Philadelphia Phillies’ 10 Item Checklist to Take NL East Lead
June 30, 2010 by Gary Suess
Filed under Fan News
The Philadelphia Phillies began 2010 with lofty goals. Their first objective was to secure a fourth consecutive NL Eastern Division crown.
Now that the Philadelphia Phillies have finished interleague play and turned their attention back to the National League, they find themselves behind both the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets in the NL East.
They currently sit 2.5 games behind the Braves, who turned a disappointing April into a promising season, and a game behind the Mets.
After a strong start and enviable lead in May, the Phillies fell upon hard times while their two rivals caught fire. The result has been a slide from a comfortable lead to a middle-of-the-pack chase position.
Although this is not where they hoped to be as June heads to a close, the Phillies surely are within striking distance.
Since it appears that the Braves and Mets will not fade, securing another division title will most likely require the Phillies to improve in several areas.
In other words, nobody is going to hand them the division; they will need to take it.
In order to make that happen, many, if not all, of the following 10 things need to happen over the balance of the year.