Tall Tales: The Andrew Zarzour Story

[AZTarHeel]

Phillies fans in Citizens Bank Park soon picked up on that vibe as well, and the buzzing only intensified as Zarzour struck out the side in the seventh frame (Rivera, Clayton and Gonzalez, spots 1-2-3 in the order).

By this point, ESPN's Baseball Tonight crew began a no-hitter alert, chiming in with a report on Zarzour trying to be the ninth pitcher in Phillies' history to earn a no-no. If Z succeeded, he would be the first since Terry Mulholland did it against San Francisco in August of 1990 (note: remember Kevin Millwood's no-hitter for the Phils in 2003 didn't happen in Zarzour's world).

The zeroes continued into the eighth inning. Prince Fielder flied out to center for the first out, then Zarzour fanned Luis Gonzalez with a knee-buckling slider on a 2-2 count — his 12th K of the evening. Citizens Bank went nuts when Mayne hit a routine grounder to first, scooped up for an unassisted out by Jorge Cantu.

Three outs to go and young Mr. Zarzour, age 24, would make history. From giving up five homers in a World Series game a few seasons ago to tossing a no-hitter. Wow...

[AZTarHeel]

Andrew Zarzour doesn't remember much about the bottom of the eighth inning, only that his teammates were avoiding him like the plaque and that he had flied out to right field for the last out, nervously swinging at the first pitch from BJ Ryan. Zarzour actually got pretty good wood on the ball and it fell just a few feet short of the warning track. Imagine how cool it would have been to hit a home run and throw a no-hitter on the same day!

The red sea parted in the dugout as Zarzour took off his batting gear and got ready to go back out on the field for the ninth inning. Andrew's parents were in the crowd that night (as they tried to be for every start), and his mom couldn't decide if she wanted to sit in her seat or pace along the concourse. During the final few innings, she did both.

The Giants' would begin the ninth inning with Jason Romano at the plate, then Greg Dobbs. From there, the pitcher's spot would come up, so Zarzour wasn't sure who he would face if he got the first two guys out. Keep your fingers crossed...

[AZTarHeel]

Andrew Zarzour's pitch count going into the ninth inning was just 105, and he had so much adrenalin pumping he could probably throw 105 more before feeling the effects in his arm. Obviously, there was no one warming up in the bullpen for Philadelphia and no one would dare to even get up and stretch unless Zarzour completely fell apart.

The Big Z's first pitch of the frame went a little outside to Jason Romano. Ball one.

Zarzour came inside with the second pitch, and Romano connected with a hefty swipe. The ball bounced in the infield and was headed right to young second baseman Bernie Castro, who had been drafted by the Phillies last summer and had already made the Big Club in less than a year. An easy 4-3 play in the making for the rising star.

But Castro booted it! It was only his third error of the season in 42 starts, but what a way to begin a ninth inning with a no-hitter on the line!

Zarzour grimaced like he had been stabbed but quickly tried to turn his attention to Greg Dobbs, the next Giants batter. Though Romano was a track star on the bases, Zarzour paid him no mind. A double-play ball certainly would cure the ills of Castro's mistake.

Zarzour's first pitch to Dobbs came right down the pipe for a strike. Dobbs didn't even move. The second pitch was high and tight, and Dobbs took a stab at it. He poked it toward first base, and the Phillies Jorge Cantu quickly fired to second base to wipe Romano off the bases. There wasn't enough time to turn two, but at least the lead runner was gunned down.

One down and two to go! Phillies fans roared.

That brought Jeff Keppinger to the plate, a pinch-hitter for the pitcher's spot. The 28-year-old, who usually started at second base but had this day off from starting duties, had a robust .292 average in 185 at-bats, with 10 doubles, five homers and 17 RBIs.

He was batting .296 against left-handers but didn't stand a chance against Zarzour on this day. The Big Z came right at him with three blazing fastballs and struck Keppinger out boom, Boom, BOOM!

