Cole Hamels Is on Fire: Phillies Pitcher Continues Hot Stretch Against Braves

When LHP Cole Hamels had his national coming-out party in the 2008 playoffs, I thought it would springboard him to a Cy Young-caliber year in 2009.

I predicted Hamels would win the National League Cy Young, and that prediction slapped me in the face like I would like to slap Braylon Edwards in the face for getting a DWI this morning.

Hamels suffered through a miserable 2009 campaign, going 10-11 with a 4.32 ERA (highest of his career), a 1.28 WHIP (highest of his career), and a whopping 9.6 hits/9 allowed. His head wasn’t in the game, and he just looked off the whole season.

2010 has been a different story for Hamels, and last night he continued his great season against the Atlanta Braves.

In a showdown for first place in the NL East, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Braves 3-1 behind eight extremely solid innings from Hamels. Hamels gave up just six hits, one run, and one walk and struck out six in the 117-pitch effort.

His changeup was awesome last night, as he kept it down in the zone and got Brave hitters to swing and miss on it 20 percent of the time, which was more than any other pitch he threw last night.

For Hamels, this is nothing new. Over his last five starts, he has absolutely been on fire. In his last five starts, Hamels is 5-0 with a 0.49 ERA and is holding batters to a .173 batting average.

Most importantly, Hamels’ confidence is back. He looked like a man possessed last night. He was quick to the plate, he looked in command, and he looked like a guy who knew he was going to win the game.

A stark contrast from last season.

Not only has Hamels been great over his last five starts, he has been great all season as well. Hamels has bounced back in 2010 with a 2.93 ERA, 9.2 K/9 (highest since 2006), and more ground balls than ever before (45 percent).

His velocity is back up on his fastball to 92 mph, and Hamels has even added a cutter in 2010. Perhaps watching Andy Pettitte throw his cutter against the Phillies in the World Series last year inspired Hamels. A cutter biting down and in is death to a right-handed batter.

With Hamels on a roll and Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt anchoring the top of the rotation, the Phillies right now have the best top three in baseball. I feel bad for whoever they are playing in the NLDS.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Philadelphia Phillies Extend Division Lead To Four: Getting That ‘Pheeling’ Yet?

To the fans of the Philadelphia Phillies, there is nothing more exhilarating than the last leg of any given season, especially when the playoffs are hanging in the balance

Oh wait, yes there is. How about dealing a crushing defeat to the team that is challenging you for first place, right?

The Phillies have masterfully put together one of the best Septembers in their recent history and have begun the process of claiming their place in yet another postseason by defeating the not so “Hot-lanta” Braves 3-1.

But it isn’t just this paramount defeat that has the Philadelphia faithful waving their rally towels, screaming their heads off in jubilation, and rising to their feet. Oh no—it’s been a collection of very key factors that are making an already deadly team even more dangerous.

The collective team effort out of the bullpen and the starting rotation, in combination with solid hitting and exceptional fielding, has this team and its fans salivating at the chance of not only returning to the postseason, but also getting another crack at the Fall Classic.

To make matters better—or worse, depending on your fanship—the Phillies will continue to unleash their three-headed monster on the Braves with Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt being the next two pitchers the Braves will have to face.

But isn’t that where it all starts for the Phillies?

Since acquiring Oswalt and Halladay, the front three of this rotation (Cole Hamels being the third musketeer) has been one of the most dominant trios in all of baseball.

 

Dating back to July 31st, this treacherous tricephaly has gone 19-6 with a 2.40 ERA (Note: I have not factored in Hamels’ ERA from last night only his win), and more importantly, in the month of September this three-headed monster is undefeated at a mark of 10-0.

But that’s not all.

They now have a four-game lead in the division, are the first team in the National League to reach 90 wins, and are on an eight-game winning streak, winning nine out of their last 10.

The fielding is nearly impenetrable, they’ve mixed in a healthy amalgamation of small ball and power hitting, and oh yeah, if anyone is still on the fence with Wilson Valdez, you can come down now…the kid’s solid as a rock…it’s okay, c’mon down.

So much to digest, right?

But despite this crazy flurry of success, the old adage remains superior: It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.

The remainder of the season is divisional competition, and since the Phillies are public enemy number one, every team (including the Braves, which we’ll get to in a minute) will be trying their best to play spoiler.

The Phightin’ Phils will close out the week with against a Mets team that is horrible on the road, begin next week in Washington, whom the Phillies are 10-5 against, only to close the season in dramatic fashion with a final showdown against the Braves IN Atlanta.

Suffice to say, the last 11 games are very winnable, but the Phillies would be wise to tread lightly.

