Where Should Jimmy Rollins Bat in the Phillies Lineup?

Hello, Phillies fans!

All the attention to the Big Three or H2O, let’s not forget about our hitting as well. While the pitching is the new toy, the Phillies were originally built behind great hitting of Chase, Ryan, and Jimmy and later on with the addition of Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth. Without these guys, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt would be pitching elsewhere. Remember that the Phillies did win a World Series without Halladay and Oswalt so don’t sell our hitting short.

Also, don’t forget this guy named Joe Blanton who won the 2008 World Series Game 4 with not only his arm but his bat (remember the home run?) I don’t think we should pitch Joe in the first round when you can pitch your Big Three all three games on regular rest, but in the NLCS and World Series, I say start Joe Blanton in Game 4 (unless you are behind in the series and really need a win badly) rather than force your three starters to all pitch on short rest and potentially your Game 1 starter to pitch three games in nine days (I debated this previously).

Our team obviously was hurt by injuries all throughout the season. I went to a Phillies game versus the Mets in August when both Utley, Howard, and Victorino were all out with injuries, and Ruiz had the day off. In our starting nine that day, only two players were from the 2008 World Series winning team—Rollins and Werth.

Now I am not going to say that injuries to most of our star players were good things but the silver lining is that Chase, Jimmy, and Ryan are fresher and less tired and it gave players such as Wilson Valdez, Mike Sweeney, Ben Francisco, and Greg Dobbs some playing time that can help if we need them during the playoffs.

I don’t have the number of games where our regular lineup (including Rollins) all started but when they are all intact, I think the Phillies lineup is as dangerous as H2O. I mean there is something to be said about a team whose regular No. 7/No. 8 hitter is batting close to .300. Other than the pitcher, who is the weak link?

 

According to CBSSports.com, the players with the most number of games in each slot:

No. 1: Victorino (82), Rollins (67)

No. 2: Polanco (104)

No. 3: Utley (98)

No. 4: Howard (138)

No. 5: Werth (134)

No. 7: Ibanez (99)

No. 8: Ruiz (56)

No. 9: Valdez (64), Ruiz (58)

 

The lineup varied when Jimmy or Valdez played shortstop. Both Jimmy and Shane have hit the majority of their games in the leadoff slot.

So the question now is, do you return Jimmy to lead off or keep Shane there? Jimmy missed most of the month and the Phillies hit very well with Shane leading off so I am leaning towards keeping Victorino leading off.

If you decide to keep Shane at the top of the lineup, then you have to decide where to bat Jimmy. I think the No. 2-No. 5 hitters are pretty well set and Raul has played a lot of games in the No. 6 spot (although I can see them put Jimmy sixth and move Raul to No. 7). That would seem to limit it to having Jimmy bat seventh or eighth, either before or after Carlos.

Or maybe there is another off-the-wall choice. Tony LaRussa, manager of the Cardinals, has occasionally batted his pitcher eighth and a regular hitter ninth. In the AL with the DH the ninth hitter may not be the worst hitter but can be kind of a “second leadoff hitter” in front of the regular hitter.

I’m sure Jimmy is not going to be too happy but in later innings having Rollins, Victorino, and Polanco batting in front of Chase and Ryan could give us the chance to get more runners on base and more opportunities for RBI for our two big boppers.

I don’t know if it’s the best idea but it is intriguing. What do you think?

Actually, the biggest insult to Jimmy might not be him batting ninth but him batting eighth.

Of course just like the debates I started with the pitching rotation, these are the debates every team dreams of. A lot of teams in MLB would love to have a former NL MVP and former World Series champion bat third or fourth in their lineup, let alone eighth or ninth. Who bats where in the lineup? Is there a wrong answer?

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Philadelphia Phillies Championship Advantage No. 2: Postseason Experience

Part 2 of 7

The Philadelphia Phillies current era of success has been built around a nucleus of talented players. Some players have come and gone, but that core has been present through the team’s rise and current reign as one of baseball’s elite teams. 

