to be the greatest in franchise history and though Charlie was given all the tools to succeed by the front office, let's give the guy some credit for the way he's used Raul Ibanez this year, his acumen with the starting pitchers, and somehow turning Wilson Valdez/Michael Martinez into a useful utility platoon. How many times have you heard the phrase "players manager" in reference to guys like Bud Black and Tony Larusa? 

• So John Mayberry Jr wants a date with a chick who played a mermaid in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, though I'm assuming everyone has heard this story by now. First of all, I didn't even know that movie came out already... wasn't there a huge buildup for the first one? Are they churning them out like Saw movies now? And while the whole story is a bit embarassing, there is a silver lining... Someone at Yahoo actually considers Mayberry a "slugger!" The whole story would have been way more demoralizing had they said "Phillies AAAA/4th outfielder asks for date." Congratulations, Mayberry. You have arrived! Unfortunately, your mermaid is married.