This is baseball at its best. This is the TRUE pulse of the original American Classic. Heck, this is the very lore that keeps the almighty NFL in the rear-view mirror for another couple of weeks, and you can bet your bottom dollar it’s only gonna get better from here.

So the only question that remains is this:

Are YOU getting that “Pheeling” yet?

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Philadelphia Phillies Attempt To Replay History, Defeating the Atlanta Braves

The first head-to-head, “for all the marbles” meeting between these two teams, came in 1915 when the surprising, Philadelphia Phillies, jumped from sixth to first in one year to lead the race for the National League Pennant.

That year, Philadelphia produced the NL’s best offense, in-part to career years from outfielder, Gavvy Cravath and first baseman Fred Luderus.

Pete Alexander’s 31-10 record and league-low 1.22 ERA led the league’s best pitching staff, rounded out by 21-game winner Erskine Mayer, Al Demaree, and Eppa Rixey, to a team ERA of 2.17.

The Phillies started that 1915 season 8-0 right out of the gates, taking over first place, a position they would, ultimately, hold for some 100 days that season.

Like the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies, the 1915 Phils lost first place in late May—May 29, to be exact. 

They didn’t regain their lead back until some 41 games later, thanks to a three game sweep of Rogers Hornsby and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Heading into August 13, 1915, the Boston Braves were making a strong campaign for first place in the National League. They trailed the first place Philadelphia Phillies by three games, and had a record of 6-9 against the Phils that season.

The series turned out to be a bust, as the Braves were swept being outscored 19-3.

Despite the hammering from the Phils, that didn’t shut the resilient Braves down, at all.

Playing in a brand-new Braves Field, Boston put on a 26-12 late-season drive leading into another three-game set with the Phillies, but they could only come up with a final record of 83-69—seven games back of the Phillies.

The two series down the stretch proved to be key for the Braves that year, allowing the Phillies win their first head to head race with the Braves.

Monday, September 20, 2010 was a night both fan bases have been looking forward to at one time or another.

The Atlanta Braves took a 7-5 head-to-head record into tonight three games back, looking to begin their run towards the top of the division once again after losing their number one spot, ironically, to the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals.

This game had every bit of that playoff feeling. Towels were waving, fans were screaming, and the stadium lights hung in the foreground of the evening back drop.

With Jair Jurrjens tweaking his knee last Friday during a bullpen session, the Braves called on rookie Brandon Beachy to open this all-important Game 1.

The Braves came out strong swinging their bats in effort to intimidate Cole Hamels.

All of the key batters, for the Braves, got into the mix early, with Jason Heyward getting on base, and Derrick Lee and Brian McCann doubling to help Beachy take the early 1-0 lead.

Cole Hamels, who had dominated the Braves this season, had to fight his way out of a, no-out jam, with runners on first and third, but he fought through the inning only sacrificing one run.

The Phils responded right away in the bottom of the second with a score off of a Carlos Ruiz double to shallow left sending Ryan Howard home.

At that point, it felt like this would be a dog fight.

In the bottom of the fifth inning a key error by rookie Jason Heyward moved Shane Victorino to third which allowed him to eventually come home making the score 2-1 Phillies.

After a few difficulties, Bobby Cox decided to replace his young pitcher with Eric O’Flaherty, but the news didn’t get any better after.

O’Flaherty loaded the bases on two consecutive walks with one out, allowing Raul Ibanez to advance the runners and score Utley on a ground out to short stop—making the score 3-1.

Despite runners being on base for the whole bottom of the inning, the Braves managed to pull through only allowing two runs. Peter Moyland replaced O’Flaherty to Strike out Ruiz.

Hamels started hitting a stride, buzzing through Braves as he had earlier in the season. Through seven innings he had, six K’s, and only allowed one earned run.

In the eighth inning, despite Hamels being in dominant stride, Manuel decided to pinch hit for Hamels, and rely on his guy, Brad Lidge, in the ninth.

Within a matter of minutes, despite the nervous energy in the stadium, Lidge tore a hole through the heart of Atlanta’s batting order, taking the first game in the much anticipated series.

With the win, the Phillies move their winning streak to eight games; 12 wins in the last thirteen games. The Phils now drop their magic number to eight more wins to secure a playoff berth, and they increase their lead in the NL East to four games ahead.

The second game will be held Tomorrow night, when they send their ace Roy Halladay to the mound. Same place same time, as the Phillies chase the same result they got 95 years ago in their first race with the Bravos.

Happy September baseball fans!

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

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Philadelphia Phillies: The NL Champs Will Get To the World Series Again

The MLB playoffs are almost here and teams are closing in on clinching their playoff spots. The Philadelphia Phillies seem poised for a deep postseason run for the third consecutive season. 

