5 Keys to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Insane Resurgence

Maybe their chances are a bit slimmer after their four-game series loss against the Houston Astros this past weekend, but the Philadelphia Phillies—that series aside—have been as hot as anyone in baseball in the past month.

Since August 17, the Phils have gone 19-6, and before their deadly series against Houston, they had gone 19-3. That’s incredible.

Coming off a seven-game winning streak, the Phillies dropped three games to Houston this past weekend, and after climbing back over .500 on Wednesday for the first time since June 4, the Phils have dropped back under just as quickly.

Sitting at 73-74 before play against the New York Mets, the Phils absolutely have a chance to get back over .500, and they certainly have a chance to nab the second NL Wild Card spot—though that will be a much more daunting task.

It’s taken a lot for the Phillies to get back to where they sit now. Even though they are still four games shy of a playoff spot and are statistically unable to win their sixth straight NL East division title, the Phils are far from out of anything.

Had you asked me on August 17 when the Phillies were 54-65, I would’ve still thrown out any hopes for the Fightins’. But that’s why they’re the Fightins’—they simply don’t give up, even when the fans may have done so already.

Whether it’s because the offense has turned it on, the pitching has gathered itself, the bullpen is no longer a liability or a mix of the three, the Phils have turned it on at just the right time. Here’s five reasons why their sudden turnaround has come to fruition.

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4 Prospects the Phillies Must Turn to NOW to Fulfill Epic Wild-Card Comeback

After Monday night’s 3-1 win over the Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies have evened their 2012 record at 74-74 and now trail the Cardinals for the second wild-card spot by only 3.5 games. Not bad for a team that traded a pair of All-Star outfielders (Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence) at the trade deadline and was declared down and out.

However, as they always seem to do, the Phillies are right back in the playoff race after posting a 17-12 record in August and 11-5 record in September. Of the 28 total wins, the three-headed monster of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels have accounted for 13 of them.

With 14 games remaining, including three against the Braves and six against the Nationals, the Phillies will need contributions from every player on their roster in order to secure a postseason berth.

While veterans like Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will likely carry the team—as they always seem to do at this time of year—it’s the Phillies’ prospects who could ultimately make the greatest impact.

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How MLB’s Worst Team Put an End to the Phillies’ Shocking Charge

The story of last week’s four-game series (Sept. 13-16) between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros was going to write itself. 

The Phillies came into the series as one of the hottest teams in MLB, winning 15 of their previous 19 games and playing themselves into contention for the second wild-card playoff spot in the NL. It was an amazing turnaround for a team that held last place in the NL East in early August.

The Astros welcomed the Phillies to Minute Maid Park having lost six of their past 11 games. That doesn’t sound so bad, but draw the schedule out a bit further and you see a team that went 5-10 in its past 15 games and 6-15 in its last 21. 

But that information probably wasn’t necessary to remind you that the Astros are the worst team in MLB. As of Sept. 13, Houston had a 46-98 record that put it 41 games behind the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central. The Astros were 10 games behind the next-worst team, the Chicago Cubs. They will very likely surpass last year’s 106-loss season. 

Facing that matchup, the Phillies were sure to take at least three of four from the Astros, right? Maybe a four-game sweep was possible, given how well Philadelphia had been playing. At the very least, the two teams would split, which is how a four-game series often plays out. 

Instead, it was the Phillies who lost three out of four games to the Astros, screeching their momentum to a halt.

This was a bucket of ice-cold water over their heads. You could probably use at least five more metaphors to explain how bad this was for the Phillies, employing elements such as fire, explosions, implosions and potholes—don’t let me limit your creativity here.

It could be argued that the Phillies didn’t lose any ground. Before the series with Houston, Philadelphia was four games out in the wild-card race. After losing three of four, the Phillies are still four games behind with a record of 73-74 on Sept. 17. 

However, there are now four fewer games on the schedule in which to make up that four-game deficit. The Phillies have only 15 games remaining in the regular season to cover those four games. Even worse for them, the Milwaukee Brewers have continued to play well and are now 1.5 games ahead of Philadelphia in the standings. 

So, just how did things fall apart so badly for the Phillies against the worst team in baseball?

 

Hitters Didn’t Hit

Ryan Howard batted 4-for-16 in the four games versus the Astros. (Though he did drive in six runs.) Chase Utley went 3-for-12 with three RBI. Carlos Ruiz hit 1-for-10. 

Opponents don’t often intentionally walk the No. 3 in the batting order to face the cleanup hitter. That’s the big stick in the lineup, usually the most likely threat to crush the ball out of the park.

Yet on Sunday, as CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury noted, the Astros twice put Utley on base to face Howard. Houston manager Tony DeFrancesco saw how poorly Howard was swinging the bat and didn’t see a risk. 

