Philadelphia Phillies Ready to Become “Philly’s Team”

No matter what, the Eagles will always be Philadelphia’s most beloved team.

The Flyers’ following is as strong as any other hockey team’s, but the Eagles dominate the local sports scene. On Sunday’s during the fall, the Eagles are on, and a victory from the Birds is the most meaningful outcome to nearly every fan within the city and it’s suburbs.

But for the next decade, there could be a new sheriff in town.

After a World Series title last season, the Phillies’ fan base was a strong as ever. But as the current season progresses, more and more of Philadelphia is falling in love with it’s baseball team.

The Phils currently have the second highest attendance percentage (percentage of capacity filled) in the major leagues, trailing only the Boston Red Sox.

Citizens Bank Park is rapidly becoming one of the single most lively and exciting parks in the country to watch a baseball game. The crowd is as into the game as any, and the team is flat out talented.

What brings fans even closer to their champions is the attitude given off by the Phillies. The 1993 National League Champion Phillies were a wild bunch, consisting of numerous characters

The Phillies of 2009 closely resemble that team.

There’s the clubhouse leader as Chase Utley, the energetic but likeable guy as Shane Victorino, the veteran figure as Jimmy Rollins, the new guy everyone admires as Raul Ibanez, and the rest. The overall team just gels so well together.

Rarely will you find too much complacency in the clubhouse. Everyone is each other’s buddy. More importantly, everyone is the manager’s buddy.

Charlie Manuel, the popular manager of the Phillies, was mocked by the majority of fans because of his awkward southern accent in his first year as manager, and even into his second season. But since, he has become an icon teetering on the verge of becoming a legend.

The players have always loved Manuel, mostly because they can trust him. He knows baseball, and he understands that throwing players under the bus isn’t the way to manage a team.

He has two simple rules: be on time, and play hard. That’s all he asks for.

Charlie Manuel is Philadelphia, and so is his team.

The Eagles continue to reign supreme as the fan favorite in the city, and that will continue for many years to come. But the current Phillies team has the ability to steal away the hearts of many fans over the next 5-10 years.

Philly fans love winners, especially those who have a personality. The Phillies are just that—winners with a personality.

But the relationship doesn’t extend solely from the fans to the players. The players admire the fans equally.

Many of the Phillies received their first World Series ring in ’08, and the love and affection shown by the fans ever since has been well recognized and thanked by the players.

There’s just an unbreakable connection between the two.

The fans can’t find much wrong to say about the Phillies, and the Phillies can’t find much wrong to say about the fans.

No one will ever knock off the three superpower fan bases in baseball—Chicago, Boston, and New York (for the Yankees)—as having the most love and desire to win for their team, but Philadelphia is making their case to be among the best fans in the league.

The days of the half-empty Veterans Stadium are long gone. Philadelphia has truly become a powerful baseball city.

Phils Should Pass On Halladay and Bolster The Bullpen

The Phils fell to the Cubbies this afternoon and two worrisome roster spots reared their heads again in the 10-5 loss—Chad Durbin and Brad Lidge.

It’s hard to panic after the Phillies just reeled off 10-straight wins, but neither Durbin or Lidge were particularly sharp during the stretch.

Sure, Lidge wracked up four saves over that 10-game stretch, but he still doesn’t look like the Lidge of 2008. He’s become hittable, and opposing hitters are laying off his slider more and more, licking their chops at a fastball Lidge seems hesitant to throw with any sort of authority.

Durbin continues to struggle as he did most of the second half last season. He walks too many batters and seems to wilt under pressure. He thrives in games where the outcome is in hand, like Tuesday’s 10-1 pounding of the Cubs.

This all may seem nit-picky, especially when it comes to a guy like Dubrin who doesn’t seem to have a solid role in the pen, but it was a deep bullpen that help the Phils win the Series last season, and this year’s version has some weak links.

What I propose is that the Phils back off Roy Halladay and pursue the pieces that will sure up what could be an outstanding relief corps.