Keppinger about screwed himself into the ground with a big swing on the third strike. Citizens Bank Park went crazy. ESPN's Baseball Tonight chimed right in with a replay of Keppinger's last whiff.

Andrew's mom, who had gotten up to pace at the start of the inning, was now holding fervently onto the arm of a stadium usher she didn't even know. Andrew's dad just smiled looking at over the field, wanting to yell to the whole baseball universe "THAT'S MY BOY!!!"

One out to go and Phillip Zarzour's 7-foot-2 "chip off the old block" would go down in baseball history...

[AZTarHeel]

The stadium announcer could barely be heard over the roar of the Phillies crowd: "Now batting for the Giants (Giants ... Giants ... Giants) — Ruben Rivera (Rivera ... Rivera ... Rivera).

The game had come full circle. Rivera was the first batter of the game — the only player that Zarzour had failed to keep off the bases until Bernie-Castro's error to start the ninth. Now he could be the last in a historic no-hitter by the tallest pitcher ever to play the game.

Zarzour, working from the stretch, got the sign from catcher Michael Barrett and fired the fastball of his life, aiming just a tad inside. The ball cut in just as Zarzour commanded but Rivera was on it. As more than 30,000 Phillies fans collectively held their breath, Rivera swung and the crack of bat-on-ball sounded like shotgun.

The ball flew past Zarzour like a missle right up the middle. Shortstop David Eckstein ranged over to his left and dove with all of his might to try and knock it down. He pounded his fist into the ground when he couldn't get to it.

Rivera's shot squirted safely into centerfield. No-hit bid over for Andrew Zarzour. He missed it by one out. One lousy out...

[AZTarHeel]

Fortunately, Zarzour remembered again the words of ol' coach Jimmy Watson about keeping your head up after a mistake.

Though deflated at losing his no-hit bid, Zarzour didn't lose the next batter. With runners on the corners and the Giants within a homer of getting back into the game, the Big Z ended things by luring Royce Clayton into a routine 6-4 out. Contest over. Phillies win 5-0.

As he trotted off the field — to an amazing ovation from the fans and plenty of high-fives from teammates — Zarzour was a mix of emotions. He had pitched the best game of his career thus far — a one-hit complete game with 13 strikeouts and only one walk — but he had lost a chance at some big time history right at the end.

Andrew's mom finally let go of the usher's arm and cried a little after everything died down. Andrew's dad was still as proud as ever and kept shouting, "That's my boy! That's my boy!"

As for Coach Jimmy Watson, well he was proud too, even talked to his wife after the game about getting back into Little League coaching ...

[orin2]

Aww man

[elmwood44]

Darn it!!!!!

[AZTarHeel]

First Baptist Church of Bunn
This Week’s Bulletin * Sunday, June 11, 2005

Order of Service
- Hymn #245
- Welcome from Pastor Billings
- Worship in song
- Offering
- Special Music from Norma Jean Raye
- Pastor’s message
- Congregational response
- Closing prayer from Brother Hayes

Please remember the following dear ones in prayer this week
- Mabel Grainger, who is having surgery this week in Raleigh
- Dean Wilder, whose father passed away last week in Laurinburg
- Timothy Zarzour, son of Phillip and Elizabeth Zarzour, who is serving our country with the Marines in Afghanistan
- The youth, who will be traveling to Vermont for their missions trip next week
- All our shut-ins and those in nursing homes...

[AZTarHeel]

Even before Andrew Zarzour began his professional baseball career, holding an All-Star Game party became tradition in the Zarzour household.

It began as a special cookout when the Zarzour kids were little, then developed into a neighborhood barbecue. By the time Andrew and Timmy were in high school, it seemed scores and scores of people made it a point of coming by the Zarzour farm on the night of the All-Star Game.

The men manned the grills. The ladies filled up the desert tables. When everyone had their fill, folks packed around the TV to watch the game (with the kids sometime playing their own games in the Zarzour‘s wide-open backyard).