As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki pointed out, the Phillies hit .161 with runners in scoring position during the past four games. Yet they still averaged 5.5 runs per game, which should be enough to win most of the time. 

 

Where Was the Pitching?

Tyler Cloyd allowed three runs in three innings in the series opener. Cole Hamels gave up four runs (three earned) over seven innings in the second game.

Up next, Kyle Kendrick was touched up for four runs in five innings. Then in the series finale, Roy Halladay allowed three runs in six innings. 

Two of those starts gave the Phillies a chance to win (and they won one of those games), but how about their bullpen?

Phillippe Aumont allowed four runs in his two outings, covering 0.2 of an inning. Overall, as Zolecki mentioned, Phillies relievers compiled a 5.25 ERA during the four games against the Astros. They allowed 10 runs, 12 hits and seven walks in 12 innings of work, blowing two leads in the process. 

Did the Phillies just not take the Astros seriously, looking at the worst team in the majors and think a series win was assured? Perhaps they were looking ahead to a presumably more rugged series with the New York Mets and a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves after that. 

But maybe the Astros were just a bad matchup.

As the Houston Chronicle‘s Zachary Levine writes, the roster is versatile with several players that can play different positions and pinch-hit constantly to get the best left-right matchup late in the game. Halladay said to Salisbury that Phillies pitchers could never figure out what Astros hitters were trying to do. Going to the plate without a plan, if that was the case, seems to have helped.

The Phillies have put themselves in a tough position from this point on. They basically have to win every series remaining on the schedule. With the Mets, Braves and Nationals looming ahead, that won’t be an easy task. Their playoff chances may be finished. 

 

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C’mon Phillies Fans, Let’s Do the Twist!

No visit to South Philly is complete without a soundtrack and the songs chosen by the Phillies give fans a pretty good one to listen to. http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/fan_forum/player_songs.jsp

Fans know they are at Citizen’s Bank Park and Cliff Lee is set to pitch the moment they hear Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” blaring from the speakers.

As it should be, Phillies fans exit the stadium victorious to a decidedly different tune: “High Hopes,” as sung by the late, great Phillies announcer Harry Kalas. The familiar refrain never fails to produce a crowd sing-a-long or the occasional tear.

No matter how this season turns out, it demands a playlist of its own. From the Phillies’ unexpected drop from contention to the team’s equally surprising climb back in, the drama is worthy of an appropriate soundtrack.

Track one: “Train Kept a Rollin’,” by Aerosmith

This one’s for Phillies catcher Carlos “Chooch Train” Ruiz. He steamed through the season’s first four months, leading National League catchers in nearly every category. Ruiz carried the team until a foot injury derailed him—fortunately he is now getting back on track.

Track two: “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” John Denver

Sometimes addition does result from subtraction. Still, the departures of Jim Thome, Joe Blanton, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino suggested otherwise. Blanton and Victorino helped secure a parade down Broad Street in 2008 and Thome and Pence helped put the “Fightin’” in Phillies, so they all remain missed.

Track three: “Tempted by the Fruit of Another,” Squeeze

In August, a contingent of Phillies fans became fickle. Empty seats appeared, as did jerseys of other teams. Citizens Bank Bark suddenly looked like Veterans Stadium in the late 1990s. Phillies from that era even materialized on the field to induct former catcher Mike Lieberthal into the Phillies Hall of Fame.

Track four: “The Boys are Back in Town,” Thin Lizzy

One by one the players came back. First came the “Big Piece,” Ryan Howard. He doubled in his first at bat. Next came Chase Utley who, to the familiar refrain of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” stepped into the batter’s box. He promptly hit one over the wall in left center. If fans listened, they could hear Harry Kalas humming.

Track five: “New Kid in Town,” The Eagles

Domonic Brown is, once more, the future that once was. The Phillies’ heralded prospect, often injured and unimpressive while called up each of the last two years, is at last showing some promise. Brown’s batting average remains anemic, but the young outfielder is solid on defense and is beginning to show some pop at the plate.

Track six: “We Can Be Heroes,” David Bowie

Kevin Frandsen is unlikely to supplant Michael Jack Schmidt at third base anytime soon in anyone’s mind. It is equally hard to foresee the future of recent additions, such as Nate Schierholtz and Erik Kratz. Lately, though, all have contributed to the Phillies resurgence. For now, that is enough.

Track seven: “Run Like Hell,” Pink Floyd

All Juan Pierre does is get on base. Then, he steals second. In fact, rare is the night he goes hitless. He does whatever the team asks and always provides a spark in the process. Pierre is hitting nearly 20 points above his career average this season and remains a terror on the basepaths.

Track eight: “Eye of the Tiger,” Survivor

There had to be a Rocky theme somewhere—this is a Philly list after all. Besides, manager Charlie Manuel still has it—the eye of the tiger, that is. Despite everything this season, the Phillies skipper has remained committed to winning, each and every day. Manuel insists that players play like they mean it. Just ask Jimmy Rollins.

