25 Philadelphia Phillies We Wish We Could Still Watch Today

It’s not a bad time to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan.

You’ve seen five straight National League East titles, three trips to the National League Championship Series, two trips to the World Series and one victory in the Fall Classic, all in the last five seasons.

You’ve seen some of the Phillies’ all-time greats, like Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, build their careers right before your eyes.

In fact, the greatest Phillie of all-time, Mike Schmidt, who played on a couple of excellent teams, believes this is the greatest era of Phillies baseball.

“The environment around Phillies baseball right now, I don’t see how it could have ever been better. A full stadium every night, sold out. The pitching staff they have right now is maybe one of the greatest ever in the history of the sport. A team full of potential All-Star players—almost all of them have been All-Stars at one point,” Schmidt said. (David Hale of The News Journal.)

But all of us who have ever strolled through Citizens Bank Park and took the time to walk through Memory Lane and take a gander at the Phillies’ Wall of Fame know that we missed a lot of great baseball before our time.

We missed Pete Alexander win his league-leading 33rd game back in 1916. In 1899, none of us witnessed Ed Delahanty hit .410. When Chuck Klein won the MVP award in 1932, none of us saw it. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We’ve seen a lot of great baseball, but we’ve missed so much more. Which players do you wish you were alive to see in their prime?

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

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Spring Training: Is Roy Oswalt Waiting on the Phillies to Trade Joe Blanton?

There’s been a running joke this season that involves Roy Oswalt being comfortable sitting on his tractor at home in Weir, Mississippi, laughing at a handful of teams who think they can buy him away from happiness, but that’s not true.

Anyone that truly knows Oswalt, who has listened to him talk and watched him compete, knows firsthand that he won’t be happy on that tractor until there is a giant World Series ring on his finger to catch that Mississippi sunshine.

For that reason alone, it certainly wasn’t surprising to see Oswalt’s agent, Bob Garber, reiterate his client’s intention to pitch in 2012—but on his terms. Oswalt, an 11-year MLB veteran, has often been painted as the type of man who wouldn’t mind spending more time at home with his family, but the sheer competitor that resides within just won’t let that happen.

“After much thought and careful consideration, Roy [Oswalt] has decided to continue to evaluate his options. He is in great health and will continue to stay in shape, while throwing regularly off the mound. Roy has every intention of pitching for a contending club at some point this season,” said Garber in a statement, passed along by FoxSports.com.

That simple statement has the baseball world jumping to conclusions. Will Oswalt follow a plan established by Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez in the past, jumping on to a club’s roster around midseason to help push for a World Series title?

With his rumored interest being in just the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies, that is a strong possibility.

Both St. Louis and Texas are just a hop, skip and a jump away from Oswalt’s home in Weir, Mississippi, and in Philadelphia, Oswalt knows the roster and what it’s capable of. All three are very capable contenders for a World Series in 2012.

 

So why haven’t any of them landed Oswalt yet? Well, money is an issue, but the bigger issue remains the fact that none of those three teams are in terrible need of a starting pitcher.

The Cardinals are set with Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter at the top of their rotation and plenty of depth. The Rangers have even more depth, and they spent more than $100 million this winter in pursuit of Japanese phenom Yu Darvish. The Phillies have three aces, a Rookie of the Year finalist from 2011 and a Joe Blanton.

Of those three teams, all have very capable starting rotations from the first slot to the fifth. By waiting until midseason, Oswalt hopes to land with one of these clubs in pursuit of a World Series after an injury, but will that be necessary?

The Cardinals have top prospect Shelby Miller waiting in the wings. The Rangers’ rotation is arguably seven men deep. Even the Phillies have a number of veteran options in Kyle Kendrick, Dave Bush and Joel Pineiro, among others.

Will these teams have room for Oswalt, even in the event of an injury? Well, that’s where the conspiracy theory kicks in.

Okay, so it’s not so much of a conspiracy theory as a possible, behind-the-scenes explanation for what’s going on. The Phillies are one of the few teams that have not closed the door on an Oswalt return. Cardinals’ general manager John Mozeliak has publicly stated that Oswalt will “not be pitching for the Cardinals.” (h/t: Joe Strauss)

Rangers’ general manager Jon Daniels told reporters, including Evan Grant of MLB.com, that his club has no intention of signing Oswalt.

In fact, Phillies’ general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has been the only member of that group to express interest in Oswalt, but continually expresses concern about the budget. That would lead one to believe that should the Phillies be able to free up some space under the luxury tax, they would be interested in bringing Oswalt back aboard.

Enter Joe Blanton.

The Phillies are not happy with the back end of their rotation, so much so that they were willing to take a shot on troubled New York Yankees‘ starter A.J. Burnett before they shipped him to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies were interested in a three-team deal that would have sent Blanton to the Los Angeles Angels, Burnett to Philadelphia and Bobby Abreu to the Yankees.

It was never finished, and the logical explanation is that teams are wary of Blanton’s health.

