These are the great years to be a Phillies' fan, the years that make up for so much heartache, for so many low points we and our fathers and their fathers suffered through for 100 + years of predominate futility.The Phils have every reason to feel confident and Phils' fans can rest assured that they have a competitive team, yet again, to begin the 2010 season. Let's take a brief look at the roster and some of its bylines as spring training commences:
Roy Halladay- Everyone expects him to be the 2nd coming of Sandy Koufax for the Phils. Why is that? Can he-- or anyone-- really live up to the expectations? The answer is "yes." If he can stay healthy-- and at his immodest age it is a legitimate "if"-- Halladay's shift to the NL could boost his already glowing resume to CY Young levels (after all, he won the award in the AL in '03, finished 2nd in voting for it in '08-- to winner Cliff Lee-- and 5th in '09).
There is no question the Phillies overpaid to get him (having depleted their entire minor league system and discarded Ace and playoff MVP Cliff Lee, who analysts and fans alike equate to Roy). However, the question of whether Halladay will excell in a Phils uniform is answerable as resoundingly. In 2009 he was named #7 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball (behind teammate Utley #6, but ahead of Howard #11) by a panel of 100 baseball people, many of them Hall of Fame members. His ability to win with a losing team can be likened to Steve Carlton's tenure with the Phils. Halladay finished 17-10 for the 75-87 Blue Jays, giving him a career win percentage of .660, which ranks 18th all-time. The Phils and their fans can expect Roy Halladay to shine big today, despite the shadow his acquisition is guaranteed to cause their future.
Chase Utley-- Perennially priceless to his team, Utley is always one injury away from an MVP award. The question is: "Will he be healthy come October?" The answer may finally be "yes" since the Phils beefed up their bench with some infield assistance to buffer Utley, among others.
Jayson Werth-- In his last year with the Phils, Werth can be expected to showoff for the big contract heading into 2011. Werth also, as always, leads the injury-likely list, the story of his career. When healthy, he can pound it and grow hair with the best of them.Ryan Howard-- The Yankees threw him a big curveball and shelved him for the World Series. Will he learn from that crushing blow? With Charlie Manuel and Ryan Howard shedding pounds like it was bathing suit season, will they team up to make a few extra bucks advertising for Weight Watchers?
Raul Ibanez-- He will turn 38 this year. His productivity in the 2nd half of the season was not Major League worthy. In the 1st half of '09, he hit .309 with 22 HRs and 60 RBI. During the 2nd half, he batted .232 with 12 HRs and 33 RBI. Look for that trend to continue. While Ibanez may have a quick sprint out of the shoot, his overall numbers will continue to decline with age, which may mean we will see a lot of Dominic Brown, the Phils lone Minor League stud, last man standing in their depleted farm system.
Plácido Polanco-- That big lifetime batting average and low strikeout ratio could sweeten up the top of the Phils' batting order. Alternatively, Polanco's declining numbers of late could be an indication that the 35 year-old is slowing down. Time will tell on both accounts. It's a long season. 2 things are certain: 1) Polanco is a tremendous fielder, who will allow the club to not miss the sure footed Feliz at 3rd, which is saying a lot and 2) LF Raul Ibanez is thrilled to have a teammate to reminisce with about the good old days!
Cole Hamels-- Hamels on Philly fans: "40% Passionate die-hards, 60% crazy lunatics and fair-weather fans." Hamels and Manuel's reliance on him in the '09 playoffs are major contributors to the fact the Phils seek to regain, rather than retain, World Series Champion status in 2010. Hamles has new pitches, but does he have a new work ethic? Truth is that teams have caught up to his fastball, which is more disconcerting than any status of his pitch array. His velocity and control may return, but it will be hard to regain that newbie status that brought out his best in '07-'08, when he went 29-15. Still, it shouldn't be hard to better '09's startling 10-11 W-L, 4.32 ERA. In 193 innings, opponents hit 206 hits off of him. Facing him was less like opposing a menacing dominator and more like taking batting practice. Hamels is no Cliff Lee, but he has the potential to prove he's more than a one-hit wonder. He has risen and fallen. This juncture is where the great ones separate themselves with big-time performance. This pivotal crossroads is the crucial year in Hamels' career.Over Their Shoulder
The competition? The NL East boasts the improved Braves, whose potential is ever-great as their arms. Since their arms are young and gaining ground, they should make a run-- for the wild card. The Marlins are young and good, but not great. The Mets are still in the major leagues-- for now, while Washington has one foot out already.
The rest of the NL? St. Louis, S.F. and Colorado all have true potential to win the NL. St. Louis and S.F. still boast the league's best 1-2 starting pitching punch. Colorado played the Phils tougher than the 1 win they got against the fightin' in the '09 playoffs. The Dodgers faded this offseason, due to the McCourt's (married couple owners) divorce detouring their funds.
All this adds up to a 4-team race for the NL World Series birth with the Phils the heavy favorites, due to the sum of their parts and that intangible: experience. After all, they've won the National League 2 years running, compiling a postseason record of 14-4 against the rest of the NL. That's dominance. There's no reason why it shouldn't continue. S.F. and Colorado are for real, however, and season-ending injury is that 'X' factor the Phils have managed to dodge. The bullpen is a giant question mark and the starting pitching isn't the league's best. The hitting, though, is. It has been the Phils' staple throughout this awesome run. That core is intact-- for one more year. Consequently, the present looks bright and another title run begins.