They have really taken off since the acquisition of Roy Oswalt, as well as the more obvious reason of having their star players return from injury.

The Phillies, when healthy, have arguably the best roster in the National League. Here are five reasons that Philly fans should be confident that their team will make it to its third consecutive Fall Classic.

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Philadelphia Phillies Look To ‘Ace’ the Test Given by the Atlanta Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies have made another late-season surge in order to pass the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings, stretching their own lead to three games.

The Phillies are preparing for another deep playoff run, but first they need to fend off the Braves for the division crown. It’s a big series as Atlanta comes to Citizens Bank Park for three games, hoping to cut into the lead and in a best case scenario make it all even once more.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has put his best effort to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Facing the Braves will be Philadelphia’s all-star trio of starting pitchers: Cole Hamels to open the series, Roy Halladay on Tuesday, and Roy Oswalt in the closing game.

If the Phillies can at least win the series, they will pick up an extra game in the standings. A sweep would put the Phillies up by six games with nine remaining.

It’s a tall order in front of the Braves. Not only have they gone on a slide of their own, the Phillies have won seven in a row and 11 of their previous 12. The surprisingly inconsistent offense has finally erupted, scoring 108 runs in 18 games in September.

And at a time when the team has been playing its best baseball, the pitchers taking the mound have been at their absolute best.

Hamels, who hopes to get the Phillies started off on the right foot, has allowed only one run in his previous 31 1/3 innings pitched, and has compiled an ERA of 1.79 in his past 13 starts. This recent stretch has lowered his season ERA to 3.01, just outside the top-10 in the National League.

Halladay, the hurler of a perfect game earlier in the season, has won his past three straight starts. He is the MLB leader in complete games. He owns a 2.49 ERA, his lowest total since 2005 and is good enough for third in the National League. He also has a career high in strikeouts (210), good enough for second in the NL, and has the most wins (19) in the NL and second-most in all of MLB.

Newly acquired Oswalt has been a fantastic pickup for Philadelphia. Since being acquired at the trade deadline, Oswalt has compiled a 7-1 record (the lone loss coming in his first start with the team) and a 1.94 ERA. His ERA over the entirety of the season is 2.90, putting him ninth in the NL.

While getting everyone healthy (starters Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, and Carlos Ruiz have all seen stints on the DL) and getting the offense right have been big for the Phillies, the amazing pitching from the top of the rotation has been instrumental in Philadelphia’s latest pennant race.

For the upcoming series, not only does aligning the rotation as it is put the team in the best position possible to win its fourth consecutive division title, but it also is the best possible warm-up for October baseball.

Facing a playoff-caliber team (the Braves are currently the Wild Card leaders) the Phillies will line up their three best pitchers in a playoff atmosphere. The importance of the games is huge and the fans in Philadelphia will be loud and behind their team 100 percent.

The Phillies are once again playing their best baseball heading into the postseason, and their most valuable players over that stretch will look to keep the momentum rolling.

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Philadelphia Phillies Prove Winning on the Road is Still the Mark of a Champion

In sports, the ability to win on enemy turf often distinguishes the contenders from the pretenders.

That’s proven to be true during the 2010 MLB season, particularly in regards to the marathon-style NL East race.

The Phillies, who begun the season just 22-30 away from home, have now won 17 of their last 20 on the road. The 2010 season will mark the seventh straight season in which the Phillies have had a winning record when needing room service. Simply remarkable.

Then again, maybe it’s not too remarkable, since these Phillies seem to prove every year that divisional standings only matter at the end of September, not at the end of July.

Remember the type of rhetoric that was being thrown around on sports-related radio, TV, and web pages in early July? You remember, right? Try not to laugh…

The Phillies were not going to win the NL East in 2010 because the division was so dramatically improved. 

The Braves and Mets were motivated by and hungry for success, while the Phillies were emotionally and physically drained from all the baseball they had played the past two seasons, and had grown (gasp) complacent.

Of course, the experts prognosticating Philadelphia’s free-fall from greatness in early July forgot to take both Atlanta and New York’s incompetence on the road into consideration.

By Independence Day, the Braves and Mets were both “lights out” at home (30-10, 28-12 respectively). However, each team had an underwhelming 18-24 record on the road.

In the 10 weeks since, both teams have learned how difficult it is to win seven out of every 10 games at home, while neither has ever been able to rectify their road woes.

Being a road warrior is the signature of a champion, and longtime Atlanta skipper Bobby Cox has always known it.