Players such as Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels are at the center of the core and have served as the key catalysts to the organization’s ascension from an “also-ran” to an elite ball club. 

Other young talents such as Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, Ryan Madson, Carlos Ruiz, Greg Dobbs, JC Romero and Kyle Kendrick were layered onto the nucleus. Oh, and a not-so-young pitcher named Jamie Moyer. 

The first four in that group have been key elements of the team’s success over the past four seasons, while the latter four have played important parts at various times. 

Since the team’s first trip to the postseason in this era, the club has added seasoned veterans such as Brad Lidge, Raul Ibanez, Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay, Placido Polanco, and Roy Oswalt to the mix.  

Overall, the result is a Phillies team tested by the rigors of postseason play and grounded by the experience of having previously visited the fall tourney. 

It could be argued that the team’s top pitcher is not playoff-tested, as last night’s clinching win landed Halladay there for the first time in his 14-year career. Of course, anyone who has witnessed his chip-on-the-shoulder intensity and unwavering tenacity understands that he is made for the big stage. 

 

As far as the Roy at the other end of “The Big Three,” Oswalt’s resume sports five postseason series, including a World Series appearance in 2005. Importantly, the hard throwing right-hander also brings an unblemished 4-0 postseason record and an overall reputation as a money pitcher.

The other key 2010 newbie on the team is Polanco. But, unlike Halladay, he brings the accumulated experience of six postseason series, including a World Series appearance with the Detroit Tigers in 2006.

Playing in a short series with an entire season’s body of work and often years of anticipation on the line can be very daunting. The game can suddenly speed up, and nerves can kick in even for the most accomplished players. 

For evidence, you need to look no further than these same current era Phillies. After overtaking the New York Mets to capture their first division crown in 2007, the club ran a quick three-and-out like an NFL practice squad quarterback.

The same lineup that tore up National League pitching all season long seemed suddenly hesitant and lackluster. The Phillies hit just .172 and pushed but eight runs across the plate over three losing contests against the Colorado Rockies. 

There is nothing like having previously “been there, done that.”

Looking at the other potential NL playoff participants, all seem to be green in terms of postseason experience.  The Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres are all relative upstarts in terms of recent playoff experience.  

 

The last time any of those clubs participated in the fall tourney was 2006 when the Padres made a quick exit in the NLDS. The only holdovers from that team in 2010 are first baseman Adrien Gonzalez and pitcher Chris Young. 

The Braves last participated in the postseason in 2005, also making a first round exit. Similarly, the current squad represents an almost total transformation with pitcher Tim Hudson and then back-up catcher Brian McCann being the only common denominators. 

The current San Francisco Giants roster has zero resemblance to the 2003 squad that last made the playoffs. That team, of course, was anchored by a controversial slugger known for posting statistics that seemed to exceed normal human limits. 

And, lastly, Cincinnati has mostly been a bottom-dweller since the new millennium. The Reds’ last trip to the postseason was a four-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves way back in 1995. Needless to say, there are no holdovers. 

Conversely, since the Phillies “just-happy-to-be-there” 2007 cameo, the same core of players has participated in six postseason series— winning five of them. Only a stacked New York Yankees team in 2009 stood in the way of two consecutive World Series Championships. 

During that period, the Phillies have compiled a 20-9 postseason record. Doing the math, this represents an other-worldly .690 winning percentage against the best teams baseball had to offer. 

 

Speaking of the Bronx Bombers, only the Cliff Lee-led Texas Rangers lack recent playoff experience in the American League. The Minnesota Twins enjoyed a “cup of coffee” last season, exiting after three games. The Tampa Bay Rays, of course, were the victims of the Phillies in the 2008 Fall Classic. 

For the Phillies, the 2010 path to the World Series will not entail playoff tested teams unless the Rockies were to pull a rabbit out of a hat in the season’s final week. Actually, that scenario might require pulling a T-Rex out of a hat.