In July 2005, though, the Zarzours regrettably announced that they wouldn’t be able to host their All-Star shindig as normal -- on account of the fact that they would BE AT THE GAME WATCHING THEIR SON!!!

Yes, for the first time in Andrew Zarzour’s MLB career, he has made the All-Star roster. He joins Phillies teammate Jon Ratliff (closer) on the National League team. The game will be played at Detroit’s Comerica Park.

Paul Lo Duca of the LA Dodgers, Zarzour’s former catcher, may get to catch him again as he also is on the NL All-Star team. Other former LA teammates include pitcher Demaso Marte, 1B Albert Puljols (now with the Giants -- why did they let him get away) and reliever Danny Graves. Josh Hamilton, now playing in Baltimore, made the AL All-Star roster…

[AZTarHeel]

Andrew Zarzour's parents definitely didn't regret missing their yearly All-Star party. The couple thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Detroit and were pleased to watch their son pitch the fifth inning for the National League. Big Z gave up one hit to Chipper Jones (Yankees) and then retired Gary Sheffield (Yankees), Marcus Giles (Royals) and Grady Sizemore (Red Sox) to end the frame. A nice all-star showing.

The NL All-Stars ended up losing the game 9-6. Boston's Nomar Garciaparra earned MVP honors after bashing two homers and finishing 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Josh Hamilton went 1-for-1 with an RBI in a reserve role.

As Zarzour and his parents enjoyed one last meal together in the Motor City, they talked with much excitement over the pennant race ahead of the Phillies in the closing months of the season. The Phils trailed the Braves in the NL East but were still within striking distance. They were right there in the mix for a wild card berth if that pursuit fell short...

[AZTarHeel]

wow, this thread just reached 10,000 views today ... thanks everyone for reading and keeping up with ol' Andrew... it's been a lot of fun to share this story here...

[AZTarHeel]

Winning eight out of the last 10 has the Phillies right in the thick of the pennant and playoff chase with a month and a half left in the season:

 National League Standings
Eastern Division
Team            	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Atlanta Braves  	76	42	.644	-	70-48	6	34-22	42-20	4-7	23-16	39	W6	7-3
Philadelphia Phillies	71	48	.597	5.5	67-52	4	34-28	37-20	8-6	26-13		L1	8-2
Washington Nationals	56	62	.475	20.0	58-60	-2	29-27	27-35	7-8	20-21		W1	5-5
New York (N) Mets	53	64	.453	22.5	50-67	3	24-35	29-29	7-5	22-17		W1	6-4
Florida Marlins 	50	67	.427	25.5	53-64	-3	27-32	23-35	7-5	12-17		L1	3-7
Central Division
Team            	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Houston Astros  	68	50	.576	-	70-48	-2	34-24	34-26	5-7	15-17	38	W4	6-4
St. Louis Cardinals	61	57	.517	7.0	63-55	-2	35-25	26-32	5-5	16-16		W4	8-2
Chicago (N) Cubs	61	58	.513	7.5	61-58	0	34-26	27-32	5-7	16-19		L5	3-7
Cincinnati Reds 	60	58	.508	8.0	59-59	1	33-30	27-28	11-5	16-19		W1	6-4
Pittsburgh Pirates	52	66	.441	16.0	54-64	-2	26-31	26-35	6-7	15-17		L3	4-6
Milwaukee Brewers	44	75	.370	24.5	48-71	-4	23-33	21-42	5-9	15-21		L1	3-7
Western Division
Team            	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Los Angeles Dodgers	66	51	.564	-	61-56	5	29-30	37-21	5-5	19-17	46	L1	5-5
San Francisco Giants	66	51	.564	-	64-53	2	37-21	29-30	5-9	17-22	46	L1	4-6
Arizona Diamondbacks	59	60	.496	8.0	59-60	0	29-30	30-30	8-3	17-17		L3	5-5
Colorado Rockies	59	60	.496	8.0	62-57	-3	35-28	24-32	8-8	21-19		W2	5-5
San Diego Padres	47	70	.402	19.0	52-65	-5	25-34	22-36	4-5	16-22		L3	3-7