Track nine: “The Twist,” Chubby Checker

Speaking of Philly institutions, c’mon Phillies fans, let’s twist again, like we did last summer! There is a big homestand on the immediate horizon with the Braves and Nats coming to town. Whatever happens, it is mid-September and meaningful baseball still awaits. This year, that is worth celebrating and, who knows, this may only be the beginning. 

Bonus track: “Just One Victory,” Todd Rundgren

Phillies 4, Braves 1, let the postseason begin!

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5 Things the Philadelphia Phillies Must Do to Make the 2012 Playoffs

With only 15 games left in the 2012 regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies margin for error is so finite that losing even one game may be what decides whether or not they make the postseason.

After one of the most disappointing first halves of a season in recent memory, the Phillies have put themselves in position to sneak into the second wild-card spot. A lot has to go their way, but anything is possible.

There are five things that must happen in order for the Phillies to make the playoffs in 2012 and here they are.

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25 Reasons for Philadelphia Phillies Fans to Remain Confident About 2013

Citizens Bank Park has looked kind of empty on more than one occasion this season. 

With the way the last couple of seasons have gone for the Philadelphia Phillies, that’s quite the oddity. With an impressive string of division titles, the Phillies had built themselves quite the fanbase. Philadelphia has always been a baseball city.

If you build a good team, the fans will come—and they’ll be loud, supportive and a major advantage during a postseason race. 

But the fans made it clear that they were growing tired of the Phillies’ song and dance this season. Injuries mounted and the replacements were subpar. The organization made questionable moves and the fanbase responded in the best way it knew how—by staying home. 

The Phillies’ impressive sellout streak came to an end this season, and that served as the personification of the fans’ displeasure. 

Maybe it was motivation for the club as well. 

After the streak ended, the Phillies started playing their brand of baseball again. They’ve been one of the best clubs in the game following the July 31 trade deadline and have somehow stormed  back into postseason contention. 

All of a sudden, it feels like playoff baseball in this city again. But that’s just one reason not to give up on this club in 2013. 

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MLB: Phillies Losing Series to Astros Will Cement Failed 2012 Season

Where do we start? A lot has gone wrong with the Phillies in 2012, and just when you were convinced things were turning around, they lost a four-game series to the worst team in the major leagues. They also fell to below .500, again, at 73-74.

Charlie Manuel’s decisions with the bullpen turned out disastrously—a common thread for the majority of the 2012 season.

Is Charlie simply making terrible decisions, or is everyone in the bullpen just that bad?

My guess is probably a little bit of both.

Manuel likes for pitchers to pitch out of trouble. Thing is, he doesn’t have pitchers who are capable of that, so he needs a much shorter leash with all of them. It seems like whoever he brings in gets shelled. What he is doing isn’t working. He needs to adapt to the players he has. Charlie has some raw talent in his bullpen—he just has to use the right tool for the job. 

The Phillies are not playing like a playoff team—at the plate, on the mound and especially in the field. The last few weeks have certainly made it clear that third base is a serious issue moving forward.

Kevin Frandsen has hit very well since being called up, but his defense has been sporadic, to say the least. How Michael Martinez is on a major league roster is mind-boggling. He’s a 30-year-old batting .172 (17-99) with an OPS of .474. His career numbers are consistently as bad, a career average of .188 in 308 at-bats. 

The Phillies have to adjust their outfield situation as well—they do not have one legitimate starting outfielder going into 2013. Pierre has had the best season by far and he just turned 35. Brown seems to be the only outfielder who will be guaranteed a starting spot next year.

They need power and they need it bad. 

The Phillies head to New York next, a must-sweep if the Phillies have any chance at all to make a playoff run. Their schedule after that is not an easy one, to say the least. Atlanta, Washington, Miami and then back to Washington.

It’s not an easy road ahead, but stranger things have happened. Either way, the Phillies have one of the most important upcoming offseasons in a long, long time.

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Should the Phillies Make Ryne Sandberg MLB Manager in ’13 to Avoid Losing Him?

Could Ryne Sandberg be the Philadelphia Phillies‘ manager in 2013?

Probably not, because Charlie Manuel is under contract to be the Phillies’ skipper next season and the team likely doesn’t want to eat the reported $3.75 million he’s set to be paid in the final year of his contract. 

However, the fact that the Phillies haven’t offered Manuel a contract extension beyond next year could be a sign of the team’s future intentions. The typical move made in this situation is to offer a manager at least a one-year extension so that he doesn’t look like a “lame duck” whose job status gives him little authority.

