Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Keys to 2011 Postseason Glory

Halloween in Philadelphia has historically fallen during the frigid portion of the Fall season.  But in 2008, millions of fans still felt the chills even as the sun washed over the crowded streets and sidewalks.  Their lovable band of hometown stars mixed with valuable role players finished a dream season by bringing the city its first title in a quarter-century.

While the memories of a remarkable postseason run are still present around the City of Brotherly love, recent success and promising acquisitions have left fans with a hunger for another World Series Championship.  The talent assembled by GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has given the Phillies an extended window to deliver the ultimate prize to its supporters, but the last two years have fallen just short of this lofty expectation.

2009 saw the Phillies tripped up by Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees in six games in the World Series.  Last season, Juan Uribe’s Giants extinguished Philadelphia’s hopes at Citizens Bank Park with a decisive home run late in Game 6.  With possibly the best team in franchise history, anything comparable to past failures would be nearly impossible to swallow.

Looking ahead to this edition of October’s tournament, the Phillies will need to avoid some of the pitfalls that have plagued them over the past two tries at the title.  Recapturing the magic in October lies in these 10 keys to postseason victory for Philadelphia…

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why a Few Losses Are Exactly What the Phillies Need

The Philadelphia Phillies are one game away from clinching a playoff spot.  They have just dropped two games in a row, and this is a good thing.  There is no way they are going to miss the playoffs.  In fact, they are going to be the unquestioned No. 1 seed of the National League. 

So what do a few losses mean right now?

A loss ensures that the Phillies do not become complacent going into the playoffs.  They are the best team in the league, but in a short series, anything can happen.  They need to be reminded of this. 

The 2011 Philadelphia Phillies have all the pieces in place to win the World Series.  The only team that can truly beat them are themselves.  The focus of this team must remain unwavering.

In Philadelphia, we enjoy being the underdog.  Though no one in the country believe the Phils are underdogs, they must remain humble and motivated.  The two losses they have suffered recently are exactly what they need remind themselves that they can still lose.  Realizing this now can do wonders to refocus everyone in the locker room.

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies had a golden road paved to the World Series.  They were being hyped to be the first team since the 1998-2001 New York Yankees to make three straight World Series. 

San Francisco had other plans.

I understand the Phillies need to clinch as quickly as possible so they can rest their players.  September has and will continue to be a very grueling schedule for them.  The time to clinch will come, but now is the time for them to be reminded that even the best teams can lose. 

Charlie Manuel will have plenty of time to rest players later in the month.  Most likely the team will lose a few of those games, but it will be expected.  I would rather see the Phillies lose a few right now and regroup instead of coasting into the playoffs unchallenged. 

I am not suggesting that the Philadelphia Phillies have gotten lazy.  In fact, a loss or two right now will ensure they never get lazy, and to me, that is why two losses in a row is a good thing.  It will keep them on their toes and force them focus on the big picture.

Since the Atlanta Braves refuse to win and push the Phillies in a divisional race, the Phillies will need to push themselves.  The only way to do this is lose now, refocus and go into the playoffs more determined than ever.

 

Thank you for the support and feedback on my first article.  It has been great to interact with the readers and be a part of the Bleacher Report family.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @ClassicJoeyMac.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Roy Oswalt, Hunter Pence Go Home to Houston

There was a baseball game in Houston last night. The Astros beat the Phillies 5-1, temporarily stalling the Phillies’ division-clinching march. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins returned to the starting lineup for Philadelphia, and Houston pitcher Brett Myers got the best of his former team.

But just recounting the score, the hits and the runs doesn’t tell the whole story of this night.

There is another story to tell. It’s a story both powerful and poignant.

It’s a story about coming home.

Yes, I know that they say you can’t go home again, but don’t tell Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence. They returned to Houston last night, the city where they both got their starts.

For Oswalt, it has been over a year since he left the Astros to join the Phillies, and most of his former teammates are now gone. But Houston will always be the place where it all began:

“The team is a little bit different but it’s still Houston. They gave me a chance coming out of junior college to play, so it’s kind of special to go back.”