[AZTarHeel]

Baseball America Web Special

August 16, 2005

Baseball America sat down with Phillies general manager Pat Gillick recently to talk about his team’s pennant pursuits. Here are highlights from the interview:

Baseball America: Thank you for your time, Mr. Gillick. You’ve built winners in Toronto and Baltimore so you have a great track record for that. But let’s be honest, when you took over this job did you expect to be in playoff contention so quickly with this bunch?

Pat Gillick: Well, things have been falling into place quite nicely for us. We’ve gone from 57 wins two years ago to having 71 already with a month and a half to play this year. The players have just really stepped up and bought in to what we are doing. We just hope we can keep this up for the rest of the year.

BA: Despite Philly’s success you took a lot of heat in late July when you traded away 3B Scott Rolen. Were you surprised at the backlash over that?

Gillick: Not really. What a lot of fans don’t realize though are the great measures we took in the preseason to get Scott locked up for a long, long time here. We felt our offers were generous but for whatever reason, he didn’t agree. Finally Scott and his agent told us they were done negotiating and that he was going to opt for the free agent market after this season.

Well, at that point, we had a choice to make. Keep someone around who really doesn’t want to be here -- and that was showing in his production (.212 average) -- and see if he can help us for a few months or try to deal him and get some future help. We just felt the change of scenery would be best for all. We wish him well in Tampa Bay.

BA: You have to feel good about what you got for Scott Rolen, right?

Gillick: Absolutely. I think we got better and we got younger. We got a catcher in Ryan Doumit who can help us right now. He and Michael Barrett make for a pretty mean tag team behind the plate. And we got a player your magazine considers one of the top five pitching prospects in professional baseball in Pedro Ruiz. I think we made out pretty good.

BA: So who are your team leaders now?

Gillick: I think David Eckstein has really stepped up for us. A lot of the young guys call him grandpa because he’s 30, which is ancient to the rookies. Haha. Seriously, they really look up to him. Catcher Michael Barrett is a tough leader type.

Andrew Zarzour is a quiet, confident leader on the mound for us. He’s really accepted what goes with being a No. 1 guy and has produced (14-7, 2.59 ERA so far). Closer Jon Ratliff is our fiery one and gives us some bite on the field. I really like this team a lot.

BA: The move to snap up CF Carlos Beltran before the season seems to be paying off

Gillick: There were a lot of people who thought he was done after last season‘s dreadful results in Minnesota. He batted just .195 with more than a hundred strikeouts. Again, another guy who we think just needed a change in scenery. We let him spend awhile in our farm system, rediscovering his stroke, and we think he can really help us down the stretch.

BA: Anybody still in your farm system we should keep an eye on over the next few years, or who maybe could help you this season?

Gillick: Where to begin. Again, you guys rank us with the second best minors system in baseball. You’re already seeing some of that fruit with pitcher Lee Plunkett (7-2) and 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.284) on the Big Club. Left fielder Adam Lind shows so much promise right now. He’s in Triple A. And of course I think you guys did a story on pitcher Chris George, who is carrying an 18-0 record in Triple A. It says a lot about our bullpen in Philly that we don’t yet have room for him on our staff.

BA: Thank you, Mr. Gillick, for your time.

Gillick: My pleasure. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of you guys in October…

[AZTarHeel]

More back problems for Zarzour

Latest injury will keep Phillies pitcher out 4-5 weeks

August 18, 2005

Philadelphia lost its number one pitcher for the next month, maybe more.

Andrew Zarzour, who missed much of last season with back problems, will be out four to five weeks with a herniated disc in his back. He suffered the injury during last night’s 5-3 loss to Washington.