The World Series might be a different matter, but short of a 2009 rematch, three consecutive trips to the fall classic are likely to provide an edge over other opponents. 

As they prepare to make an appearance for the fourth consecutive year, it seems safe to count the cumulative postseason experience of this Phillies ball club as a key advantage. 

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Phillies’ September Run Shows Why They Should Be World Series Favorites

After clinching their fourth straight division title, the Philadelphia Phillies have established themselves as the team to beat in the National League.

Despite sitting in second place when September began, the Phillies continued to chop away at Atlanta‘s lead in the NL East and overtook them on the 7th of the month. Once they stood atop the division, Philly wasted no time in putting away the fading Braves, pushing their lead to seven games within 15 days of taking control of first place.

Even though they had six of their eight starters on offense hit the disabled list at some point this year, Charlie Manuel’s group relied on starting pitching to bide their time until their lineup could get healthy.

With Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay (21-7, 2.44 ERA) on the mound, the Phillies clinched the NL East title in Washington last night with an 8-0 victory. A fitting end to a roller coaster season, which has seen the rotation dominate opponents since the All-Star break. In September, the starters were especially instrumental in helping Philly finish out the season on a 19-5 tun that included an 8-1 road record.

When you include fellow ace Roy Oswalt, who has gone 7-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his 11 starts since being traded for on July 29th, Philadelphia remains almost unbeatable in a five-game series.

Along with Oswalt and Halladay, Cole Hamels has rediscovered the success that saw him win the 2008 World Series MVP. Leaving out his latest four-inning, five-earned run outing against the Mets two days ago, Hamels had been a perfect 5-0 in his last five starts, having given up only two runs in 36.2 innings over that span. If the lefty can carry over his stellar performance into October, then Philadelphia may walk into the World Series.

 

Although their rotation has been outstanding in recent weeks, the offense, too, broke out of its slump in September, as players continue to return to pre-injury form.

Philadelphia’s hot streak coincided with the return of Chase Utley, who missed July and a portion of August rehabbing from a thumb injury. In September, the Gold Glove second baseman has hit .326 to go along with five home runs and 22 RBIs. Had it not been for the historic month that Colorado‘s Troy Tulowitzki is having, Utley’s September would be getting far more attention than it has. 

With Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez also revitalized for the stretch run, the Phillies’ offense has finally surrounded behemoth Ryan Howard (.276, 31 HRs, 106 RBIs) with ample protection for the playoffs. 

The biggest surprise of the Phillies’ run, however, has been the quiet bat of Jimmy Rollins. When in the lineup, the shortstop usually plays the role of catalyst for the Phillies late in the season, as seen by his .292 batting average in September and October, up from his otherwise regular .273 stat line. This year, though, he has sported a batting average as low as .236 and looks altogether lost at the plate.

While Rollins has been given the past two weeks off because of a “hamstring” injury, the Phillies have continued to push the pace and have posted four games in which they scored at least eight runs during his time on the disabled list. Philadelphia management hopes that his hiatus, which, according to coach Charlie Manuel, is set to end early this week, will help breath life into the 32-year-old’s bat.

As the Phillies begin to rest their regulars for the playoffs, very few question marks stand in the way of a third straight World Series appearance. Set to be in his first playoff series, ace Roy Halladay knows that Philadelphia knows how to win.

“That’s the reason you want to come to a team like this. They know how to do it,” Halladay said. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve been a part of. It’s just the start, I think.”

Hopefully Doc’s words do come true and his division-clinching victory is only the beginning for the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Philadelphia Phillies Clinch NL East: What Phils Need To Succeed In MLB Playoffs

It began in Washington on April 5, and fittingly, it has ended in Washington with the Philadelphia Phillies crushing the Washington Nationals, 8-0 en route to a divisional clinch.

And with every ending comes a new beginning.