From 1991 to 2005, Cox’s Braves were perennially one of baseball’s best road teams and finished all but two of those division-championship seasons with a winning record on the road (1996 and 2005).

Still, Bobby’s upstart 2010 Braves spent much of the past three months in first place, as it took the veteran Phillies a pretty long time to begin rounding into October form.

By the end of July, Philadelphia had lost 23 of its previous 32 road games. The last time the Phillies suffered through that bad of a prolonged stretch on the road was back in 2003, a telltale year in which the Phils were dynamite at Veterans Stadium (49-32) but were ultimately undone by their inability to win on the road (37-44).

Philly hasn’t suffered a losing season away from home since, and has made winning on the road a staple in its very own twenty-first century glory days.

The 2007 Phillies won their last six games in Shea Stadium against the Mets. As it turned out, every one of the wins was critical.

The 2008 Phillies won all nine of their games in Turner Field against the Braves.

The 2009 Phillies averted disaster by starting the season 24-9 on the road, despite beginning the year 13-22 at home.

The 2010 Phillies recent excellence away from Citizens Bank Park has placed them on the doorstep of a franchise-record fourth consecutive division title.

Of course, the Braves hopes of a NL East championship aren’t dead yet. They still have six road games remaining and end the regular season with six more at Turner Field. But for Atlanta, it all might be too little, too late.

The Phillies meanwhile, when it comes to winning on the road, have once again shown that it’s better to do it late than never.

And that’s a cliché that suits this club just fine.

By the way, since July 8 the Phillies are 27-10 at Citizens Bank Park. That too is the sign of a team who’s “for real.”

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Phillies-Braves: A Head-to-Head Battle of the NL’s Two Best Teams

If they’re not playing for all the marbles the next few days at Citizens Bank Park, they’re playing for a lot of them.

The host Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, owners of the best two records in the National League, open a three-game series tonight with the Phillies leading the Braves by three games.

The two teams will meet again in Atlanta October 1-3 to close the regular season after playing two series apiece against their other divisional rivals.

One has to think that the Phillies—barring a sweep at the hands of their Southern rivals—are in the driver’s seat for the NL East crown and an easier path (on paper) through the playoffs.

Taking two out of three will put them in great shape, and a sweep of the Braves will make the division theirs for sure, barring anything 1964-like. I’m not looking up to the heavens as I write this.

While both teams covet the division, the NL math says the following. With the Reds in great shape in the Central and the Cards unable to get going, five teams will be playing for three available playoff spots. In other words, any two of the Phillies, Braves, Giants, Padres, and Rockies will not make the playoffs. With a 2.5-game lead in the wild card, the Braves are in pretty good shape for that consolation prize.

So, how did the two teams get here, and what’s likely to occur at CBP the next few days?

The Braves, with extra motivation to give skipper Bobby Cox a memorable final season, have played inspired ball all year, even when faced with a bit of adversity.

Chipper Jones, their most recognizable player and one of the best players in baseball the last 15 years, has struggled through an injury-marred campaign in what may be the last season of his Cooperstown-worthy career. The former MVP has been on the shelf since August 11, freezing his decidedly non-chipper stats: .265/10/46.

No. 2 pitcher Derek Lowe has struggled with a 14-12 record and 4.12 ERA, while their other veteran, ace Tim Hudson, has had a fine season (16-8 with a 2.61 ERA).

It may be to the Phillies’ advantage that neither Lowe nor Hudson, having started the Braves’ last two wins at Citi Field, will not face the Phils this week.

Offensively, the Chipper-less Braves don’t really scare you, yet they have managed to score only 13 fewer runs than the mighty Phillies this year, a negligible difference over the course of 150 games. Their two most recognizable names remaining in the lineup have had solid years.

Jason (the J-Hey Kid) Heyward, who just turned 21, will finish his rookie season with close to 20 homers, 80 RBI, and 90 runs while drawing a lot of walks, as well as his first All-Star appearance.

Catcher Brian McCann, already a five-time All-Star at age 26, is a solid receiver who leads the Braves in both homers and RBI.

As you wonder who else would start for the Phillies among Braves regulars (and McCann and Heyward would be close calls over Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth), you may consider two other All-Stars: Omar (“Thanks for picking me, Cholly”) Infante, a glorified utility infielder who is hitting .337, and Martin Prado, a second baseman by trade who has manned Jones’ hot corner while again hitting over .300 and is in the process of scoring over 100 runs. But would you take those two over Chase Utley and Placido Polanco?

First baseman Derrek Lee came over at the trade deadline from the Cubs, and the veteran still plays a good first base and provides occasional pop—including a towering grand slam yesterday at Citi Field. Other than that, the lineup does not seem to do a whole lot, yet the Braves manage to score about as many runs as the Phils (and good for fourth in the NL). Just like the Phillies, they attack you until the third out of the ninth, and beyond if needed.