Yet according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, Sandberg is highly regarded within the Phillies organization. The former Chicago Cubs second baseman is currently the skipper for Philadelphia’s Triple-A Lehigh Valley team and could be a popular candidate to fill some managerial openings around MLB next year. 

If the Phillies view Sandberg as their manager of the future, can they afford to leave him out there for another team to hire? 

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledges that there’s “nothing to be done” if Sandberg wants to take a big league managing job next year. But the hope in the organization seems to be for Sandberg to bide his time for one more season and take over in the Phillies dugout for 2014. 

Is Sandberg willing to wait one more year for his first major league managing job? He worked his way through the Cubs’ minor league organization for four years, showing that he was willing to pay his dues and prove his merit as a manager.

There was no payoff, however, as Sandberg was passed over for Mike Quade when Lou Piniella retired as Cubs manager in 2010. Disappointed at not getting a promotion and not seeing much of a future for himself with the Cubs, Sandberg took a job with the Phillies to be their Triple-A manager.

How many major league teams will be looking for new managers next year?

The Houston Astros will definitely have an opening after firing Brad Mills and finishing the season with interim manager Tony DeFrancesco. The Boston Red Sox will almost certainly fire Bobby Valentine when the regular season ends. 

Valentine’s firing could create a vacancy in Toronto if the Red Sox pursue Blue Jays manager John Farrell. The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo reports that Farrell, who was a pitching coach for four years under Terry Francona, is the Red Sox’s top choice to replace Valentine. 

If Manny Acta’s job status with the Cleveland Indians is shaky, as Heyman speculated earlier this week (Sept. 11), that could present another potential opportunity for a prospective manager. 

Sandberg would be a good candidate for any of those jobs. He might be especially appealing for the Astros since he has so much experience managing developing players in the minor leagues. 

Nothing has apparently been promised to Sandberg by the Phillies. Amaro‘s “nothing to be done” comment virtually confirms that. Sandberg‘s experience with the Cubs also surely taught him that there’s no such thing as a chain of succession when it comes to teams hiring managers. A “manager-in-waiting” is often left waiting. 

So if Sandberg has a chance at an opportunity elsewhere, he will almost certainly take it. There just aren’t that many major league managing jobs available. 

Yet Sandberg might also realize that the best job will open up for him in 2014 if Manuel retires after his contract runs out. If Sandberg is viewed as favorably within the Phillies organization as Heyman reports, waiting might be the best move for him. He’ll likely have a contending team to manage and a general manager behind him who wants to keep winning. 

But the Phillies shouldn’t panic and give Sandberg the job for 2013 because they’re worried about losing him. Manuel is a proven commodity who managed five consecutive first-place teams and led the Phillies to back-to-back World Series. 

Perhaps there was some thought that Manuel shouldn’t be back next season when the Phillies were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball. Now that the team has played itself into contention for an NL wild-card playoff spot, however, he’s shown that he can still manage capably with a healthy roster. 

Manuel has earned the right to finish out his contract. He’s arguably earned an extension, but perhaps views next season as his last. Letting Manuel go out on his terms and lead a Phillies team that should be improved and a contender in the NL East next year is the right move. 

If that means losing Sandberg, so be it. But the right move for him might be to stick around in the organization for just one more year.

Putting Sandberg on Manuel’s coaching staff next year might be a nice assurance for his future, however. Why not ensure a smooth transition?

 

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One Stat That Sums Up Each Philadelphia Phillies Player’s 2012 Season

Leave it to the Philadelphia Phillies to jump back into a postseason race after seemingly being on the brink of destruction just a few short weeks ago. 

But that’s the kind of year it’s been for the Phillies. Just when you’ve accepted the fact that they were dealt a bad hand out of the gate and folded at the trade deadline—they go and rattle off a big winning streak and jump into the Wild Card hunt. 

So what’s the difference? Why are the Phillies playing so much better right now than they were early in the season? 

Well, one of the biggest factors is their return to health. Any time you add guys like Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, you are going to get any worse. 

But that’s not the only factor. Not only did those guys give this club a boost with their return to the active roster, but other players are just playing better. 

Thee is some youth on this club now and they’re revitalized. One way to see the difference is to tell a player’s story through a single statistic—what made him good or bad? 

Maybe then we can see why this team is clicking right now.

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The Philadelphia Phillies Can’t Possibly Pull off Another Playoff Run

Once again this Philadelphia Phillies team has come through and put together yet another amazing late-reason run when it mattered most.  Fans have suddenly gotten back into the game and there is a rekindled electricity at Citizens Bank Park these days.  However, will their effort be enough to launch the Phillies to their sixth consecutive post-season appearance?  Odds say no, that the hole they dug themselves is far too deep to climb out of, and whatever last-ditch run they make will be for naught when the final curtain closes on the 2012 regular season. 

 The top five reasons the Phillies will fail to rebound this season.

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