Now, Dem Phightin’ Phils will begin the process of gearing up for their fourth postseason berth in as many years.

And they do it HEALTHY!

Jimmy Rollins will return as soon as today, and the rest of the musketeers are in good health and playing at an incredibly high level.

But the Phillies will have to utilize a couple of things in order to survive the bevy of teams that they could face.

Let’s take a quick look at what lies ahead for the Philadelphia Phillies.

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A 2010 World Series Rematch and Why the Phillies Would Be Favored Over Yankees

Monday night, the Philadelphia Phillies won the NL East for the fourth straight season in a row.

Up in Toronto, the New York Yankees evening could have been a champagne party too. Instead, AJ Burnett imploded worse than ever on the mound and the Blue Jays won the game 7-5.

Burnett could not even get out of the third inning, and he was to blame for all seven runs scored.

Rock bottom?

I thought that already happened for Burnett, as he showed glimpses of why the Yankees acquired him in the first place just a week ago.

Well, whatever it is holding AJ back seems to be an off the field issue that is eating away at him. The best Yankee fans can do is just hope Burnett figures himself out, as he is a big piece of the playoff puzzle.

Looking at the playoff picture so far, the Phillies are unanimously the NL favorites to make it to the World Series for the third year in a row.

It would be hard for anyone to disagree with that predictions, considering how hot a September the Phillies are having posting a 19-5 record.

A lot of that success has to do with the pitching rotation, which includes Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt. It is by far the best threesome in baseball and they keep getting better.

This month their combined record is 13-1, pitching just shy of 95 innings, have a strikeout total of 87 and the month is not over yet.

Another critical component on any team is the closer, and the Phillies have been a roller coaster ride with Brad Lidge since 2008 ended.

Now Lidge has found his swagger again. His 27 saves this season don’t do how he is pitching justice, as Lidge only earned the team’s trust back the last two months. He admitted he needed to change due to loss of velocity on his pitches.

No need to explain how good the Phillies hitters are because the proof is in the names alone: Utley, Howard, Werth, Rollins, Ibanez, Victorino, Ruiz, Valdez, and I think you get the point.

So, could it be a rematch from last year’s World Series?

Sure it could, but the Yankees need to clinch officially and for any team to match-up with Philadelphia my advice is to bring your A-Game.

It would be a treat to fans to see a Yankees-Phillies World Series, because if it is anything like 2009, it is sure to be exciting for baseball as a whole.

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Dynasty In The Making: H2O Leads Phillies to 4th Straight Division Title

They trailed the Atlanta Braves by as many as seven games after the All-Star break. They had an extremely mediocre record of 48-46 on July 21.

Their hitting was terrible, their pitchers were struggling, and they couldn’t stay healthy.

Despite three consecutive National League Eastern Division titles, two World Series appearances, and a world championship, the Phillies appeared to be done.

Think again.

Following 46 wins in their next 63 games, the Phillies captured their fourth consecutive National League East title.

Although they trailed the Braves by three games at the start of September, they won 20 of their next 23 games, including an 11-game winning streak, their longest in nearly 20 years.

Our starting three of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt, known as H2O, have been practically unbeatable. In fact, they won 12 straight decisions to begin the month of September.

Halladay became the first Phillies pitcher to win 20 games since Steve Carlton in 1982.

His complete game shutout to clinch the division has likely locked up his second Cy Young award, which would make him the sixth pitcher to win the award in both leagues.

Cole Hamels turned in a consecutive scoreless innings streak that reached 25, while lowering his ERA from 4.05 on July 26 to 2.93 by Sept. 20.

Despite receiving extremely poor run support, Hamels (12-11) has regained the form which made him a dominant pitcher in the 2008 postseason.

Remember how good CC Sabathia was after the Milwaukee Brewers acquired him in the summer of 2008? That’s almost how good Roy Oswalt has been.

