Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Most Embarrassing Teams in Franchise History

Losing 10,000 games isn’t easy.

You may think it is, but it isn’t.

It takes a special kind of terrible to lose 10,000 games. After all, just two teams—your Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves—have been unfortunate enough to lose 10,000 games, with the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cincinnati Reds right on their heels, but not quite there yet.

Why?

What makes a professional sports team so unsuccessful? Well, there is the simple fact that the Phillies have been around for an extremely long time, originating as the Philadelphia Quakers in 1883. Even then, however, there are teams that have been around longer than the Phillies and have lost fewer games.

So what makes the Phillies such an unsuccessful franchise? You don’t lose 10,000 games as a professional sports team because you broke a mirror or forgot to throw some salt over your shoulder.

Like I said, it takes a certain kind of terrible to lose 10,000 games, and there should be no disagreement among Phillies fans that this franchise has gone through some extremely embarrassing times. They’ve had cheap owners, unwilling to pay stars. They’ve had terrible managers. They’ve had guys that should have never seen the MLB don their uniform.

In fact, in certain, overly embarrassing seasons, they’ve had them all at once.

You don’t get to be a successful franchise without learning from your mistakes, and the Phillies have certainly had a lengthy, embarrassing history. If they don’t want to revert to their losing ways, they’ll observe with caution.

If you don’t want to embarrass yourself, don’t play like these teams.

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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Fantasy Baseball 2012: Ranking All 25 Philadelphia Phillies on Fantasy Impact

Pitchers are working on their location and getting a feel for their pitches. Hitters are working on their timing and repeating their swing. Even managers are fine tuning a few facets of their game in preparation for the long season, but there is one group of baseball people going unnoticed in preparation for the upcoming season: fantasy baseball players.

Hey, it’s spring training for them too.

While the players are working to be as productive as they can be during the regular season, fantasy managers are working hard to make sure they field the best, creatively-named team as humanly possible on Opening Day.

After all, there is far more than bragging rights on the line. Depending on your league, there could be a serious chunk of change at stake this season as well.

The Philadelphia Phillies are a team that many people will find themselves plucking players from for obvious reason. There is a lot of upside on this roster, but don’t be fooled—there is a lot of risk as well.

So let this slideshow serve as a primer for draft day. Which member of the Phillies’ roster will leave you sitting pretty at the season’s end, and which players will have you hanging your head in regret? Who surprises and who disappoints?

Don’t be left in the dark on draft day!

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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25 Bold Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies Pitching Staff in 2012

Not many teams are in a position to lose a pitcher of Roy Oswalt’s caliber in the off-season and still stake a claim in the argument for baseball’s best starting rotation, but the Philadelphia Phillies can.

Stuffed with accolades, the departure of Oswalt leaves the Phillies with three All-Stars, a man who placed third in the National League’s Rookie of the Year voting from last season, and a man who once hit a home run in the World Series.

Not too shabby.

The bullpen is looking okay too, what with the addition of a closer who is following a similar career path as to one Mariano Rivera, and a slew of young arms with the potential to pitch in the late innings.

As the Phillies’ pitching staff builds up arm strength and works on various aspects of their game in Spring Training, let’s make a few predictions on what we can reasonably expect out of them in 2012.

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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25 Scrappiest Philadelphia Phillies Players of All-Time

What in the world is a “scrappy” player?

Sort of sounds like a breakfast meat, though I assure you this slide show has absolutely nothing to do with scrapple. Then again, I suppose there is an analogy to be made here. Scrappy players have been traditionally labeled as guys full of heart and lacking talent, kind of like the same way scrapple is lacking the best parts of the pig.

Okay, enough with the scrapple comparisons.

Scrappy players, as far as baseball is concerned, have always been the guys who played the game stuck in full throttle. They may not have been the most talented, but every play involving them was hardcore. The run hard, throw hard, and look mean doing it.

I suppose a good motto for scrappy players would be, “By any means necessary.”

Scrappy players have always been viewed a bit differently in Philadelphia, however. While the rest of the baseball world considers them to be players who make up in heart what they lack in talent, fans of the Philadelphia Phillies believe that “scrappy” is more of a lifestyle.

The most talented player in the world could be booed right out of this city for a lack of hustle, but a scrappy player will hold the hearts of the fans for a lifetime and then some.

That’s why there is no limit on talent level on this list. Any player that wants to survive playing baseball in the city of Philadelphia will have to become a scrappy player in one way or another, and that will be reflected in the slide show.

In short, any player known for his hustle, determination, aggressiveness, or any other synonym of the word “scrappy” was eligible for this list.

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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Philadelphia Phillies: All 25 Players’ Odds of Being 2012 All-Stars

People often say that the Philadelphia Phillies field a team of All-Stars.

Of course, that is normally a backhanded statement about the state of the club’s spending and payroll, and about how easy it is for the Phillies to pay for All-Star caliber players, but at its core, that’s a true statement. The Phillies do field a team full of players with All-Star experience.

Every one of the Phillies’ everyday players outside of catcher and left field have been to the All-Star Game, and there is an argument to be made that Carlos Ruiz should have been there at least once.

