Vance Worley Provides an Unlikely Lift to Philadelphia Phillies’ Superstar Staff

The Four Aces. The Phearsome Phoursome. R2C2. Whatever clever moniker you chose to describe the dominant quartet of Phillies starting pitchers, the expectations were all the same. 

Each night, one of them would walk to the mound and shut down the opposing offense, limiting them to a meager supply of opportunities that they could use to break the string of zeros before them. 

And for the first month, all went according to the preseason plan that saw many experts crown the starting staff as the best ever assembled. 

The starters took turns making pitching matchups look impossible, sending endless streams of hitters back to the dugout and throwing deep into their starts. But with a simple string of injury-related and personal problems that kept Roy Oswalt off the mound, the strategy began to waver—along with the team’s record.

At the other end of Roy O’s struggles was an unproven kid from Northern California who had shown flashes of potential in the latter portion of 2010.

Vance Worley, a third-round pick by the Phillies in 2008, eagerly answered the bell and stabilized the rotation during Oswalt’s personal leave due to tornado damage in his hometown. After being relegated to the bullpen upon his return and sent back to the Minors following a poor start in New York, frustration with his uncertain role pushed him to another level. 

Worley earned his way back after three strong starts in Triple-A Lehigh Valley and used his call-up as an opportunity to lead the Phillies in interleague play. 

The Long Beach State product went 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in June against American League teams, topped off by a dominating seven-inning outing against the Boston Red Sox. With Oswalt landing on the DL once again due to a sore back coupled with Joe Blanton’s long-term injury leave, Worley’s spot in the rotation was permanent and more vital than ever.

Known as “the Vanimal” by Phillies faithful, Worley picked up confidence heading into July and further validated his re-call from Triple-A by posting a 4-0 record in July with a stellar 2.04 ERA.  The young starter took pressure off of the aces pitching ahead of him in the rotation and displayed an uncanny ability to record called strikeouts.

Now, 103 Ks into his 2011 campaign, Vance Worley has established himself as a strong candidate for NL Rookie of the Year with a reputation bolstered by an impressive team win streak during his starts. 

From the time of his second call-up on June 18 until his second loss of the season last week against Milwaukee, the Phillies won all 14 of his starts—a record only surpassed by Steve Carlton’s mark of 15 set in 1972.

Consistency and poise have allowed the 23-year-old right-hander to take the mound with a swagger unseen in most rookie starters. Compared to Kyle Kendrick’s success as a rookie or J.A. Happ’s stint as a rising talent, Worley radiates a feeling that he can work all nine frames on any given night. The faith that Philadelphia places in him will make him an asset come October, whether he starts Game 4 or marches in from the bullpen.

His likeability in the City of Brotherly Love goes far beyond what he means to the team on the mound. Interaction with fans and the ability to handle the label of rising star at such a young age makes him an immediate fan favorite in a city that is hard to please. 

Worley regularly chats and answers questions from his growing fanbase on Twitter, making the most of his time on the road by giving supporters an inside look at his changing life. Willing to discuss anything from his love of cars to good workout habits, “@Vanimal_49” has carved a home for himself in Philadelphia.

Worley’s impact on the team is much more than what shows on his impressive stat lines at the end of each outing. His unique appearance and emotional play add character to a clubhouse that is already overflowing with colorful personalities. 

As a young player enjoying success, the first-year hurler also serves as an example for other newcomers walking into the clubhouse for the first time, namely Mike Stutes and Michael Schwimmer. 

Still, in any town, results on the field mean much more than the habits away from the diamond—a fact that Worley seems to understand. From challenging his demotion in late May to maintaining a healthy physical routine, the rookie seems determined to drop his anchor at the major league level. 

Learning from the superstar staff he was brought up to relieve would be a great first step.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Keys to 2011 Postseason Glory

Halloween in Philadelphia has historically fallen during the frigid portion of the Fall season.  But in 2008, millions of fans still felt the chills even as the sun washed over the crowded streets and sidewalks.  Their lovable band of hometown stars mixed with valuable role players finished a dream season by bringing the city its first title in a quarter-century.

While the memories of a remarkable postseason run are still present around the City of Brotherly love, recent success and promising acquisitions have left fans with a hunger for another World Series Championship.  The talent assembled by GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has given the Phillies an extended window to deliver the ultimate prize to its supporters, but the last two years have fallen just short of this lofty expectation.

2009 saw the Phillies tripped up by Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees in six games in the World Series.  Last season, Juan Uribe’s Giants extinguished Philadelphia’s hopes at Citizens Bank Park with a decisive home run late in Game 6.  With possibly the best team in franchise history, anything comparable to past failures would be nearly impossible to swallow.

Looking ahead to this edition of October’s tournament, the Phillies will need to avoid some of the pitfalls that have plagued them over the past two tries at the title.  Recapturing the magic in October lies in these 10 keys to postseason victory for Philadelphia…

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Hunter Pence at Heart of Another Second-Half Surge in Philadelphia

As fall approaches and engulfs the end of the Major League Baseball season, fans are annually reminded that all bets are off when trying to begin writing the script for its finish. And though few things can truly be counted on for consistency this time of year, recent history in Philadelphia would indicate that we are once again seeing a second-half surge that carries the Phillies into the postseason. 

Success during the stretch run is as sure as the seasonal change in the city these days, but the way in which the team is racking up the wins is a departure from the normal late-summer charge. Leading this year’s perennial rush toward October is the man in the clubhouse who, like their lineup nowadays, is furthest from the usual.

Hunter Pence is known for his quirky personality and committed approach, and the 28 year-old right fielder is making the most of his opportunity to play for a championship-caliber team in a large market.  Accepted by the city with open arms, Pence is already a fan favorite for his hustle, love of the game and interaction with fans through social media.

However, a display of heart and effort on the field that wins over a tough Philadelphia crowd will never guarantee a parade through the streets in late October. The championship that everyone is chasing is won by what happens between the first pitch and the final out, an area that Pence has covered as well as anything.

Without Pence, the Phillies have traditionally relied on the white-hot bat of Ryan Howard to carry the offense when the leaves begin to turn. And while Howard is enjoying a productive statistical year, the Philly faithful are still waiting for “The Big Piece” to provide the big punch that they are accustomed to seeing. 

With recent injuries to Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, along with Placido Polanco playing through pain as we hit the final 25 games of the 2011 campaign, the Phillies have gotten a much-needed boost from their energetic outfield acquisition.

The impact Pence has on the team goes far beyond his statistical value to the team. The .311 batting average, seven home runs and 23 RBI do give the Phillies a legitimate replacement for Jayson Werth’s impact and have helped get the offense through injuries and slumps.

The most important contribution that Pence has made may lie in something that he has not done: strike out. Batting behind Howard, who has hit 196 punch-outs twice in his career, contact is key to driving in runs, whether it is a sacrifice or a base hit. Pence is averaging well under one strikeout a game at 0.71 per contest, and has corrected a fundamental weakness that has plagued the Phillies when the calendar flips to October.   

What Pence has shown over the course of his tenure in red pinstripes is that he can spark an offense in need, much like his game-changing triple Friday against a playoff team in Milwaukee. With a makeshift lineup featuring Michael Martinez, Wilson Valdez and Ben Francisco, Pence moved into the clean-up spot and pushed the Phillies to victory in the very same way that fans are used to seeing Howard operate in September. 

Pairing two streaking stars in the order as the team makes the final push could be all the Phillies needs to erase memories of their “Giant” failure in 2010. With the way the rotation can pitch, a little offensive consistency will be all they need to ride down Broad Street once again.

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