After a loss in his Phillies debut, Oswalt has won his last seven decisions. His ERA? 1.76. Oswalt has a combined record of 13-13 this season, with a solid 2.80 ERA.

Heading into the postseason, the last thing I want to do is appear overconfident. But let’s just say that the past few years, as well as the past few months, have made me extremely confident.

We went 7-2 against the National League in both the 2008 and the 2009 postseason. That’s a combined record of 14-4 against the best the National League had to offer. We never trailed in any of the four series. Quite simply, we dominated.

I expect the same this season. Halladay has waited his whole life to pitch in the postseason. Hamels is a former NLCS and World Series Most Valuable Player. And Oswalt is undefeated in seven career postseason starts.

Pitching wins championships, and our Big Three is the best trio in franchise history. They’re one of the best trios in the history of major league baseball. And they’ll get their chance to show the world in October.  

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Philadelphia Phillies’ National League ‘Magic Number’ Is Two

Now that the Phillies (93-63) have made the playoff’s it’s important they finish first in the National League.

If the Atlanta Braves (87-69) win their remaining games, they can finish with no more than 93 wins.

The San Diego Padres (87-68) and San Francisco Giants (88-68) are competing for the NL West championship with the Giants holding a slim half-game lead.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com points out that the Giants and Padres play each other in a three-game series this weekend at AT&T Park. He goes on to note that if both teams win every game leading up to that series, they would both be 91-68. One of those teams obviously will win at least two of those games, pushing one team to 93 wins while the other team finishes with no more than 92.

Two wins should clinch the best record in the National League for Phillies, and they have three games coming up against the Washington Nationals in which to do so.

If the Phils complete the feat for the first time since 1977, they’d have the option to choose when they want to start their playoff play.

This is significant because if they choose to start on October sixth, look at what the pitching rotation coulld be:

NLDS

1. Oct. 6 – Game 1 – Halladay
2. Oct. 7 – Off
3. Oct. 8 – Game 2 – Hamels
4. Oct. 9 – Off
5. Oct. 10 – Game 3 – Oswalt
6. Oct. 11 – Game 4 – Halladay (Normal Rest)
7. Oct. 12 – Off
8. Oct. 13 – Game 5 – Hamels (Normal Rest)

 

NLCS

1. Oct. 16 – Game 1 – Halladay
2. Oct. 17 – Game 2 – Hamels
3. Oct. 18 – Off
4. Oct. 19 – Game 3 – Oswalt
5. Oct. 20 – Game 4 – Blanton
6. Oct. 21 – Game 5 – Halladay
7. Oct. 22 – Off
8. Oct. 23 – Game 6 – Hamels
9. Oct. 24 – Game 7 – Oswalt

World Series

1. Oct. 27 – Game 1 – Halladay
2. Oct. 28 – Game 2 – Hamels
3. Oct. 29 – Off
4. Oct. 30 – Game 3 – Oswalt
5. Oct. 31 – Game 4 – Blanton
6. Nov. 1 – Game 5 – Halladay
7. Nov. 2 – Off
8. Nov. 3 – Game 6 – Hamels
9. Nov. 4 – Game 7 – Oswalt

 

That would mean in 17 out of 19 games the Philadelphia Phillies aces would be pitching.

That is a killer rotation to enter into the postseason with. The three pitchers(Oswalt, Hamels, and Halladay) have a combined record of 12-1 in September.

Their being lined up in the recent series against the Braves made a talented lineup seem completely inferior.

If the Phillies don’t go to the World Series this year, it’s a lock that the team that beats them absolutely does.

For more writing from Vincent, visit: www.vincentheckwriting.com

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Charlie Manuel: Is The Philadelphia Phillies’ Skipper Manager of The Year?

Before autumn 2007, Charlie Manuel had about the same chance of ever being Manager of the Year as Michael Vick had of ever being the Eagles’ starting QB, right?

Guess a lot has changed in three years.