Manning the hill against the Phillies will be the hard to spell and usually hard to hit Jair Jurrjens, who missed 10 or 11 starts this season and has not yet matched his 2009 form of 14-10/2.64. Just 24, this guy is really good—when on.

Two other young pitchers, Tommy Hanson (23) and Mike (“I’m almost a”) Minor, 22, will get the ball in games two and three. Hanson has followed up a stellar rookie season with pretty good stats, including a 3.62 ERA, but has only a 10-11 record to show for it. Minor has shown lots of promise but is also saddled with a 5.84 ERA in his seven starts.

Bullpen, you ask? Our old friend, the sometimes combustible Billy Wagner, has been typically puzzling. The seven-time All-Star is 7-2 with a terrific 1.43 ERA and a microscopic 0.83 WHIP. He has saved 35 games yet has also blown seven. With all his faults, one would presumably trade the erratic post-2008 Brad Lidge for him unless one values clubhouse chemistry.

The Phillies, two-time defending league champions, find themselves once again as the team to beat in the National League. How they got here is also a tribute to their manager, Charlie Manuel, every bit as much as the 2010 Braves are a testament to Bobby Cox.

It seems like just yesterday that this columnist (one can be more of a “homer” on Bleacher Report) was praying for the Phillies to somehow get lucky enough to land a wild card spot and to have a relatively healthy team once they got there.

Witness that Wilson Valdez has played in more games this year (100) than team leader Jimmy Rollins (82) and has a higher batting average. Superstars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have suffered stints on the DL, and the injury bug has probably hit the Phillies as hard as any team this year not playing in Fenway Park.

In a 2010 campaign that has seen the Phillies battered and bruised and sometimes sleepwalking, they somehow appear to be the class of the NL once again. The biggest reason? A three-headed monster (which I have nicknamed H2O) at the top of their pitching rotation, consisting of Cy Young Award front runner Roy Halladay, the improved, battle-tested Cole Hamels, and longtime Astros ace Roy Oswalt. All have been amazing since Oswalt gratefully accepted his get-out-of-mediocrity pass from Houston.

H2O is scheduled to start the three games of this showdown, and in that order. While it bodes well for the Phillies, one would be foolish to count out the Braves, and it would behoove all Phillies fans and baseball fans in general to watch all nine innings and prepare to watch an extra-inning game or two.

Knowing a sweep would virtually lock up the NL East for the hometown Fightins, the prediction here is that the Braves will find a way to win one of the games. If this holds true, the Phillies will extend their division lead to four, and the Braves will still be on top of the wild-card hunt.

In other words, the Phillies and Braves may very well face each other again even after October 3, and for even bigger marbles than this series offers.

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Domonic Brown: Fantasy Baseball Minor League Player of the Year

The Philadelphia Phillies outfield has one major question mark surrounding it heading into 2011;  two, if you are concerned with the age of Raul Ibanez.

Of course, the major question surrounds Jayson Werth and if he re-signs with the Phillies. Of course, when you have a talent like Domonic Brown waiting in the wings, the concerns are minimized.  He’s gotten a taste of Major League action in 2010 (.214 in 56 AB), but he spent the majority of time in Double & Triple-A, posting the following line:

343 At Bats
.327 Batting Average (112 Hits)
20 Home Runs
68 RBI
65 Runs
17 Stolen Bases
.391 On Base Percentage
.589 Slugging Percentage
.369 Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP)

Brown is deserving of this award (remember, the recipient is someone we think can make an impact in 2011), but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have concerns. First of all is the BABIP, which we all know is above average. Granted, he has the speed to justify a better number, but .370 is a bit too much.

Couple that with a 21.6 percent strikeout rate, which will likely rise when he plays regularly for the Phillies (he’s at 39.3 percent in his limited duty), and it’s impossible to imagine him hitting over .300. 

Brown appears to be more of a .280-ish hitter, max, though that’s certainly not going to make him unusable.

The power is tough to get a grip on. Just look at a few of his fly ball rates:

• Double-A (233 AB) — 41.0 percent
• Triple-A (104 AB) — 25.3 percent
• Major Leagues — 35.1 percent
• Minor League Career (1,581 AB) — 33.5 percent

Brown’s a little bit all over the map, but he’s also just 23 years old, so he still has time to add strength as he continues to grow. Plus, factor in the Citizen’s Bank Ballpark effect, and we aren’t going to worry much about his ability to hit home runs.