Pitchers like Arizona’s Chad Qualls or Toronto’s Jason Frasor would be excellent additions and wouldn’t cost the team the slew of minor league studs a Halladay or Cliff Lee would. Both Qualls and Frasor have closing experience in case Lidge’s stuff doesn’t return, allowing Ryan Madson to maintain his more familiar role as the set-up man.

Again, if the Phillies acquired Halladay I would be ecstatic too, but I feel this team is real close to being the team-to-beat as is, and a couple of tweaks here and there in the bullpen would be a cheaper (in cash and prospects) means to get closer to back-to-back championships.

From Ruly Carpenter to Pat Gillick: Phillies Climb to the Top

In 1979, Philadelphia Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter signed free agent Pete Rose to a four-year, $3.2 million contract.

The signing would pay huge dividends as the Phillies swept their way to their first World Series title in 1980, beating the Kansas City Royals. Sure Rose had plenty of swagger, but his winning attitude convinced Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt that “Herbie,” as he called him, was a superstar.

Carpenter, disillusioned by free agency and rising salaries, sold the team in 1982 to a group headed by Bill Giles.

The Phillies would go to the World Series in 1983 and 1993, both losing efforts, to Baltimore and Toronto, respectively.

In between, there was a lot of losing. I had a 12-game plan at Veterans Stadium in 1986, when the Phillies finished 86-75 in second place in the National League East. A mirage for sure.

There was a series of bad managers: John Felske, Lee Elia, Nick Leyva, and yes, Terry Francona, who fashioned a 285-363 record from 1997 to 2000.

The hiring of Larry Bowa and the free agent signings of Billy Wagner and Jim Thome brought excitement back to the city, but Bowa could not deliver and was fired shortly before the end of the 2004 season.

When Charlie Manuel came to town in 2005, he seemed like a country bumpkin, a personal caddy for slugging first baseman Jim Thome. Thome was shipped out of town after the 2005 season to make way for upcoming slugger Ryan Howard.

When Pat Gillick was hired as general manager in 2006, things started to happen. Home-grown talents Chase Utley, Howard, Cole Hamels, Carlos Ruiz, and Jimmy Rollins started to flourish.

Rollins, in particular, after a second-place finish in 2006, predicted that the Phillies were the “team to beat” in the upcoming 2007 season. The impossible happened and the Phillies won the National League East on the last day of the season.

Gillick brought in Shane Victorino through Rule 5; acquired free agents Jayson Werth and Greg Dobbs; and traded for Pedro Feliz, Joe Blanton, Matt Stairs, and Brad Lidge.

Gillick is now a special consultant to the Phillies as Ruben Amaro has taken over as GM.

I know the Phillies’ story has been hashed and rehashed, but my good B/R friend Richard Marsh is retelling his life as a New York Mets fan, and years, and years, and years of frustration.

It is funny how a baseball franchise can flourish or fall.

The Pirates, Padres, and Marlins have been classic sellers of talent. Remember the skinny Barry Bonds when he played in Pittsburgh?

But teams like the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, among others, strive to reach the ultimate goal with various successes and failures each season.

This Phillies’ 10-game winning streak (which ended with a 10-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs Wednesday) was a heady time for me as a Phillies fan.

I overheard two Spanish-speaking men at work talk in their native tongue and only found out when that they were talking about baseball when I heard them mention “The Los Angeles Dodgers.”

“The Phillies are en fuego,” I commented, repeating a Spanish saying a friend texted me to mean the team is on fire.

They just smiled and nodded.

“San Francisco,” I said.

Oh, yes, they nodded.

It made me realize that there are other teams contending for the 2009 World Series championship. And it is not to mention the American League team, headed by the Boston Red Sox.

I also realized I was lucky to be a Phillies fan, where the World Series conversation is still current.

Sorry Cubbies fans. Your day will come and then you can tell your story.

Should the Philadelphia Phillies Sell the Farm To Acquire Roy Halladay?