But can the skipper of a team that was an overwhelming World Series favorite in the preseason actually win Manager of the Year?

Well, The Phillies are on the doorstep of their franchise-record fourth straight NL East title. Ho hum. Nothing too surprising.

Right now the Phillies are where everyone expected them to be back in March, but the road they’ve taken over the past six months to get here has been anything but routine.

The Phils have trailed in the division for the majority of the season, slept-walked through inexplicably prolonged spells of offensive stagnancy, and sustained a mind-boggling rash of injuries.

Yet, these Phillies have overcome all the adversity that everyone quickly assumed would derail them in the regular season, and you could actually make a point that Charlie Manuel has done a more impressive job of managing in 2010 than he did the past two seasons.

Yes, the 2008-09 Phils made it to the World Series. Yes, Charlie didn’t blow up when things got rough. Yes, managing Phillies games wasn’t always easy. Remember last year’s Brad Lidge situation?

But the Phillies were one of the healthiest teams in baseball each of the past two seasons. They had very, very few injuries. Charlie had the luxury of relying on, for the most part, a set lineup and a set pitching staff where everyone knew their roles.

The 2008 Phillies had four players that started at least 145 games, four starting pitchers with at least 30 starts, and four relievers who pitched in over 70 games.

The 2009 Phillies didn’t have that same kind of health in the pitching staff, but made up for it in the starting lineup. Remarkably, six of the Phillies eight regulars played in over 150 games.

Having so many talented players so healthy over the prior two seasons was a great gift for Manuel and the Phillies. John Russell, currently the proud manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, would look like more of a baseball genius if he had the chance to write Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard and company into his lineup card on a nightly basis.

But obviously the Phillies haven’t had health in 2010. Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth are the only regulars that will play in at least 150 games, and a grand total of 18 Phillies have been on the DL.

Actually, Manuel’s managerial job in 2010 is quite reminiscent of his outstanding 2007 season, when he finished second in the NL Manager of the Year voting behind only Arizona’s Doug Melvin.

While the ’07 Phils had one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, the 2010 Phillies have had one of the most erratic offenses in the league. Yet, in each year, Manuel relied heavily upon his reserves and less-proven players as his club sought to navigate the rough seas of a team constantly riddled by injuries. 

The Phillies were also given up for dead by most followers on several occasions during ’07 and ‘10, yet somehow managed to rebound from the countless times a total collapse seemed imminent. Of course, the on-field resilience that the 2007 and 2010 Phillies showed was partially made possible by the positive attitude of their man in the dugout: Charlie Manuel.  

Turning our full attention back to 2010, the never impulsive Manuel has shown faith in his players, and they have rewarded him for it, as usual.

If Charlie had listed to the fans he would have benched Ibanez in June and demanded the promotion of Domonic Brown.

If Charlie had listened to the fans he would have canned Mr. Valdez just for the sake of making a change after Wilson had grounded into about 40 double plays in his first 10 games.

If Charlie had listened to the fans he would have replaced closer Brad Lidge with Jose Contreras in July (I was one of those fans).

Then again, if Charlie had listened to the city’s pulse in August 2008, he would have sent his struggling second-year, eight-hole hitting catcher to the bench for the rest of the season. Oh by the way, Carlos Ruiz is now one of the most popular players on the team and one of the finest catchers in MLB.

Well, right now, this particular author doesn’t question any of Charlie’s moves in 2010, except for perhaps giving Roy Halladay a slightly longer leash than need be. 

The patience, and dare I say poise, that Manuel has shown in his team has really paid off over the past four seasons, but especially in 2010.

 

So, Will Charlie Win?

Unfortunately for Mr. Manuel, there’s at least a little bit of truth to the old cliché, “A manager is only as good as his players.”

That saying tends to stack the deck against the Manager of the Year chances of any skipper guiding a team as well assembled as the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies.

Charlie won’t win manager of the year.