Three starting pitchers of the Phillies’ five-man rotation have been to the All-Star Game, and new closer Jonathan Papelbon has been there four times.

The Phillies’ two biggest contributors off of the bench this season against right-handed and left-handed pitching, Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton, respectively, have each been to the All-Star Game at least once.

So when people say that the Phillies can field an All-Star team, it’s true. Though they may indeed have a bloated payroll, 12 of the 25 players on their active roster have been to the Midsummer Classic. With that kind of roster, you expect the Phillies to send plenty of players to Kansas City this summer to represent the National League, but who will they be?

Well, it’s time to find out.

This slide show will look at each Phillie’s chances of making an All-Star appearance this summer. To do so, we will break down the case for or against each player and assign a percentage chance to represent the possibility (or probability) of All-Star representation.

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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Philadelphia Phillies: The 25 Phillies Most Hated by Opposing Fans

The funny thing about fans of the Philadelphia Phillies is that players that this city tends to embrace are often hated with a fiery passion by fans of other teams.

Then again, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Phillies fans love a player that plays the game “the right way.” They want to see a player hustle hard, grind out each at-bat, or run right through a wall if that’s what the situation requires. If a guy is willing to meet those conditions, he will be embraced by this city and its passionate fans.

But there’s a flip-side to that coin.

Those types of players tend to drive fans of other teams absolutely insane. Any player that will do anything to beat you has the potential to drive you up a wall as well, and there are plenty of those guys on this list.

However, they aren’t the only ones. You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out which Phillies’ players have driven opposing fans to the brink in their careers.

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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25 Biggest Villains in Philadelphia Phillies History

There’s an old song by famous musician Jim Croce called You Don’t Mess Around With Jim where Croce warns listeners that there are certain things you just shouldn’t do, with the lyrics, “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with Jim.”

Is it too late to add, “You don’t cross a passionate, Philadelphia Phillies fanbase,” in there somewhere?”

Philadelphia has proven, time and time again, to be a hard-working, blue-collar city, and it is certainly no secret that the fans want their players to approach their “job” in the same respect: Play hard, have fun, but most importantly, win.

Players who have dared to go against that grain have often become something akin to target practice for those same passionate fans—be it with words, or in rare cases, actual, solid objects.

The bottom line being this: As long as you love the game and treat it with respect, these fans will respect you for it.

That sentiment doesn’t apply strictly to ball players. Throughout the game of baseball, from management to whole teams to members of the media, plenty of people have rubbed the Phillies, as a whole, in the wrong way.

This organization certainly is not short on villainous characters. Let’s take a look at just a few.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Inaugural Inductees to a Phillies Hall of Fame

The Philadelphia Phillies have their “Wall of Fame.”

You can take a walk down memory lane and revisit some of the greatest moments in franchise history.

The Phillies have certainly never been a franchise to let their all-time greats go unnoticed, but I thought it would be interesting to create something akin to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, but specifically related to former members of the Phillies’ organization.

Let’s be honest for a moment. While you’re taking a look at that Wall of Fame, you’ll notice that, in regards to a “Hall of Fame,” there are some undeserving names on some of those plaques, and deserving names left in the dust.

This is a small chance to right that wrong. The “Phillies Hall of Fame” will leave the “all-time goods” look up at the “all-time greats.”

Now, the question is simple: Who are they?

For news, rumors, analysis, and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Predicting Stats for All 25 Players on Opening Day Roster

It’s that time of year again, folks. 

Spring Training is here, the Grapefruit League is underway, and meaningful baseball is right around the corner.

So as the Philadelphia Phillies get in their repetitions, work on various nuances of the game, and most importantly, prepare themselves for Opening Day and another run at the World Series, the rest of us can feel the anticipation building for another baseball season. You know what that means, right? 

It’s predictions time!

Though the Phillies are sure to be a contender once again in 2012, they’ll look quite different. Many faces changed uniforms this spring, and many faces are now wearing the Phillies’ uniform. What will they contribute this season?

We’ll take a look at those guys and the rest of the club throughout the spring, updating with new information as it comes along. So, what can you expect out of the Phillies’ roster in 2012, as it stands on the opening day of the Grapefruit League?

Let’s dive right in.

For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Biggest ‘Mulligan’ Moments in Franchise History

If you had just one mulligan—just one opportunity to look back on your life, pick out a bad moment, and erase it from your life’s “score”—what would you use it on? How different would your life be without that one moment? 

For the Philadelphia Phillies, it would rewrite the history books.

The Phillies’ organization is littered with “mulligan moments.” From terrible deals, to bad trades, to hideous uniforms, to quotes you can never forget, you can pick your poison. The worst part is knowing that you can’t remove them all. That would be sort of like that irrational fear of time travel: You don’t want to change something in fear of changing everything.(I know, that’s a nerdy analogy.)

So you have to pick and choose your spots. What moments in Phillies’ history can we comb through, do away with for good, but not change the entire landscape of the organization?

This slide show will bring quite a few to your attention.

For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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