Last year, the Phillies were one of the top suitors for C.C. Sabathia. All the fans were saying that he was the missing piece to the puzzle. Rightfully so, he was the best pitcher available at the time.

Philadelphia didn’t win the sweepstakes, and Sabathia went to Milwaukee. The Phils had to settle for Joe Blanton.

Well, we all know how that turned out.

The Phillies, with Blanton, went on to win the World Series, giving the Brewers the boot in the first round of the playoffs.

Which brings me to the topic at hand this year: Roy Halladay.

The Toronto Blue Jays admitted that they were going to listen to offers for him. That happened on July 7. It has been 15 days since that became public knowledge, and every hour brought a new team into the mix.

But from the get-go, the Phillies were deemed the favorite.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated says the Phils and Jays have already talked about prospects Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Michael Taylor. But that Kyle Drabek might be the key to the trade.

And yesterday, Heyman reported that the Phils have decided not to trade Drabek in a four-player package for Halladay.

At first glance, it wasn’t good news. It left many fans thinking that maybe it’s not going to happen. But that’s not the case, because for the first time in a very long time, the Phillies have a farm system.

Imagine that.

A few years ago, they couldn’t make any big deals even if they wanted to, thanks to a subpar farm system.

That has changed, and their farm system has depth, unlike before. Instead of having just a few top prospects, the Phils have a lot of talent that other teams want.

The Phillies beat writer for MLB.com Todd Zolecki wrote in his blog yesterday that it doesn’t mean the Phils are out of the Halladay race.

So Drabek is an “untouchable” as of right now. But what about Dominic Brown? Jason Knapp? Or Taylor?

Are any of those three untouchables as well?

If the Phillies want Halladay, which they do, they will have to bite the bullet and endure the pain that it will take to acquire him. That means that Brown or Taylor will have to be in the package, and Knapp may have to be in it as well.

Another topic of talk has been whether J.A. Happ should be in a package for Doc.

Happ has been the Phils’ most consistent pitcher this year; that’s been duly noted. At 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA, Happ is a strong candidate for N.L. Rookie of the Year.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He’s not an ace or even a No. 2 pitcher as well.

At best, Happ is a No. 3 pitcher.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy just as much as everyone else. He has some potential, and couls be a decent pitcher for the Phils over the years if he is not traded.

But at the same time, he’s getting overrated by a lot of the fans.

For instance, Andrew Sexton believes that he should be an “untouchable.”

Actually, Mr. Sexton thinks he has been better than Halladay. While I respect his opinion, I think he’s flat out wrong.

In his piece, Sexton says that Happ has been better than Halladay because of his 2.68 ERA to Doc’s 2.73 ERA, and that Happ is 7-0.

There are several things wrong with that theory.

First off, Happ faces fairly less opposition each time out there while Halladay faces the league’s top offensive talent most of the time. Toronto plays in the very strong A.L. East while the Phils play in the very weak N.L. East.

Halladay faces the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox a lot over a span of the season. New York ranks first in the league with 512 runs, Tampa ranks third with 498 runs, and Boston ranks sixth with 477 runs scored.

Eleven of the top 15 offensive teams in the Majors are in the American League, which means that the chances of Halladay having to face one of them are great.

Happ faces a much less talented National League, with only four teams of the top 15 in runs scored.

Guess what?  He’s on one of these four.

That means that the chances of him facing one of the better offenses are slim to none because those three other teams aren’t in his division.

For Halladay to have a 2.73 ERA in the American League—more importantly, the A.L. East—is pretty damn impressive. It’s more impressive than Happ having a 2.68 ERA in a very weak National League.

Happ is the only pitcher in the Majors that has at least 80 innings pitched with an undefeated record, winning seven games to none.

But look at the team he plays for, that’s the biggest reason he is 7-0. The Phillies are the defending champions with one of the most prolific offenses in team history.

And look at the Blue Jays, who are a decent team but aren’t a playoff team in the American League.

But why are we really discussing Halladay and Happ on the same level?

Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball, and that’s the consensus around the league. Happ is a nice young pitcher, but is a mid rotation starter and that’s also the feeling around his league.

It’s not a debate.  Happ isn’t on the same level as Halladay.

Should the Phillies gut the farm to acquire Halladay? My answer to that question is:  absolutely.

The Phils don’t need him to win the division—it’s all but won as it is right now. They don’t need him to have a decent chance at repeating as World Champions.

But they do need him.

Philadelphia’s starting pitching ranks 24th in the Majors with a 4.73 ERA, and 12th in the National League. While it has been a lot better of late, it still needs another top of the rotation arm.

Their ace from last year hasn’t been the same pitcher that went 5-0 in the postseason last October. Cole Hamels has had a struggle for a 2009 season, going 5-5 with a 4.72 ERA.

The team needs an ace and, more importantly, someone to complement Hamels.

Happ isn’t the guy; Doc Halladay is.

Sabathia’s trade last year was a rental for Milwaukee; they knew that when they made the trade. However, trading for Halladay isn’t a rental.

Doc is under contract through 2010, when he is due to make $15.25 million after making $14.25 million this year. But money isn’t an issue, as Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has pointed out.

Amaro has said they have financial flexibility, and with the track record of the organization, it’s hard to believe they are willing to add another big contract to the team that has a payroll upwards of $130 million.

Halladay has a no-trade clause, but it’s believed that he would waive it to go to the Phillies because he wants to win at this point in his career.

The only roadblock to getting a deal done is whether or not the Phillies want to give up one or two of their top prospects.

I say go for it.

Who knows what Drabek, Knapp, Taylor, or Brown will turn out to be? They could be All-Stars or they could be busts.

Halladay has won a Cy Young award in his career, made the All-Star team many times, and is still the best pitcher in the league at the age of 32.

There are nine days until the MLB trade deadline, and six days until the “Roy Halladay Trade Deadline” that Toronto’s GM J.P. Ricciardi has set.

So…will Halladay be traded to the Phillies, or even at all?

Only time will tell, but the Phils should make the trade without thinking about it.

Signing Milton Bradley over Raul Ibanez Was a Game Cubs Never Should Have Played

In the offseason free agent market, there were two teams with great interest in right fielder Raul Ibanez. Today one team is thankful for acquiring the veteran, and the other wishes they had him.

The Phillies signed Ibanez to a deal, and the Chicago Cubs were forced to find another option—so they made the decision that was supposed to help out more and signed Milton Bradley.

It has not gone exactly to plan for the Cubbies, as Bradley has had a rough season on the field, on the bench, and at the plate.

Bradley was thought to give the offense a lift for a team that many felt could make a run at the National League pennant and possibly the World Series (myself not included in either category). To date Bradley is hitting a woeful .238 (.201 against right-handed pitching) with just 29 runs scored and 21 runs batted in.

Pouring salt on the wounds of the Chicago faithful, Ibanez has had such a successful season so far that he earned his first career All-Star berth and went as a starter.

Ibanez is hitting .310 (.311 against right-handed pitching) with 58 runs scored, 68 runs batted in, and a team-leading 25 home runs. Let me repeat that last part: team-leading 25 home runs on a team that has Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Former manager for Ibanez and current Cubs skipper Lou Piniella is a fan of Ibanez:

“‘He can hit. He’s a very professional, productive hitter,’ Piniella said. ‘And he’s doing it. This is a nice ballpark for him, but you’ve still got to hit, and he’s hit. He’s having an MVP-type season for the Phillies right now.'”—Chicago Sun-Times

Unfortunately for the Cubs, they made the decision to walk away from Ibanez in the free agent season due to his age:

“The Cubs didn’t get far down the road with Ibanez in the offseason. They hesitated over his age for a multi-year deal (Ibanez turned 37 last month) and whether the left fielder could handle right field at Wrigley Field.”—Chicago Sun-Times

What turned out to be a lost opportunity for the Cubs, and countless other teams, has been a blessing for the Phillies. Ibanez replaced local favorite Pat Burrell in right field, and many Phillies fans had the same concerns the Cubs had with Ibanez: age.