The San Diego Padres’ Bud Black will, and Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker should finish second in the voting.

Both the extremely young Padres and Reds have won without much proven big-league talent, and, despite being overlooked by mainly everybody in the spring, appear poised for the postseason. Their managers deserve the recognition they’ll get.

And yes, Charlie deserves accolades for the job he’s done in 2010. But they just won’t come in the form of a Manager of the Year award at the end of the season.

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Roy Halladay: Is Philadelphia’s Ace the National League’s Best Pitcher?

The remaining regular season schedule was set up to allow Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay at least two more starts before the Phils  focus on their post season run; however, its more than likely that last nights start against Washington will be Roy’s last before the play-offs. 

There is no question that Harry Leroy Halladay has been a work horse for Philadelphia Skipper Charlie Manuel this season, as he currently leads the National League with 250.2 innings pitched to go along with a league leading 9 complete games, so resting that arm  probably would help do a body good.

Not only did Halladay win his 21st game of the season last night, but in doing so helped the Phils wrap up their fourth straight NL East Pennant, a dream night for a 12 year veteran who is about to pitch in his first post season ever.

Halladay’s 8-0 win over the Nationals more than likely helped solidify what should be the Phillies seventh Cy Young Award in team history; Steve Carlton, 1972, 1977, 1980 & 1982, John Denny 1983 and Steve Bedrosian 1987.

Yes, I said it Cy Young, the award given annually to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) best pitchers, one each in the National League (NL) and American League (AL).  

Each league’s award is voted on by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, with two representatives from each team, which means 28 ballots are cast for the American League winner, and 32 ballots cast for the National League. Each voter places a vote for first, second, and third place among the pitchers of each league. The formula used to calculate the final scores is a weighted sum of the votes.  The pitcher with the highest score in each league wins the award.  If two pitchers receive the same number of votes, the award is shared. 

You would think that Halladay’s numbers would speak for themselves. A league leading 21 wins, one more than Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright who by the way will also have another chance this week to win his twenty-first.

Wainwright’s  2.42 earned run average (ERA) is a scant better than Halladay’s  2.44, and as I write this blog Roy has the edge in strikeouts over Wainwright, 219 to 213. 

Yes it’s that close.

So why should Roy win the Cy?  For Starters nine complete games verses five for Wainwright, four shutouts verses two and to date Halladay has walked only 30 batters verses Wainwrights 56.

(Insert drum roll here please) Oh yes and did I fail to mention that on a mild Miami night back on May 29, the six-foot-six, 230 pound Halladay struck out 11 Florida Marlins while on his way to recording just the 20^th perfect game in MLB history.

Think about it, 135 years of baseball and only 20 perfect games. The Phillies by the way are just the fifth team to boast two perfect game pitchers in team history. Jim Bunning threw Philadelphia’s other one on June 21, 1964 vs. the Mets.

So there you have it, I have stated my case for Roy Halladay as the 2010 National League Cy Young award winner, besides that trophy would look really nice next to Halladays 2003 AL Cy Young award.

By the way if Halladay does win this year’s  award, he would join Roger Clemens, Gaylord Perry, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martínez   as the only pitchers to win the award in both leagues.

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MLB Power Rankings Week 26: Rounding Third and Heading Home

The final week of the 2010 regular season has arrived and the Rangers and Twins have already popped the champagne.

The Rangers success can be attributed to finally having solid starting pitching. Nolan Ryan really does make whatever he touches turn into gold.

The Phillies have clinched at least a Wild Card position, while the Yanks and Rays are battling for the AL East crown. The loser gets the Wild Card.

Thinking back to April most experts wouldn’t expect the upstart Reds to be one game away from clinching their first playoff birth since 1995.

The Braves, Giants and Padres are fighting for two spots. The Giants effectively ended the Rockies’ season by winning two-of-three against the Rox over the weekend.

How big is the Giants and Padres season ending series now?

Buckle up, it’s crunch time.

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