25 Biggest “Firsts” in Philadelphia Phillies History

July 12, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

Being “first” is a special feeling.

There’s a certain sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing the fact that you’ve done something that no man, woman, or child had ever done before. It’s a proud moment—one that will last for a lifetime and then some.

In baseball, being the first is that same feeling amplified times 10. The Philadelphia Phillies, who have existed in the “City of Brotherly Love” since 1883, have had plenty of firsts. Some of them were great moments never to be forgotten. Others are so infamous that it’s not possible to forget them.

But at the end of the day, none of that matters. Whether you’re a fan or a player, a manager or a front office executive, you never forget where you were during one of those “firsts.”

Who can forget Roy Halladay’s postseason no-hitter, the first in Phillies history, but just the second of all-time? How about Jim Bunning’s perfect game?

I imagine the feeling was the same when the Philadelphia Quakers captured their first win. “Firsts” are timeless, and here are some of the greatest.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

25 Bold Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies’ Second Half

July 11, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

Well, this wasn’t how they drew it up. Anyone who predicted that the Philadelphia Phillies would be dead last in the National League East and double digits out of first place should be standing in line waiting to buy a lottery ticket right about now.

The Phillies came into the regular series as the division’s favorites, and they’re ending the first half at rock bottom, looking up at each and every team in the NL East. They can barely see the Washington Nationals from this far back.

They’re a team heading into the All-Star break on their last leg, having lost all three of their last three series, all three of which were against NL East teams, two of which were sweeps at the hands of the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.

Where does this team go from here?

If you’re an optimist, they can only go up. With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley finally back in the lineup, they’ll make one last run at clawing their way back into the race, but it’ll be against tough teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Braves.

It won’t be easy. In fact, it’ll be next to impossible.

But the second half will surely be one to follow for the Phillies, no doubt. Here are some bold predictions about what you can expect out of the Phillies during the second half.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

MLB Trade Scenarios: 25 Potential Deals the Phillies Will Consider in July

July 9, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

The month of July is significant around Major League Baseball for a couple of reasons: the All-Star Game and the July 31 trade deadline. As has become the norm, the Phillies will have a hand in both this season.

But it’ll be different than the last couple of seasons.

After Cole Hamels, Carlos Ruiz, and Jonathan Papelbon help the National League in attempt to secure home-field advantage in the World Series, they’ll return to the city of Philadelphia, a city that will undoubtedly be up to its eyeballs in baseball trade rumors.

You can follow all of the rumors and transactions here, but to sum things up in a quick sentence: leading up to July 31, the Phillies will trade off anyone and everyone that they can get value on for the future. That includes, but doesn’t end with, Hamels and Shane Victorino.

The following slideshow is aimed towards giving you an idea of the types of conversations the Phillies will be having with other teams throughout the month of July. We know that the Phillies will be targeting third basemen and outfielders in any trade, so most of the suggested deals that follow those broad guidelines.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

Odds of Every Phillies Player Having a Dominant Second Half

July 6, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

Dominant.

It hasn’t been a word used to describe the Philadelphia Phillies season. This is a club entering unfamiliar territory, at least compared to the last five seasons or so. Entering play on July 4, the Phillies are 36-46. They’re 10 games under the .500 mark, 12 games out of first place in the National League East, and nine games out of a Wild Card spot.

The only teams with a record worse than the Phillies are the Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, and San Diego Padres.

If you’re looking for a word to describe the Phillies through the first half, “dominated” is more like it.

But there’s hope for this club. They played the first half without the help of three All-Star players: Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay. All three will be on the field for the second half of the season. It may be too little, too late to make a real difference, but at least there’s hope.

So as the Phillies teeter on the periphery of being sellers or being buyers, we’ll take a look at the chances of each roster player having a dominant second half. Will the odds be high enough to keep this team in the postseason race?

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Latest Updates and Reaction

July 5, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

The Philadelphia Phillies are on their last leg, and every other team in the MLB knows it.

Right now, this is a team running low on options, morale and hope, kind of like the analogy of a man stranded in the desert with just a drop of water left in the canteen. He knows that’s his only hope, and the Phillies know that the returns of Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard could give them a spark.

But make no doubt about it, the vultures are circling. If the Phillies were to mail it in on the 2012 season and become sellers, general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. would be a popular man.

Contenders would drool over the opportunity to add legitimate difference-makers like Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence or Shane Victorino. They’re all the type of players that evolve a team from World Series “contender” to “favorite.” 

The Phillies have their motives as well. Those players would each bring in a pretty piece in a trade, and the Phillies farm system is lacking in quality positional prospects. They’ve had their eyes on third basemen and outfielders for quite some time.

So as the July 31 trade deadline comes into focus, we’ll be keeping our eyes on the Phillies like a hawk, watching to see if they can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles to become buyers and make a run at the postseason or if they succumb to the circumstances and wind up selling. 