Throw in the fact that Burrell signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for considerably less than Ibanez, and Phillies fans were initially asking what the point was.

Ibanez has more than won over the fans. Asked for his thoughts on the possibility that he could have been with the Cubs, Ibanez confirms he made the right decision.

”I’m just happy to be a Phillie,” he said.

And Phillies fans are happy he is in Philadelphia instead of Chicago.

Phillies’ Ibanez still has what Cubs want—Chicago Sun-Times

It’s a Good Time to Be a Phils Fan

Not long ago, the Phillies became the first team in the history of North American sports to be on the wrong end of game 10,000 times. Sure seems like distant history now.

On the heels of a Jayson Werth walk-off home run, the Phils extended their win streak to 10 straight games. They sit a lofty 6.5 games up on their nearest competition, the Atlanta Braves, and their lead over their supposed foremost competition coming into the season, the Mets, is as long as their win streak.

While the calendar has yet to turn to August, the Phillies are certainly in a prime position to capture their third straight NL East title.

Management is aware of the position they find themselves in. Roy Halladay has been dancing inside the minds of Phillies fans for the past several weeks. Visions of trotting out Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay in a playoff series has much of the Philadelphia area thinking repeat.

Even better, the Phils are in a unique position to both have the minor league arsenal to meet the demands of the Blue Jays, and take on the ace’s salary for the next year and a half.

The Phils are in a position to take on additional salary to an already franchise high payroll because those turnstiles at Citizens Bank Park won’t stop turning. Nobody in baseball has bought more fans to the ballpark then the Fightins.

In what seems like a blink of an eye, the Phils transformed from eternal laughingstock, to major league powerhouse. This Philadelphia franchise is now firmly entrenched in the upper echelon of major league teams. They have joined the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Dodgers as the pillars of this suddenly surging league.

Upper management has much to do with the brand revival. From the job of the GM, the scout team, the marketing department, and the sales and promotional managers, the Phillies are elite. Away games are now littered with red pinstripes.

Home games are now no longer occupied by Eagles fans watching Phillies games. The town has been painted red.

Simply put, there may be no better time than right now to be a Phillies fan.

From top to bottom, a franchise notorious for their frugality and scrupulous approach, has become a beacon of light from which other bottom-dweller franchises can take their cue. 

Yes, the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, and Charlie Manuel certainly make it easy to see why they are in such a fortuitous position. But after their miraculous division comeback in 2007, this team seemed poised to make their mark in the playoffs.

However, like many a team past, they faltered, losing three consecutive games at the hands of the Colorado Rockies.

Since that NLDS ousting, the franchise has grown in leaps and bounds and now sit in a perfect position to contend for a third World Series ring.

To be a Phillies fan over the past quarter century has certainly taken some years off of many peoples’ lives. But their is no more Wild Thing, no more Scott Rolen, and no more Larry Bowa.

Gone are the days of that constant hollow feeling. The feeling that pierced the heart, that awakened you at night—that constant reminder that ultimately, the Phils will fail.

Right now there is hope. Right now there is opportunity.

Right now there is optimism, talent, and a chance to be unforgettable.

Why the Philadelphia Phillies Don’t Need Roy Halladay

A small point to illustrate what it’s like to be Philly fan:

In the past couple of weeks in the NL East, the Phillies have put it all together to rattle off a 10-game winning streak, their longest in 18 years. As I write this, they have a lead of 6.5 games in the NL East, where the three other “contenders” (Atlanta, Florida, and New York) seem incapable of getting over .500. That’s the second-largest lead in MLB for a division, behind only the Dodgers’ nine-game bulge in the NL West, and the push has given them the second-best record in the NL.

The offense is hitting on all cylinders with Jimmy Rollins having his usual second-half surge, and all three outfielders (Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jayson Werth) performing at second-tier All-Star levels. Even marginal offensive players like Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz are coming through with occasional utility. Combine this with health for the right side of the infield (Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have been disturbingly brittle over the past few years), and the fact that they are a fairly good defensive team, and you’ve got what might be the best roster of everyday players in the league. (If they aren’t, it’s only because L.A. is, but it’s close.)