Zarzour was pitching well in the game, giving up just two hits and no runs in 4.2 innings of work, with six strikeouts. But he had to leave the game with back tightness, and reliever Scott Baker couldn’t keep the lead.

Zarzour has been Philadelphia’s top pitcher this season with a 14-7 record and a 2.52 ERA. At least now, team doctors are optimistic Zarzour would be back in time for the post-season should Philadelphia make it.

The Phillies are 72-49, trailing the Braves by 6.5 games in the NL East but leading the LA Dodgers (!) by five games in the wildcard standings.

[AZTarHeel]

Even though Andrew Zarzour is out a few weeks, the pennant races in the National League bear watching. Here’s a look at the NL East and wildcard standings on Monday, Aug. 22, plus some notebook items:

NL East Standings

Team      	GB
Atlanta   	80-44	--
Philadelphia	74-51	6.5
NY Mets 	58-65	21.5
Washington	57-67	23.0
Florida 	52-71	27.5

Wildcard Standings

Team      	GB
Philadelphia	74-51	--
LA Dodgers	67-56	6.0
St. Louis	66-58	7.5
Cincinnati	65-59	8.5
Chicago Cubs	64-60	9.5

NOTES
* a 4-3 week for Philly … Chris George (18-0 in Triple A) has been promoted to the Big Club to take Zarzour‘s spot. George will take over the No. 5 spot in the rotation…

* Coming up this week: a three-game series against San Francisco, which leads the NL West by one game over the Dodgers … The week ends with a three-game set at Arizona …

[AZTarHeel]

NL East Standings

Team      	GB
Atlanta 	82-48	--
Philadelphia	76-55	6.5
NY Mets 	60-70	22
Washington	60-70	22
Florida 	54-76	28

Wildcard Standings

Team      	GB
Philadelphia	76-55	--
San Francisco	72-57	3.0
Cincinnati	71-59	4.5
Chicago Cubs	69-61	6.5
St. Louis	67-64	9.0

NOTES
* Philly gets swept by San Francisco to start the week but bounces back to take two of three from Arizona … still the wildcard race is tightening … LA now leads the NL West by a half game over San Francisco.

* The Reds win six in a row to climb back into the wildcard race as well …

* Manny Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians (he never moved to Boston in Zarzour‘s world) hit his 400th HR this week

* A HUGE injury for San Francisco -- the Giants lost SP Octavio Dotel, who was 18-6, for the rest of the season. Yikes … Opens the door for the Dodgers to take the NL West …

* Phillies SP Chris George (called up to fill Andrew Zarzour’s spot) lost a 5-4 battle with San Francisco in his first start. He was 18-0 in Triple A before the call-up…

* This week for the Phils: Road trips to New York and Washington … plus September call-ups!!

[AZTarHeel]

Looking good for the Phillies with just a few weeks left. Can't seem to catch the Braves, though...

NL East Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Atlanta 	85-52	--
Philadelphia	80-57	5.0
NY Mets 	63-73	21.5
Washington	63-74	22
Florida 	55-81	29.5

Wildcard Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Philadelphia	80-57	--
Cincinnati	75-62	5.0
San Francisco	73-62	6.0
Chicago Cubs	72-64	7.5
St. Louis	72-65	8.0

NOTES
* A solid week for Philly, winning both series against New York (2-1) and Washington (2-1) … The Phils are keeping pressure on Atlanta while keeping Cincy and San Fran at bay in the wildcard standings…

* All three NL divisions are still up for grabs. Houston leads Cincy by 0.5 games, while the surging Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Giants by 4.5 games. The Red Sox (3.5 games), Indians (5.5) and Rangers (5.5) hold slight leads in the American League… wow… nice way to finish the season with all these fierce pennant races…

* Andrew Zarzour still has about two weeks left on his injury time … His replacement, Chris George got a win this week, improving to 1-1. He threw a five-hitter over seven innings against Washington. Nice! Maybe we’ll do the Chris George dynasty if Zarzour ever suffers a CEI. He’s also a big lefty…