Either way, we’ll be keeping track of all of the latest rumors and deals right here and provide in-depth reaction on each.

Stay tuned!

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

Midseason Report Cards for All 25 Philadelphia Phillies

July 4, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

Well, it hasn’t been pretty.

The Philadelphia Phillies are now more than halfway through the regular season, and it has been a horrendous one for a club that came into the 2012 season with World Series expectations.

They’ve been riddled with enough injuries and inconsistent players to make any holey comparisons, like to afghan blankets and Swiss cheese, seem too kind.

If you’re looking for a bright side, I’m struggling to find one. Is the fact that this team still has another half season to play really any more comforting? Is this a team that can truly leap over at least three good teams in their own division to even have a shot at making the postseason?

I’m not so sure.

But one thing I am sure of is what needs to change. In this slideshow, we’ll take a look at the first half of each Phillies’ player and slap a grade on them. They’ll either have to stay the course or get better to make a difference. 

Can it be done? Well, only time will tell.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

Trading Cole Hamels Doesn’t Spell the End of His Phillies’ Career

July 3, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

It’s been a topic of conversation that has polarized the Philadelphia Phillies‘ fan base for nearly a year now: Should the club explore signing Cole Hamels to one of the most lucrative pitching contracts in histry before he reaches free agency or cash in on a weak trade market?

The thing is, signing Hamels to a big contract extension and being backed into trading him at the end of July are not mutually exclusive options. So why don’t you just back away from the edge of the Walt Whitman Bridge for a moment and ask yourself this:

What if the Phillies can trade Hamels at the deadline and sign him to a new, mammoth contract at the end of the season? What if they can do both?

It’s something that seems far-fetched when you say it aloud for the first time, but keep repeating it to yourself. It’s a scenario that makes a lot of sense.

Hamels, who will be a 28-year-old this winter and arguably the best free agent on the market, has made no bones about his desire to remain with the Phillies for the foreseeable future.

“I live in Philadelphia. I’ve been here for I guess 10 years now, so that’s been something that’s been kind of nice, kind of something I’ve been focused on. It’s a great organization to play for and I’d love to be a part of it.”

That was a statement that stood out to a passionate Phillies fan base. After years of having guys like Scott Rolen and Billy Wagner demand trades and leave as free agents, slandering the city on their way out of town, fans love hearing a guy like Hamels profess his desire to stay.

It’s also the reason that this fan base is so passionate about wanting general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. to hammer out a contract extension with his prized left-handed starter quickly. Hamels, a former World Series MVP, has brought this city a ring and won more than 80 games for this club during his career.

Once he reaches free agency, there are no guarantees. The big game hunters will be out in full effect this year, and that extends beyond the usual suspects like the New York Yankees. You can count teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in too.

And while Hamels has gone on the record saying that playing on the West Coast won’t be a deciding factor should he reach free agency, a team like the Dodgers, in a ball park that Hamels has historically pitched well in, could be tempting.

But the Phillies have to step back for a moment. They have to evaluate their future and make a decision on Hamels, who is putting them between a rock and a hard place with his talent level alone.

This is a club that has stripped the farm system barren over the last couple of seasons in mega-deals for All-Stars like Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Hunter Pence. Realistically, they can’t afford to add to the MLB club this season through a trade even if they wanted to be buyers.

Guys that would help their putrid offense and bullpen are likely going to be too expensive in prospects for them to stomach.

Just take a look at the Phillies’ current on-field product. You know that’s what the front office is doing. The Phillies are 36-45—nine games below .500. They’re 11 games out of first place and eight games out of a Wild Card spot. They’d have to leap frog every team in the National League East to earn that right.

And those are teams that are looking to add. The Atlanta Braves have been linked extensively to Milwaukee Brewers‘ ace Zack Greinke. The Washington Nationals have one of the best records in all of baseball. Even the New York Mets are making a run. The Miami Marlins have been one of the worst teams of the first half, but even they have a better record than the Phillies.

Couple their position in the standings with a barren farm system and you have the makings of a perfect seller come the trade deadline. With Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino on the precipice of their own free agency and no legitimate prospect waiting in the wings, how do the Phillies avoid selling?

Hamels could reverse their fortune. While there’s no doubt that the Phillies could afford to re-sign their third ace right now, trading him at the deadline would make any would-be contender drool.

It would give the Phillies an opportunity to add a legitimate third baseman for the future, like Texas Rangers‘ prospect Mike Olt, or Nick Castellanos of the Detroit Tigers. Both teams could have serious interest in Hamels come the deadline.

There’s no doubt that the addition of guys like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay will help the Phillies in the second half, but at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself: Is this a team that can truly contend for a World Series in 2012?

The answer is no.

Trading Hamels lets them re-tool for the 2013 season. You can come back with one of the strongest rotations in baseball, headlined by Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Vance Worley. You have one of the game’s best closers in Jonathan Papelbon. There’s a great core of offensive players in a healthy Utley, Howard, Hunter Pence, Carlos Ruiz, and Jimmy Rollins.

