MLB 2011 Preview: Full Philadelphia Phillies Roster Breakdown, Predictions
February 21, 2011 by Gregory Pinto
Filed under Fan News
Spring training is in full swing and one thought has been echoed all around Clearwater, Florida, from Phillies’ camp—this team is hungry. After appearing in two straight World Series, and winning one, being eliminated in the National League Championship Series by the eventual world champion San Francisco Giants left an unpleasant taste in the mouths of the team and its fans alike.
In fact, this year’s goal seems relatively easy to understand—vengeance. With the team assembled in years passed, anything but a World Series title could be considered a failure in Philadelphia. Now, with the addition of Cliff Lee and an atmosphere of anticipation that is unrivaled in this city, that goal is multiplied 10-fold.
Though the rotation that General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has assembled is widely expected to cruise through the regular season and position themselves for October revenge, this staff isn’t ready to look to the future yet. If Roy Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton have said one thing in unison, it’s that they are only looking forward to their next starts. One game at a time.
They know that anything is possible. At this time last year, the talk around baseball was the strength of the Phillies’ offense, and despite finishing seventh in all of baseball in runs scored, we all know that the lineup that was assembled in Philadelphia could have done much better.
With All-Star caliber players like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard looking for healthy seasons in the prime of their careers, this Phillies team could do things that are unrivaled, both offensively and defensively, throughout the course of baseball history.
But just like that pitching staff, they’re only willing to look forward to one game at a time.
Unfortunately, the rest of us aren’t as patient as the Phillies. For baseball fans of all kinds, regardless of your loyalty, waiting for this rotation’s regular season debut has become unbearable. Will they live up to the hype?
Looking at the offense, we question many of the same things. Could the Phillies be even better than anticipated on the strength of a veteran, resurgent offense?
For that, we’ll take an in-depth look at everything Philadelphia Phillies, so that we may all be prepared for the upcoming baseball season that is sure to live in the minds of Phillies fans forever, regardless of the outcome.