Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Reasons They Can Make a Run in the Second Half
July 17, 2012 by Alec Snyder
Filed under Fan News
It’s been said time and time again: The 2012 season hasn’t been in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ favor.
Throughout the season, a myriad of worst possible outcomes have occurred for the Fightin’ Phils. Cliff Lee only won his first game just before the halfway point of the season. Roy Halladay, one of the game’s most durable pitchers, went on the DL for the first time in years.
The bullpen, on the whole, has been horrendous. Freddy Galvis, a ray of hope at times for this team, got hurt, then got slammed with a 50-game suspension for PEDs. And what do you know, the team sits at 40-51, good for last place in the NL East and 13 games behind the first-place…Washington Nationals.
There have been a few reasons not to give up on this team, though.
Carlos Ruiz finally got his national due as he made the NL All-Star team and is one of the league’s top players. Cole Hamels, though an impending free agent without a contract extension, has pitched admirably for the Phils. And aside from a couple of exceptions, Jonathan Papelbon has been great as the team’s closer (if only he had more save opportunities).
While a majority of fans have given up on the season for the Phillies, there is still reason to believe that this team can come back. For now, at least. But there is hope. The team’s just a good winning streak away from being in the NL wild-card hunt.
Whether or not that can happen is a different story, but this team is known for being a second-half team in recent years. It’s possible.
Here’s five reasons why a magical playoff run is still possible in 2012.