As long as he hits the ball in the air enough – which he does – he could accidentally hit 20 home runs. As he adds more power, there’s no reason to think that he can’t be a 30-35 home run threat. He’s shown it already this year, with two home runs in just 28 at-bats in his home ballpark.

He’s not likely to be there yet, but you never know.

The speed is there, there’s little questioning that. 

Brown’s always shown the ability to steal 20-plus bases, and while his ultimate spot in the batting order will determine how much he’s able to run, as well as his RBI and run upside, the potential will be there in 2011.

Of course, the ultimate question is if he fills a spot in the Phillies 2011 lineup. If Werth ultimately re-signs, which is probably unlikely, he’ll find himself back at Triple-A.

However, there are some negatives, and things Brown needs to work on, but his power/speed potential certainly make him a prospect to watch in all formats for 2011.

Others considered:

• Tagg Bozied (3B) — .315, 27 HR, 92 RBI — The presence of Placido Polanco, as well as being a 31-year-old at Double-A, make it impossible to hand him this award.  It’s an impressive season, but he’s not likely to make a major impact in 2011.
• Austin Hyatt (SP) — 12 W, 3.32 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 181 K — The majority of his success has come at Single-A, as he actually struggled in a brief stint at Double-A (4.91 ERA over 22.0 IP).  There’s no guarantee he gets a shot in 2011, but he’s certainly worth keeping an eye on.

What are your thoughts on Brown? Will he be a Phillies regular in 2011? How good could he be?

Make sure to check out previous Fantasy Baseball Minor League Player of the Year Award articles:

• Atlanta Braves
• Kansas City Royals

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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Philadelphia Phillies in 2010: Better Than the 2009 and 2008 Versions?

For the Philadelphia Phillies, the 2008 and 2009 seasons brought a level of on-the-field success unmatched in franchise history.

Never before had the Phillies won two straight National League pennants. And the 2008 World Series championship was only the second in the team’s 117-year history.

The 2008 and 2009 Philadelphia Phillies were undoubtedly two of the best teams in franchise history.

The 2010 Phillies are even better.

An epic choke is possible, of course. Just ask the New York Mets. But is it premature to make this statement, considering that two weeks still remain in the regular season?

Not necessarily. The statistics convincingly show that this version of the Phillies is a legitimate upgrade over the past two incarnations. 

 

The Raw Numbers

In 2008, the Phillies finished the season with a winning percentage of .568. The 2009 season brought a slight improvement, as the Fightin’ Phils bumped the ratio up to .574.

This year? With only twelve games remaining in the season, the Phillies have a winning percentage of .593, tops in the National League.

The Phillies have only had eight seasons in their long history with a higher winning percentage.

Philadelphia has scored less runs in 2010 than in 2008 and 2009, but the team has also done a far better job of run prevention.

In 2010, the team has averaged 4.76 runs per game, in comparison to 5.06 in 2009 and 4.93 in 2008. The team can still score, but there has been a bit of a dropoff. However, the Phillies have made up for it with their improved pitching.

The team has allowed only 4.04 runs per game in 2010. In 2009, the Phils allowed 4.37 runs, and in 2008, they allowed 4.19 runs.

The runs scored/runs allowed numbers are fairly comparable. But barring a late collapse, the Phillies will win more games in 2010 than they did in either 2009 or 2008. 

 

The Starting Pitching

The 2008 Phillies are viewed fondly by fans all over the city. That’s what a world championship will do.

But it has been quickly forgotten that the Phillies rode a fairly mediocre rotation to that World Series title.

Cole Hamels was the ace of the staff in 2008, posting a 3.09 ERA and a 3.72 FIP. Those numbers would be good for fourth best on the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies.

Roy Halladay is the Cy Young favorite in 2010, with a 2.49 ERA and 3.01 FIP. Midseason acquisition Roy Oswalt has a 1.94 ERA and 3.32 FIP as a Phillie. And the 2010 Hamels is superior to the 2008 Hamels. His 3.01 ERA and 3.62 FIP are both an eyelash better than his numbers in 2008.

Jamie Moyer was the second-best starting pitcher in the 2008 rotation. And while his 3.71 ERA proved essential to the team’s regular season success, it was a bit luck-aided. His FIP was a more mediocre 4.32.

Joe Blanton’s FIP in 2010 is an almost-identical 4.33. Essentially, after removing luck on batted balls in play, the Phillies’ No. 2 starting pitcher in 2008 is basically as good the Phillies’ No. 4 starting pitcher in 2010.

Brett Myers circa 2008 was average-at-best, with a 4.55 ERA and 4.52 FIP. And he was the team’s third-best starter.