The starting pitching has been buttressed by a solid start to what should be a long career for J.A. Happ, a hot streak from Joe Blanton, and the fact that Jamie Moyer is always more effective in the middle of a season, when guys are really not prepared to hit 75 mph pitches.

Hot teams always fall into a bit of luck as well, and for the Phillies, it’s the found money of vagabond Rodrigo Lopez, who is making the Pedro Martinez signing look like more luxury than necessity. So even the “Hangover Year” from Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge has been more nuisance than problem, so long as they pull it together in the late going, and both seem to be. Even the bullpen looks good now, with Chan Ho Park providing his first useful year ever in a hitter’s park, and the set-up men rounding into shape. Even if someone burns out down there, there’s good news, in that injured starter Brett Myers should return in August to give them another plus arm in the late innings.

We’re also talking about, well, the defending World Series champions, which really should count for something when it comes to Fan Happiness and Confidence. They play in a nice new ballpark. Their most bitter rivals (the Mets) are in an injury soaked ruin that has given full spotlight to the failures of the organization. The team that frustrated them for a decade (Atlanta) can’t match up with them for everyday talent. The last contender (Florida) has had its own injuries to contend with, and given that it’s Florida, should be selling off players to the highest bidder any minute now.

The farm system has more than a couple of properties (Kyle Drabek being the best-known name) that should provide value soon. They are in an MLB+ market where the home-grown talent hasn’t had to have been sold to the tyrants of the AL East. If a Yankee or Red Sox fan had even a third of these reasons to be happy (especially the series championship and the domination of their rival), they’d be beyond insufferable with the smugness of it all.

And Philly fans? Well, they worry that the winning streak is going to cost them Roy Halladay, because the team will get fooled into thinking it won’t need him, when it does.

No, seriously.

There is every possibility that Halladay is this year’s CC Sabathia—an AL pitcher that comes to the NL in midseason to become the best starter in the lesser circuit. But there’s also the possibility that he’s a rich man’s Tim Hudson, which is to say a guy that’s good, but not quite as good once you get him out of his quirky home park. There doesn’t have to be a 2008 Sabathia in 2009; there really doesn’t.

There’s also this: You won’t find CC’s name on the World Series championship roster for last year. As a matter of fact, this team—with most of the people being that Philly fan who is willing to do anything to get Halladay—beat him.

And, um, even if you do somehow pry Halladay away from the Jays for pieces that you aren’t currently using to have the second-best record in the NL, who do you demote to give him starts? Happ is the future of the rotation, and good right now. Blanton is on the best streak of his NL life right now. Moyer might be the most popular player on the team, and he might make everyone else in the rotation better by the change of pace; he’s also been winning consistently for months now. Hamels is the staff ace, and Lopez, while fungible, has given you no reason to bounce him.

There might not even be room for Martinez at the bottom of the rotation, let alone Halladay at the top, and that’s not even getting into the issues that a new huge salary brings.

I get why Philly fan are concerned; the playoffs are won by dominant starting pitching, not mere competence. But 4/5 of this rotation won it all last year, and the other parts of the club are far from broken. Besides, the playoffs are a crapshoot; they are won by teams that get home runs from AL pitchers (Blanton, last year), sudden crappiness by opponents under pressure (Chad Billingsley, last year), or other assorted foolishness. Blowing up your roster to be marginally better in a matchup is a recipe for long-term disaster.

Who needs Halladay? Teams that are chasing—but in the division, it’s not pitching that’s causing the rest of the NL East to fail, it’s injuries to their top everyday players. Halladay might make a huge difference in the Central, where the only team with a truly settled rotation is the punch-less Cubs; if he goes to St. Louis, the NL will have a third clear power team so long as Cris Carpenter stays healthy. If the Rockies somehow got him, and he didn’t implode in the Denver air, that’s your locked-up wild-card team, and a dangerous team to draw in the first round.