* This week -- a big series with Houston, followed by three against the lowly (hopefully) Marlins …

[AZTarHeel]

An exciting finish on deck for National League clubs. Here are the teams that are still contenders:

NL East Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Atlanta 	87-56	--
Philadelphia	83-60	4.0

NL Central Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Houston 	78-64	--
Cincinnati	78-65	0.5
St. Louis	77-67	2.0
Chicago 	74-69	4.5

NL West Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Los Angeles	82-60	--
San Francisco	77-65	5.0

Wildcard Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Philadelphia	83-60	--
Cincinnati	78-65	5.0
San Francisco	77-65	5.5
St. Louis	77-67	6.5
Chicago 	74-69	9.0

NOTES
* The Phils top Houston in two out of three but then lose two of three to the Marlins … There is still a chance to win the division, though. And there is a chance to choke as well … Lots of teams still in the playoff hunt with three full weeks to go …

* Andrew Zarzour could pitch at the end of this upcoming week… keep your fingers crossed … His back is feeling much better...

* Philly really hasn’t called up too many people because Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (not sure if they were really affiliated with Philly in 2005) is contending for a Triple A championship…

* Aaron Boone of the Rangers had six hits in a game against the Twins… Nice

* A huge four-game series at home against Atlanta will start the week, then three at Florida, then three more in Atlanta … If the Braves are to be caught, Philly needs to make a move over the next 10 days … hang on tight, folks…

[AZTarHeel]

Philadelphia is making a hard push for the division with 12 games left. Things still aren't completely comfortable in the wildcard standings...

NL East Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Atlanta 	89-61	--
Philadelphia	87-63	2.0 (!)

NL Central Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Houston 	83-66	--
Cincinnati	82-67	1.0
Chicago 	79-71	4.5
St. Louis	79-72	5.0

NL West Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Los Angeles	89-60	--
San Francisco	77-72	12.0

Wildcard Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Philadelphia	87-63	-- 
Cincinnati	82-67	4.5
Chicago 	79-71	8.0
St. Louis	79-72	8.5
San Francisco	77-72	9.5

NOTES
* Philly splits with Atlanta (2-2) but beats Florida 2-1 in a three-game set. Because Atlanta got swept by the Mets in four games, Philadelphia has pulled to within two games! Wow…

* Andrew Zarzour comes back from injury and gets a win (his 15th of the season) against Florida… A nice outing for him -- eight innings, six hits, one earned run … welcome back, Big Z! Get some ice on that back, will ya?

* Los Angeles has slammed the door on the NL West. The Dodgers have won seven in a row and are 14-2 in September. Beware the defending World Series champs. The Giants, meanwhile, have tanked. They are 4-13 in September…

* This week -- three games in Atlanta and three at Cincinnati. Another big stretch for the Phillies…

[AZTarHeel]

NL East and NL Central still up for grabs with a week left in the regular season:

NL East Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Atlanta 	93-63	--
Philadelphia	90-66	3.0

NL Central Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Houston 	87-69	--
Cincinnati	85-70	1.5
Chicago 	81-75	6.0
St. Louis	81-76	6.5

NL West Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Los Angeles	92-63	--
San Francisco	80-75	12.0

Wildcard Standings

Team		W-L	GB
Philadelphia	90-66	-- 
Cincinnati	85-70	4.5
Chicago 	81-75	9.0
St. Louis	81-76	9.5
San Francisco	80-75	9.5

NOTES
* The Phillies went 1-2 against the Braves during the first part of the week, winning game three of the crucial series. Andrew Zarzour got the victory for the Phils, making a statement with a three-hit whitewash of Atlanta to improve his record to 16-7.

* Philly keeps Cincinnati at arms length in the wildcard chase by winning two of three during the latter part of the week.

* With six games to go in the regular season, the Phillies have almost locked up a playoff berth. They can still win the division but that’s going to be a tough order. The rest of the schedule features three against the Mets and three against the Nationals…