So the question remains: What happens if Blanton shows teams during the spring that improved conditioning and a healthy arm have him looking like a very capable, back-end-of-the-rotation starting pitcher?

Surely, at that point, plenty of teams would be willing to be pay half of Blanton’s salary. Truth be told, having Blanton on your club for about $5 million is not a bad deal, but the Phillies are looking for upside. The Phillies’ are looking for Oswalt.

So, if the conspiracy theorist in you is still following along, could the Phillies and Oswalt have some sort of gentleman’s agreement in place? Will Oswalt stay on the market until the Phillies are able to find a taker for Blanton’s salary?

After all, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has spoken to a source that said Oswalt would be “very interested” in returning to Philadelphia.

So buckle your seat belts folks. The Roy Oswalt Roller Coaster is merely climbing a hill before it dives into a free fall once again. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that Amaro has taken the fans on a ride, and until Oswalt gets that big, shiny World Series ring, this thing is far from over.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Most Heartbreaking Losses in Franchise History

“You can’t win ’em all.”

Baseball fans don’t need beaten cliches to face reality. During the course of a 162-game regular season, even the greatest of teams are going to get unlucky once in a while. The most technically sound teams are going to make a few mistakes.

It happens. Baseball must obey those pesky mathematics and probability laws.

So what makes fans so angry when someone says something as simple as, “You can’t win them all?” That’s not a comforting statement. At its core, it basically means that from time to time, you’re going to lose.

Nobody likes losing!

Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies can multiply that statement 10,000 times. Saddled with a number of obstacles blocking their path to a winning franchise for a long time, the Phillies collected a number of losses, some more painful than others.

Even as one of the best teams in baseball in recent seasons, the Phillies have experienced a number of painful losses. That’s the beauty of this game: It always keeps you humble.

So as yet another baseball season waits just around the corner and the Phillies attempt yet another run at a World Series title, let’s prepare ourselves for the bumps along the way. Let’s take a look at some of the most painful losses in franchise history, to understand just what the Phillies are fighting for in 2012.

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

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Storylines to Watch in Spring Training

It’s finally here.

The smell of freshly cut grass. The warmth of sunshine on our faces. The sound of wooden baseball bats making contact with a baseball, like the sound of a metronome beating against either side of its container.

All of the things that make a baseball fan tick, well, they’re back, and though not all of us are feeling the warmth of the sun or smelling the freshly cut grass just yet, we can’t help but realize that all of these pleasures are just around the bend.

That’s because it’s finally here: Spring Training.

Nothing quite foreshadows the coming baseball season like watching all of the players workout in their respective camps, and nothing signals the coming of spring quite like the arrival of the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Florida for the club’s faithful followers.

As is the case with every season and every team, there will be plenty of news to keep an eye on this spring, particularly out of the Phillies’ camp. This slide show will serve as a primer to make sure that you don’t miss a beat.

For up to the minute Phillies’ information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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25 Unheralded Stars from the ‘Dark Days’ of Philadelphia Phillies Baseball

Life has been sweet for fans of the Philadelphia Phillies gifted with short-term memory. The club has reeled off five straight division titles, won a World Series and has grown to become one of the most dominant forces in the sport of baseball.

It hasn’t always been that way. Not even close.

Fans with a long-term memory will recall that the Phillies were, once upon a time and several times over, one of the worst teams in baseball. They struggled with a number of issues, including terrible ownership, almost no source of revenue, a downtrodden ballpark and a payroll that would make today’s Tampa Bay Rays seem like high-rollers.

The result of that off-the-field struggle was an obvious on-the-field catastrophe. The Phillies failed to field teams capable of winning anything, let alone a title, and played several periods of baseball that were hard  to watch. The Phillies have had their share of dark days indeed.

However, though they, as a whole, were comparable to the Bad News Bears at times, the Phillies still managed to find their diamonds in the rough. In their dark days, the Phillies found a number of very good players, players who often fail to receive the recognition they deserve because of the time period they played in.

May they be unheralded no longer.

For up to the minute Phillies information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Players Who Most Embody the City of Philly

When players come to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, they know that the fans expect a few things out of them. Phillies fans are notorious for a number of reasons, and one of the most well-known qualities is their love of hard-nosed, blue collar athletes.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said about the relationship between Phillies fans and players before: Play the game hard and play it the right way and the fans will support you.

I don’t often get the chance to connect the Phillies and the WWE here, so hang with me for a moment.

Long before I sat down at my computer to write this slide show, there was a certain slogan by WWE superstar John Cena that I believed perfectly described what Phillies fans expected out of their players: Hustle, loyalty, respect.

So when I think of players that “embody” the spirit of the Phillies, of the city of Philadelphia, those are the types of players that I come up with.

They hustle. A player that embodies the Phillies plays like each game could be his last; like his pants are on fire.

They’re loyal. When these players put on the Phillies’ uniform, they have one goal in mind: Winning the game. I think of players who played all or most of their careers with the Phillies.

They show respect. These players know that they won’t be able to play this game forever, but respect it enough to play like they have something to prove each and every night. They respect the fans as much as the fans respect their play.

