People's Choice Champs

While the majority of baseball fans presently predict that the Phillies will win the '11 World Series [see polls here], they'll still need to play the final 71 games + potential postseason to claim the title.

First on the agenda is a pit stop in N.Y. vs. the Mets. On the face of it, it should be the Phillies for whom these games matter. After all, while the Mets are winners of 11 of 17 games, they can hardly be having delusions of grandeur or postseason hopes: 11 games back with the 2nd best team in the NL (& their division) 7 1/2 games ahead for the Wild Card.

Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson, on trading closer K-Rod this week: "From my standpoint, this certainly does not signify a change in direction from our continuing attempt to win games this season."

Translation: 'If we don't sweep the Phillies this weekend, high-priced All-Stars Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes (free-agents this offseason) are next.'

Beltran in Phils' outfield? Hmm...

Seriously, though, this could be an interesting series for the Phils, who will then battle their own potential boredom with 7 days against NL dregs Chicago & S.D. (combined W-L: 77-107), before meeting S.F. for a tantalizing '10 NLCS re-match July 26-28 in Philly and August 4-7 in S.F.

Phils (57-34, 1st place) at Mets 46-45, 3rd place), 3-game series begins Friday:

Game 1
Friday, July 15th, 7:10pm EST

Vance Worley (4-1, 2.20 ERA)
@ R.A. Dickey (4-7, 3.61 ERA; 2.25 ERA vs. Phils '08-present)

Worley must be thinking, 'Where should I go this offseason with all the frequent flyer miles I've earned flying back and forth to AAA, every week?'

Meanwhile, opposing teams must think: 'You're kidding me! You mean, I escaped the '4 Aces' only to have to hit a rookie phenom? Didn't the Pitching Fairy visit any other teams?!'

On June 29th, in one of the more amusing Phils side-stories this season, Worley was denied an autograph by the Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia before a competition between the 2.

Worley wanted Pedroia's autograph because they are both from Sacramento, CA. Also, a couple years ago, the now 23 year-old Worley snuck away from the Cape Cod League to see Pedroia's Red Sox play at Fenway Park.

"He wouldn't give me [an autograph]," Worley said. "Then I threw one up and in on him, so I probably won't get it now."

Worley stunned the Red Sox's MLB-best offense that night by mastering them with a 7-inning gem, allowing only 1 run.

"He had great mound presence, and we were all very impressed," Pedroia said. "It's really good for a kid that young to have a presence like that on the mound. He's going to be a good one."

Worley followed that win with a shutout of Florida on July 4th to close the 1st half of the season. After the game, he was rewarded by being demoted to the minor leagues. However, the Phils simultaneously assured that it was merely a roster move and that Worley had secured the 4-spot in the rotation.

Game 2
Saturday, July 16th, 4:10pm EST:

Cole Hamels (11-4, 2.32 ERA; 1.31 June ERA, 1.69 ERA in July)
@ Jonathan Niese (8-7, 3.88 ERA; 5.40 July ERA, already 1-2 vs. Phils in '11)

Hamels, who is a leading Cy Young candidate this year, wanted to pitch in the All-Star Game:

"I'd love to pitch," Hamels said before the game. "Tuesday is a bullpen day. It's usually the day I feel the best. It's one of those things where people who don't play the game make the rules. I don't think they understand the way we work out and how we train. When you come, you want to play. Most of us are pretty smart; we're not going to injure ourselves in an All-Star Game. And it's only 1 inning. That's the thing. It's not like I'm going out to throw 60 pitches. As strenuous as it is, we're built to throw 100s and 25 is nothing."

"He’s way more mature," manager Charlie Manuel said of Hamels, who has been pitching as well as anyone in baseball over the past 12 months. "He’s been around guys like Jamie Moyer and Halladay and Lee and Roy Oswalt. He’s got a better work ethic now. He’s stronger. He’s bigger than he used to be. You don’t see him with his shirt off, but he’s developing into a man."

Game 3
Sunday, July 17th, 1:10pm EST:

Cliff Lee (9-6, 2.82 ERA; 4.11 July ERA)
@ Mike Pelfrey (5-8, 4.55 ERA; 7.71 ERA vs. Phils in 3 games this year-- yikes!)

Lee missed his location with a fastball over the plate to the Red Sox's Gonzalez, surrendered the only AL run in Tuesday's All-Star Game. However, the NL won 5-1 and gained homefield advantage for the World Series.

"That's huge," Lee said. "Whenever you play more games at home, that's big. It's a difference maker anytime you get homefield advantage in the World Series."

Pelfrey, getting crushed by Phils this year (7.71 ERA), may want to sit this one out. Look for bullpen help, i.e., K-Rod-- oops, he's been traded to the Brewers.

The Phils, reportedly shopping for a right-handed bat and tied to a possible trade for All-Star closer Heath Bell, will need to show more offensive consistency and maintain focus, despite overmatching most of their opponents for the remainder of the season. If they can do that, the course should be steady.

2 stealthy opponents on their schedule should help keep them motivated: S.F. and Atlanta, both of whom are formidable NL contenders within striking distance of the Phils' superlative record. The Phils will play them each twice during the remaining 10 weeks of the season.