The 2010 rotation is also far better than the 2009 rotation. While Cliff Lee was stellar in a Phillies’ uniform, his 3.39 ERA and 2.83 FIP is essentially matched by Oswalt’s numbers. Halladay is a significant upgrade over J.A. Happ, and Hamels is a far superior pitcher in 2010 than he was in 2009. 

 

Position Players

The 2010 Phillies have been ravaged by injuries, and the position players have been hit particularly hard. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins have all missed significant amounts of time. Each of these three players were key contributors in 2008 and 2009.

In addition, players such as Utley, Howard, and Raul Ibanez are hitting worse in 2010 than they did in 2008 and 2009.

Despite this, however, the overall healthy lineup of the Phillies has never been deeper, mainly because of two major upgrades at key positions.

In 2008, Pedro Feliz was a poor hitter (.705 OPS), but made up for it with solid fielding, resulting in a decent WAR of 1.6. He repeated the pattern in 2009, posting a WAR of 1.7.

However, the Phillies allowed Feliz to leave in the 2009 offseason, picking up Placido Polanco to replace him.

Polanco has been stellar. His OPS is an improvement over Feliz (.727), and he has proven to be just as strong of a fielder, if not stronger. His 2010 WAR of 3.3 is good for fourth on the team amongst position players.

But the biggest improvement has been at the catcher’s spot.

In 2008, the combo of Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste combined for 1.3 WAR. It was a consistent hole in the lineup. The next year was better, as the two combined for 2.5 WAR.

But Carlos Ruiz’s 2010 breakout has resulted in a gigantic boost in catcher WAR on the Phillies. Ruiz and backup Brian Schneider together have posted 4.1 wins over replacement, with 3.7 coming from Ruiz himself.

Some of the Phillies’ heavy hitters may be having disappointing or age-induced poor seasons this year. But the balance of the 2010 lineup likely helps to limit the damage. 

 

The Bullpen

The bullpen of the 2010 Phillies has been maligned at times this season.

Closer Brad Lidge had a poor start to the season. Ryan Madson broke his toe kicking a chair.

But the 2010 bullpen is actually at basically the same level as the 2009 bullpen, and it has fewer question marks entering the postseason.

In 2009, the bullpen posted a 3.91 ERA. Currently, the 2010 incarnation has a 4.00 ERA.

The 2010 team also does not have a closer with an ERA above 7.00. This season’s Lidge had a fantastic August and has returned to relative reliability.

The 2008 version was far superior to both, with a 3.22 ERA. That was a significant advantage for the future world champs.

But they also had bigger holes in the lineup and an inferior rotation.

The dominant bullpen is not enough to make up the difference. 

 

Conclusion

The Phillies teams of 2008 and 2009 were fantastic. Two National League pennants and one World Series title.

It should make fans very excited that the 2010 team, at least on paper, is superior to both.

Obviously, the Phillies must hold onto their playoff spot in order to justify this article. But considering the fact that the Phils hold a 5.5 game edge over the second-place team in the Wild Card race (San Diego) with only 12 games remaining, it seems likely that Philadelphia will yet again compete for a World Series title.

If they make it, they will have the best overall roster in recent Phillies history to try to help them win another championship.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

PhIlly Fans Celebrate Phillies and Eagles Victories In Sunny Philadelphia

It may not always be sunny in Philadelphia, but Philly sports fans could not have asked much more from the last official Sunday of summer.

On a day so gorgeous that it was hard to stay indoors, there were rewards to be had for those who were glued to the tube for the NFL and MLB action.  Late September can be a wonderful time of year—both indoors and outdoors—when things fall into place. Yet it was looking a little cloudy at around 4:30 p.m. or so.

The Eagles visited the usually toothless Detroit Lions and proceeded to get on the board on a well-timed 45-yard throw-and-catch from the rehabilitated Michael Vick to speedster wideout DeSean Jackson.  The next 15 or so minutes was all Detroit—and more specifically, impressive rookie Jahvid Best—who scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead.

The Birds struck back quickly to score two touchdowns in the last four minutes of the first half to regain a hard-earned 21-17 lead.

While it would have been tempting to catch some rays at halftime, the pennant race beckoned, and the Phils—behind the solid pitching of Joe Blanton and two RBI from backup battery-mate Brian Schneider—were cruising to a 3-1 lead over the Nationals (and a series sweep) after five innings.  Of course, that was before, some guy named Michael Morse (what TV series was he in again?) channeled his inner Albert Pujols and mashed a three-run homer to right center. 

When another nobody named Danny Espinosa took Danys Baez deep in the top of the seventh—thus winning the all-important battle of the Dannys—the Nats took a 5-3 lead.