Back to the place where Oswalt started his career in 2001 and developed into one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning 143 games. Oswalt still leads all Astros pitchers in winning percentage and remains second in wins and strikeouts. But after 10 years in Houston, Oswalt wanted one more chance to try for a ring and the Phillies were happy to oblige.

For Hunter Pence, the departure was much more recent, the feelings closer to the surface. He was an extremely popular player, a rising star in Houston, where he spent his entire career before being traded to the Phillies just six weeks ago.

“The whole thing was weird, coming in and saying, ‘Man I’m playing against these guys.’ It’s an eerie feeling,” Pence said.

Pence hasn’t missed a beat since joining the Phillies. His .320 batting average, eight homers and 24 RBI has quickly made him a fan favorite with his new team as well, but Pence still has friends, family and a home in Houston.

“I love Houston, and I get to go home and see some of my family,” Pence said. “I think the reason I was appreciated so much by the fans was the way I played on the field. I’m going to give you everything I’ve got. I’m going to continue to do that. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had there in Houston and I’m just going to go enjoy it.”

In the end it was the Astros who enjoyed last night’s game more than Pence and his Phillies, but the Houston fans did welcome him back with a warm standing ovation and he slept in his own bed for the first time in quite a while. Pence is happy with his new team and excited about his first chance to play in the postseason, but for both Pence and Oswalt, it’s nice to be home again, if only for a couple of days.

Yes, I know that they say there’s no place like home, but here’s the deal: Roy, Hunter—we hope you have a nice time in Houston, but don’t miss the team’s return charter to Philadelphia! And when you get back here, we promise that the city of brotherly love will make you feel right at home.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Things They Must Figure Out Before End of Season

The Philadelphia Phillies are on a roll. They’re the best team in the majors at 94-50 and their magic number to claim their NL East division title for the fifth straight year is five, the lowest in any division in baseball.

Since day one of spring training, Phillies fans have been anticipating the season and what it would bring.  Their ace-studded rotation consisting of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt has lived up to the hype despite Vance Worley taking the place of the oft-injured Oswalt.

While the question of right fielder Jayson Werth’s replacement has been answered, albeit with the initially-unexpected Hunter Pence, there are still many lingering questions that the Phillies and their fans want answered by the end of the season. Whether on or off the field, these questions must be answered, and today we’ll try our best to answer them as accurately as possible.

Here are 25 questions the Phillies must figure out before the end of the season.

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MLB Power Rankings: Who Are the World Series Favorites Heading into Final Month?

The San Francisco Giants are still the defending World Series champions. In the coming months, they will either make a tremendous run at the division, or someone will take that title from them.

Every team is ranked here, but not every team gets their own slide. There are some grouped together merely because ranking one above the other would be splitting hairs. I’m sure even those groupings will be debated.

The Rays are the only team in my top eleven to whom I give zero chance of winning the World Series, and that’s merely an unfortunate result of their division.

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Cliff Lee: 4 Reasons Philadelphia Phillies Should Start Him in Game 1

Call it a best-case scenario come true.

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Cliff Lee last December they had one thing on their mind: a World Series Championship.

Now, nearly nine months later, the time has come to live up to expectations.

The Phillies are closing in on their fifth consecutive NL East title, as expected.

General manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. went out and acquired what was seemingly the missing piece to the team’s lineup, as expected.

The starting rotation (although Vance Worley has greatly exceeded expectations) has dominated hitters all season while helping the team avoid any prolonged losing streaks, as expected.

And now the door is about to be opened to the next set of expectations for the Phillies as they continue their historic season.

If someone had told manager Charlie Manuel in December that one of his toughest decisions this season may be deciding who should start Game 1 in the playoffs, Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, he would’ve gladly taken on the challenge.

But now the time has almost arrived for Manuel to make this decision.

And his decision should result in handing the ball to the pitcher who has appeared in the past two World Series.

No matter which pitcher takes the mounds, the Phils should have a great chance of winning Game 1.

But their chances may be best with Cliff Lee on that mound.

Call it unfinished business.