Trading Hamels makes the team better in the future in a way that keeping him throughout the regular season and re-signing him at year’s end cannot.

But again, trading Hamels and closing the book on his future with the Phillies are not mutually exclusive. The Phillies can trade Hamels at the deadline and attempt to re-sign him when the season is over.

If Hamels is truly intent on staying with the Phillies, he’ll give the club an opportunity to match any offer in free agency, and we all know that the Phillies can afford to give him a contract that rivals the one the Yankees gave to CC Sabathia, especially with the luxury tax set to rise in 2013.

In fact, that may be the best plan of attack for the Phillies: admit that the 2012 season is a lost one. There’s no shame in being dealt a bad hand.

If you move Hamels now, you can add the third baseman and outfielder of the future that this farm system so desperately craves. A few months later, you can add the game’s best free agent.

Sure, there’s a certain understanding that if the Phillies trade Hamels it appears as though they will have given up on him, but if the front office approached Hamels and laid out the situation for him, don’t you think that he would at least consider it?

A few months of competitive baseball would be good for him. It’d give him a chance to add to his ring collection and secure his place among the game’s elite pitchers, and there’s no doubt that he’s going to get a massive contract in free agency whether the Phillies trade him or not.

It makes sense for the club to ask Hamels to accept a move for a few months and come back strong and ready to win a World Series for the Phillies again starting in 2013.

That’s the kind of situation he should be willing to accept if the goal is to truly spend the rest of his career with the Phillies. Just ask Cliff Lee how it worked out.

In the end, no one is going to remember a three month vacation in 2012 if he wins multiple World Series titles as a Phillie.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

Ranking the 25 Most Infamous Moments of the Phillies-Mets Rivalry

July 2, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

Baseball is a sport marked by some of its great rivalries, but few have been as intense as the on-again, off-again battle between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets since the 1960s.

It is a rivalry that has involved great players across generations. From Jim Bunning and Tom Seaver, to Darren Daulton and Doc Gooden, to Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes.

The rivalry has cooled off a bit and changed over the last several decades, but the fact remains that these are two teams with a pure dislike for each other, and it is easy to forge a rivalry in that manner.

So as the Phillies and Mets battle for another division title in 2012, what better time is there to take a look at what made this rivalry one of baseball’s all-time greats?

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies’ 25-Man All-Time, All-Fan-Favorite Roster

June 29, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

Succeeding as a player of the Philadelphia Phillies isn’t all that difficult. Some people may think it is. They’ll point towards the rowdy fans and incredible expectations to win every season as reasons why playing in Philly could be difficult, but it’s really not.

The players know what they have to do to succeed here. They have to play the game hard night in and night out. They have to put the team before themselves. Winning always helps the cause, but as long as you prove to the fans that winning is the ultimate goal, they’ll love you forever. (Okay, nothing is forever, but definitely for a long time.)

Succeeding in Philadelphia looks like a challenge, but it’s not that hard. If you do all of the things listed above, you’ll be a fan-favorite in no time, and I assure you, it is much easier to play in this city as a fan-favorite.

It just goes to show that winning isn’t everything. The Phillies were a bad team for a long time, but they managed to field some fan favorites regardless, and they all have that unique approach to the game in common.

Earlier this week, I posted a slideshow about the Phillies’ all-time, 25-man roster.It was chocked full of the franchise’s all-time greats, regardless of their status with the fans.

This one will be different. In this slideshow, statistics are irrelevant. It’s the opinion that matters. For each position, we’ll take a look at one of the Phillies’ all-time fan-favorites and see how that roster compares.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

How to Successfully Rebuild the Philadelphia Phillies by 2014

June 27, 2012 by  
Filed under Fan News

It won’t be easy, but they can be rebuilt. They have the technology. They have the capability to make the Philadelphia Phillies the world’s first bionic baseball team.

Okay, maybe not. But with all of the injuries over the last couple of years, I’m sure the Phillies front office has dreamed about giving Chase Utley bionic knees, or Ryan Howard a bionic Achilles tendon.

Those are the kind of things teams think about as they’re getting older. You don’t have to be a genius to realize that this isn’t the same team that won the World Series in 2008. Sure, some of the names are the same. In fact, I’d say the roster looks better.

But when you challenge Father Time, you lose. It’s just a battle that can’t be won. The Phillies are slowly but surely crossing the threshold from “experienced veterans” to “one last shot,” and fast.

If this club wants another shot at the World Series with a majority of its core intact, sacrifices are going to have to be made. Some of those “experienced veterans” are going to have to be traded for younger players with that intense fire to win their first title. It’s just the circle of life in baseball.

The Phillies could be better than they were before. Better. Faster. Stronger.

But it is going to take a lot more than one “$6 million man” to fix the Phillies. Of that much, I am certain.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Philadelphia Phillies

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