Meanwhile, love him, hate him or still feling neutral (and do we ever have mixed feelings in sunny Philaelphia?) Michael Vick looked like the Vick of old (and even better in leading the Eagles to a ho-hum 35-17 lead over those de-clawed Lions.  Andy Reid even rediscovered LeSean McCoy, who would rush for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns on a relatively high 16 carries.  The huge lead left plenty of time for catching some rays…

…of hope from the Phillies.  Down 5-3 in the bottom of the 7th, Placido Polanco and Chase Utley singled to put runners on first and second with none out. With RBI machine Ryan Howard (and hot bats to follow in Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez) things were looking good until someone named Scott Burnett (who is actually much better than his 0-7 record would indicate) struck out Howard and Werth back-to-back and retired Ibanez.

The Nats would stretch their lead to 6-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth, and it was time to see how much the Eagles had padded their lead…

…only career backup Shaun Hill—of all people—was leading a touchdown drive, capped by a two-yard run from Best to make the score look a little better for Lions fans, 35-24. Before you knew it or had a chance to concentrate on the Phillies, Hill was finding star-crossed Calvin Johnson (who caught the game-winning touchdown last week only to be screwed, er… denied…  by a terrible ruling) for a touchdown that was, of course, called back.  No problem, Hill found him again for a touchdown that held up, and a two-point conversion to close within a field goal, 35-32.

When the Lions recovered the (expected) onside kick with good field position and nearly two minutes to tie or win the game, it was looking just a little dicey for a defense that is still trying to find its identity.

Meanwhile, one wanted to see if the Phillies could pull off one of those amazing, patented ninth-inning comebacks of theirs.  Down a field goal, er, three runs, Polanco slapped a single to left center, followed by a double down the left field line from Utley.  With the base open, the Nats elected to pitch to Howard who stroked a clean single to center, plating Polanco and Utley.

The scene was set for Jayson Werth, who has had an up-and-down year, and is just starting to wake up and show signs of hitting in the clutch.  Werth, who missed a friendly looking fastball earlier in the count, worked a full count and fouled a pitch back. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, the bearded wonder launched another fastball from Drew (“I Have Three Career Saves”) Storen that was headed towards the 409-foot sign in dead center.  Could it be?

Let’s just say that it’s September in sunny Philadelphia, the Phils are white hot, and the Bank had no shot at holding it.  Ho-hum, a four-run inning with no outs in their last at-bat to sweep the Nats and stay three games ahead of the Braves going into their three-game showdown starting tomorrow.

Was there truly a cause for celebration?  Yes, as the Birds defense stiffened up in time to force Shaun Hill and company into a four-and-out. Exhilaration from the Phils, and relief from the Birds with two or so hours of sunshine remaining!

Let it be said that the Birds and Fightins were carried today, by  Michael Vick and Jayson Werth, respectively—two players that will probably be playing elsewhere next year. But that discussion is for anther time.

With a couple hours to bask in all this, it was now time to tune into a player who was our franchise for 11 years, and was now hurling pigskins in Washington, D.C. Donovan McNabb, looking sharp despite no effective running game (sound familiar?), a suspect O-line (hmmm), and his top two wideouts consisting of aging smurfs Joey Galloway and Santana Moss was throwing for over 400 yards and no turnovers.

But the Houston Texans, behind a huge game from underrated quarterback Matt Schaub, rallied to tie the game at 27-27 to force overtime.  The overtime had more drama that I’ll recount here, and featured a game-winning 52-yard field goal by a Redskins kicker named Graham Gano that would have been good from about 72. 

Hold on.  Houston was apparently “in the process of calling a timeout” and, forced to do it again, Gano’s kick was wide right.  The Texans took advantage of the great field position to mount a short drive that would culminate in a 35-yard “walkoff” field goal to deny McNabb and the Skins a 2-0 start to their season.

All the better for the Eagles, who found themselves now tied with the Skins at 1-1, and a game ahead of the dreaded Cowboys who were losing to Jay Cutler and company to drop to 0-2. All we needed was a New York Giants loss, and a share of (very early) first place in the NFC East would be ours.

Could it be? It was time to watch a little Sunday night football, as the Giants traveled to Indianapolis for the Manning Bowl.  Eagles fans, and Philly Nation as a whole, got their wish and the cherry to a beautiful Sunday sundae as Peyton and the Colts trounced Eli and company 38-14.

First place (of sorts) for the Birds and three games up in first for the Phils. 

Yes, it was close to midnight, and it was also quite sunny in Philadelphia, even if the weather forecast was pending the outcome of the upcoming three-game showdown between the Phillies and the Braves.

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