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Philadelphia Phillies Playoff Preview: Predicting the 25-Man Postseason Roster

Phillies Nation has done its best all season long to take things one game at a time and not look ahead. The Philadelphia Phillies have had the best team in baseball (on paper and in the standings) since April, and they seem like locks to win the NL East.

Projections on potential matchups are already being published, and it’s time the rest of Philadelphia jumps on the playoff bandwagon. The Phillies are going to the playoffs as the five-time defending NL East champions.

They will look to advance to their fourth-straight NLCS, with the ultimate goal of reaching their third World Series in four years. GM Ruben Amaro and manager Charlie Manuel certainly have some tough decisions ahead of them.

This is a complete projection of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 25-man postseason roster

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Philadelphia Phillies: Predicting Starting Rotation in 2015

Roy Halladay is arguably the best pitcher in Philadelphia right now. His arm never seems to tire, and he has been an incredible leader for the Philadelphia Phillies throughout the season.

However, in 2015 his contract will expire. He has three years left with an option for 2014.

He very well could be back in Philadelphia after this contract has expired, but let’s take a look at five pitchers who will possibly be in the Phillies rotation in 2015.

For this case, I will assume that he will not return just because that is all up in the air.

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Phillies Take 6 out of 7 Against NL Contenders: What We Learned

It is always fun for the fans when the Phillies go on a tear, but how about defeating two playoff contenders, one a division rival, in connecting series’?  Let the fun begin!

Earlier today, the Phillies, fresh off a sweep of the Atlanta Braves, finished up a four game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, taking three out of four at Miller Park where the Brewers are 51-22. There had been many questions earlier:

“Will the rotation continue their consistent dominance into September?”

“Does the young bullpen possess the longevity and experience to pitch well the rest of the season and into the playoffs?”

“Will the offense continue to be streaky?”

Well, this is what we learned in the last seven days.

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MLB Playoff Predictions for the 2011 Season

As the MLB 2011 season winds down, there are few certainties going into the postseason.

Locks to make the playoffs appear to be Philadelphia and Arizona in the National League and the Yankees and Tigers in the American League.

The St. Louis Cardinals appear poised to make things interesting in the NL Central trailing the Brewers by six games in the division and 4.5 games behind Atlanta in the Wildcard.

The offensively challenged defending champion San Francisco Giants are 9.5 games out in the NL West and 8.5 out in the NL Wildcard. Another World Series Championship team unable to make the playoffs the following year has to be disappointing to San Francisco fans.

In the AL, Boston trails the division leading Yankees by only 2.5 games but with a litany of injuries and pitching not playing to it’s potential their 4.5 game lead in the Wildcard is tenuous at best with Tampa Bay coming on strong at the finish line.

The Detroit Tigers would have to have a complete collapse to not make the playoffs with a 10 game lead over the White Sox entering play today.

The AL West could come down to the wire between the defending AL champion Texas Rangers clinging to a 1.5 game lead over the LA Angels.

 

No matter who makes the playoffs, the two teams to watch seem to be the Yankees and Phillies.

The Yankees have hit a major league high with 201 home runs, entering play today, and have eight players with double digit home run output—living up to their Bronx Bombers label.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Philles have a major league team leading low 3.03 ERA, entering play today, with one of the best five-man rotations in the history of the game firing on all cylinders.

Since acquiring Hunter Pence at the trade deadline Philadelphia has jumped in runs scored in the NL from ninth to fifth, despite battling continuous injuries to key players for the second year in a row.

After completing a sweep of the Atlanta Braves earlier this week and taking the first three games against Milwaukee this weekend, it’s difficult to imagine anyone seriously challenging Philadelphia’s superiority in the NL this year.

But the playoffs are the playoffs and anything could happen.

In the AL, Boston has the firepower to match the Yankees but they lack, along with Detroit, the pitching to seriously be a threat in a long series.

The AL West contenders could be an interesting challenge for New York.

Barring either enormous postseason collapses or meeting a team absolutely on fire, it’s difficult to imagine anything other than a repeat of the ’09 Fall Classic in 2011.

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