For the last five preseasons, the prognosticators picked the Fightin’s either to win the World Series or go deep into the playoffs. Not this year.
All the baseball annuals predict that the Phillies will finish third in the National League’s Eastern Division behind the favored Washington Nationals and the second-place Atlanta Braves. Not even a wild-card playoff berth in sight. Nor do the experts pull any punches.
One scout writes that “the aging core of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard might have less range than a refrigerator showroom.” Another claims that the recent acquisitions of third baseman Michael Young and outfielders Ben Revere and Delmon Young indicate that the front office is “grasping at straws in trying to squeeze every ounce out of that old championship core.”
Others insist that pitching ace Roy Halladay “doesn’t figure to bounce back from his sore right shoulder” and that the “clock is ticking for manager Charlie Manuel,” who could be replaced by third-base coach Ryne Sandberg before the season’s end. In short, the dynasty that never materialized is finished.
Don’t believe it just yet. The Phillies have history on their side.
... Like the 1980 World Champions, the 2013 Phillies have something to prove. If they can stay within a half-dozen games of first place for most of the season and play their best baseball in September, they, too, can find themselves in another World Series.
Let’s just hope that none of the current Phillies read this column.
Repoz
Posted: March 01, 2013 at 06:24 AM |
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1. AROM Posted: March 01, 2013 at 09:55 AM (#4378211)Which could be said about any team, in any year, in any city. Really. Even the Astros.
This is where the Cubs always go wrong -- they save their best baseball for November.
Yes, and here's a good way to make that happen: have the third base coach flash the home run sign more often.
I didn't get that vibe from this article. Just that the Phillies "Could" do better than expected. After all the experts were wrong last year about the Phillies, no reason to think they would be right this year.
As a fan of a team, when my team is picked to do poorly (or picked on) I'm going to look for the positives that I can find on the team and look at the negatives and try to rationalize whether the negatives are overstated or easily fixed by what is available/waiting.
Yes if the predictions pan out to be true, I'll be upset at the end of the year, but there I would be more into looking at "what went wrong" over a mea culpa type of thing.
I don't know why publications get him to write things like this.
Money? I have his book about the Dick Allen Phillies, but IIRC, it was from a university press and he probably didn't make much off of it.
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