It isn’t difficult to embody the spirit of the Phillies, but only certain players have managed to do it the right way.

For up to the minute Phillies information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 20 Keys to Establishing a Long-Term Dynasty

After five consecutive National League East division titles, three trips to the National League Championship Series, two National League pennants, and a World Series title, at the very least, it is hard not to consider the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies are on the precipice of a “dynasty.”

For baseball in Philadelphia, those are uncharted waters.

Throughout the history of sports, this city has sat back and watched teams like the New York Yankees and Chicago Bulls build dynasties around them. So, after losing more than 10,000 games in its history, is it fair to say that the Phillies are becoming the greatest franchise the city of Philadelphia has ever seen?

At the very least, it is fair to say that the Phillies are well on their way. The real question is whether or not they can build a long-term dynasty—something that few franchises in the history of sports have been able to accomplish.

This slide show will cover various topics, but at the end of the day, it aims to answer one question: Are the Phillies an organization that has the ability to become and remain a dynasty in the MLB?

For up to the minute Phillies’ information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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Philadelphia Phillies: One Concern About Every Player on the Roster

The Philadelphia Phillies are the type of team that, after the 2011 season, you can’t be quite sure whether or not the glass is half full or half empty.

On one hand, there is reason to be optimistic.

Heading into Spring Training last season, the Phillies were already up against the injury bug. We learned that Chase Utley wouldn’t be ready to start at second base on Opening Day, and Brad Lidge succumbed to yet another arm issue.

As the season progressed, however, the Phillies became a healthy team. Now, heading into the 2012 season, the only player dealing with a significant injury is Ryan Howard, and the rest of the team appears good to go.

On the other hand, there are plenty of reasons to be pessimistic as well.

Though they may be healthy, it would be foolish not to question whether or not the Phillies are still one of baseball’s elite teams. Several players have dealt with declining production, and after having World Series hopes last season, the club was sent packing early.

With Spring Training just around the bend, it’s time once again to put the Phillies’ roster under the microscope, picking apart their strengths and weaknesses for the 2012 season. This slideshow will illustrate one cause of concern for every player on the roster.

For up to the minute Phillies information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Most Controversial Player Moves of All Time

Nine times out of ten, player transactions are a game of chicken.

In a trade, you have two, professional, MLB organizations desperately trying to get the best of each other, because let’s be honest: As many times as we’ve heard a general manager proclaim that the deal “made sense for both sides,” we all know that each team is trying to get the deal’s best possible player for the least possible price.

In free agency, agents will do everything in their power to create leverage for their client. They’ll build up another team’s interest. When negotiations begin, they’ll shoot for the stars while the organization does just the opposite until one side caves in.

The same could be said for lesser transactions like the draft, where potential draftees hold things like a commitment to a college against a team, or the waiver wire, will teams will try as hard as possible to look uninterested in a player.

The bottom line is this: This game of chicken hatches controversial player moves.

Sometimes, teams have to take risks on a deal. Sometimes they have to overpay for a free agent, send that extra top prospect to a rebuilding team, go over slot for a player in the draft, so on and so forth. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies in negotiations, and teams will fight tooth and nail to come out on top.

Teams won’t get anywhere in this game—this business—without taking a few chances. A lot of times, that leads to a huge controversy over whether or not they made the right decision, and this slide show will examine those controversial transactions in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Before we begin, however, it is important to note that these transactions will be evaluated at the time of the transaction’s execution. Hindsight is 20/20. A deal that seemed controversial at the time of its execution may not seem that way after a player has years of success.

So please note that each and every deal on this list will be evaluated as if it just happened. After all, that’s what makes it controversial.

For up to the minute Phillies information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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25 ‘Can’t-Miss’ Phillies Prospects Who Never Panned out

Major League Baseball’s amateur draft can be like a game of chess.

Sometimes it’s like playing against an amateur. The checkmates come early and often, and in baseball terms, you find yourself drafting several players with plenty of upside that, for some reason or another, other teams have skipped over.

Other times, the draft can feel like a game of chess against a Grandmaster. Every move leads to a dead end and the result is always disappointing.

There is supposed to exist a commonality between each of these games: The first couple of moves are supposed to be simple to make, especially in today’s game.

In chess, each player has his or her own strategy, but the first move is the simplest. The same could be said for most clubs’ approach to the draft. In the first round, there is plenty of talent to be had. If you’re picking in the first round, there is a pretty decent chance that you’re drafting a very talented player.

However, sometimes, those “can’t miss” prospects turn into huge busts and lost causes for teams. When teams draft players in the first couple of rounds, they’re supposed to develop into MLB regulars. Sure enough, that doesn’t always happen, and when “can’t miss” prospects turn into “swing and a miss” prospects, it is a major disappoint.

For numerous reasons, the Philadelphia Phillies had plenty of those “swing and a miss” prospects throughout their history, and if they had chosen a little more wisely, it is certainly interesting to imagine what the history of this franchise could have looked like.

For up to the minute Phillies information, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor.

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