But the Phillies don’t need Halladay to win the division, and they don’t need him to have more than a fair chance at defending their championship. They also really don’t need him in 2010, when a cheaper Drabek and other farm arms will give them much more affordable insurance against age and injury.

So enough with the fever dreams, Philly fans, and your season-long concern about the rotation. The switch has been flicked, the division should be yours, and life is very, very good for you right now.

I know it’s an unfamiliar feeling, but act like you’ve been here before. Because, well, you have.

http://fivetooltool.blogspot.com – The Sports Blog That Loves You Back!

 

As Jimmy Rollins Rolls, So Roll…The New York Mets?

It’s been written, ad nauseam, that there are numerous injuries affecting the New York Mets in 2009.

The list is an impressive one, with three superstars, two good relievers, a No. 3 starter, and various role players all seeing extensive time on the disabled list. The result has been a lineup that looks like it should be playing for the Brooklyn Cyclones, with one quality player (David Wright) currently batting cleanup.

While Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran have both proved to be huge losses for the Mets, it has been proven over the past few seasons that the most important Met is the shortstop who ignites the offense and can change the complexion of a game without getting a hit.

Yes, it’s true—as Jose Reyes goes, so goes the New York Mets’ offense.

However, he’s not the shortstop who holds the key to the Mets’ playoff hopes.

That would be Jimmy Rollins.

It started prior to the 2007 season, when Rollins prodded the Mets by claiming the Phillies were the team to beat during spring training.

Rollins would back it up with a monster season, leading the Phillies to the division crown (with a little help from a monumental Mets collapse) on his way to winning the NL MVP award.

In 2008, Rollins again made a preseason prediction, claiming the Phillies would win 100 games.

Despite a dip in production, Rollins again was correct, if you count the playoffs and World Series.

So this season, with the Phillies as defending world champions, the Mets desperate to not have a third straight late season collapse, and improved teams in Florida and Atlanta, the NL East looked like it would be the most competitive in the entire sport.

That’s not exactly how it turned out. The Marlins started off hot but then cooled off considerably. Atlanta has had very little offense all season. The Mets, even when healthy, were inconsistent and sloppy.

The Phillies, while holding on to the division lead for most of the first half, seemingly tried to give away the division every chance they got, only to find no takers.

As the Phils’ poor play kept the rest of the division’s hopes up, including the Mets, Rollins was suffering through one of the worst slumps of his career.

Rollins’ first half performance was dismal. He just seven home runs while driving in 34 runs. His batting average was at .229, including only .167 during the month of June, and his on-base percentage was so low at .287 that Charlie Manuel was forced to remove Rollins from his customary spot atop Philadelphia’s lineup.

In the month of July, however, Rollins’ production has picked up, and not coincidentally, so has the Phillies’ play.

Philadelphia has played much better baseball, winning 13 of their last 14 games and increasing their lead to six-and-a-half games over second place Atlanta (nine games ahead of the Mets).

Rollins has been on a tear, batting .375 with nine RBI, 14 runs scored, and a .461 on-base percentage during the past month. His production has continued since the All-Star break, having scored four runs in four games while batting .368.

Rollins’ numbers for the season are still unimpressive (.236 average, .290 on-base percentage), but his play the past month has helped Philly finally take control of the division. If he continues to play at a high level, no one may catch the Phillies.

So while most Mets fans continue to wait for the return of their shortstop Reyes, hoping his return may help save their season, they need to look at his counterpart down the Turnpike and hope that his return doesn’t put the final nail in the Mets’ coffin.

Because as we’ve seen, as Jimmy Rollins goes, so go the Phillies…and the Mets’ playoff chances.

Preview Game 92: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs

The Philadelphia Phillies have beat the Chicago Cubs in a pounding and on a walk off. What will they have in store this afternoon?

A day after a pitcher’s duel between former teammates, there will be quite a contrast in pitching styles today as the Cubs and Phillies wrap up a three-game set in Philadelphia. Jamie Moyer will go for his team leading 10th win of the season. His opposition will be the feisty and powerful Carlos Zambrano.

Moyer has won in five-straight starts and has dropped his earned run average in the process. In his last start, Moyer threw seven innings of one-hit ball against the Marlins in the first game after the All-Star break.

Moyer has lowered his ERA by almost 0.50 in the last month. He will have to keep the Cubs’ batters off their game, as Joe Blanton and Rodrigo Lopez have done in the previous two games.

Moyer is 3-0 against the team that drafted him.

The Cubs have scored just two runs in this road series and this afternoon they will look for Zambrano to put a stop to the Phillies’ offense. Zambrano has won in his last two starts, but has failed to pitch more than six innings in each.

In seven career starts, Zambrano is 3-3 against the Phillies with a 3.38 ERA and has allowed only two home runs. The power righty has struck out 88 batters this year, but has also walked 47.

The Phillies finally jumped over .500 at home with last night’s extra inning win. The Phillies are now 24-23 at Citizens Bank Park and have won seven-straight at home. The Cubs are 20-27 on the road.

Phillies’ Record: 53-38
Cubs’ Record: 47-45

NL East Standings (Team, record, games behind)

1. PHILLIES 53-38, –
2. Braves 48-46, 6.5
3. Marlins 48-47, 7.0
4. Mets 44-49, 10.0
5. Nationals 27-66, 27.0

Pitching probables: Moyer (9-6, 5.58 ERA) vs. Zambrano (6-4, 3.36 ERA)

TV: Comcast Sportsnet (Philadelphia)

First pitch: 1:05pm

Season Series: Phillies lead 2-0

7.20 CHICAGO CUBS W 10-1 Preview/Open Thread/Recap
7.21 CHICAGO CUBS W 4-1 (12) Preview/Open Thread/Recap

Open thread for the game will be posted at 12:30pm. Depending on the length of the game there may not be a game recap. I am once again packing my bags and heading away for a few days, this time a camping expedition. As such regular blogging activity will be a little out of whack over the next few days.

Phillies-Cubs: Werth Staying Up For, Phillies Win 10th Straight

You want dramatic? How about a pitchers’ duel between a pair of former teammates who were dealt at the trade deadline last season and a walk-off home run by an All-Star outfielder who had been struggling at the plate in the 13th inning?

That is exactly how last night’s Cubs-Phillies game turned out.

Jayson Werth hit a three-run home run off of Cubs reliever Jeff Samardzija in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Phillies a walk-off 4-1 victory.

Joe Blanton battled against his former teammate in Oakland, Rich Harden, for seven strong innings and allowed just one run on five hits and struck out five batters.

The Phillies bullpen also got the job done, going six innings without yielding a base hit or issuing a walk. Chan Ho Park pitched three of those innings and picked up five strikeouts. Ryan Madson pitched the eighth inning, and Brad Lidge pitched the ninth inning.

Lidge was involved in the play of the night when with a runner on first, a ball was hit back up the middle. Lidge kicked it up and it fell in the glove of Jimmy Rollins, who was on second base, and he relayed to first for an inning-ending double play. When your team is hot, bounces like that go your way. Clay Condrey picked up the win.

Rollins put the Phillies on the board in the third inning with a solo home run. The Cubs got the run back in the top of the fourth when Kosuke Fukudome doubled to left field to score Ryan Theriot with two outs. That would be all of the scoring until the 13th inning.

With two outs, Ryan Howard drew a walk on four pitches. Raul Ibanez then forced a walk after working a full count on Samardzija. With the winning run on second base, Werth stepped up trying to find a way to drive Howard home. He did just that on a 1-1 count, smacking a home run to left field to send the Phillies fans home happy.

The win is the 10th straight for the Phillies, the first time since 1991 that they have had such a streak. Coupled with the Atlanta Braves’ victory, Philadelphia’s lead in the NL East remains 6½  games.

 

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