subject: The Phillies Look Good Overall [print this page] Many Major League baseball teams are shaping up in the National Leagues for a great year, and the Philadelphia Phillies are no exception. Their regular season performance for the past 3 years has earned them respect throughout the country, and the team is now currently sitting just 2.5 games behind Atlanta and have a 3.5 score in the wild card.
Having recently added Roy Oswalt of the Houston Astro's to their roster, General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. may have set the team up for a straight run for the win, Oswalt is a long tenured experienced player after all with a respectable record. His win-loss records are 6-13, but his 8.3 strikeouts-per-nine innings is the best rate he's had since his rookie season. When his game is tight, we should see some real fireworks from Oswalt, his fans certainly hope so.
Given the team's history which began in 1883 it should be obvious that they can succeed. The Phillies have finished in first place during the regular season in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The team has won 2 World Series championships and 7 National League pennants going all the way back to 1915. Unlike new franchise teams with a mix-and-match group of players and managers, The Philadelphia Phillies are today a tight knit unit of veteran players and professional managers that have proven their skills throughout the years.
This season the team has taken a rash of minor and major injuries that might affect the near future. Jimmy Rollins has bruised his left foot, Outfielder Shane Victorino has strained an abdominal muscle, Raul Ibanez is has a sore left wrist, Infielder Chase Utley has a broken thumb and heavy hitter Ryan Howard has recently sprained his right ankle, rolling it pretty badly. Still, Howard was quoted to say "It's just swollen. It's tight, sore. Other than that, it's not too, too bad,", giving hope to his fans and team mates alike.
They have however suffered a serious rash of injuries this season that make fans nervous, Infielder Chase Utley with a broken thumb, Outfielder Shane Victorino with a painful strained abdominal muscle, Jimmy Rollins with a bruised left foot, Outfielder Raul Ibanez has a sore left wrist and the recently named National League Player of the Week Ryan Howard has acquired a sprained right ankle. It's hard to believe that these injuries aren't seriously affecting the overall game of the team, but they have yet to take a statistical dive and are still performing as well as can be expected.
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. Is managing the team with a rare passion. He has over 41 years of Major League Baseball experience and it shows. He was voted by fans as "This Year In Baseball Awards" Manager of the Year for all of Major League Baseball, showing that many feel he has the leadership skills to take the Phillies all the way again.
The Phillies bullpen have an average of 4.08 earned run averages so far, while the starting line-up have a solid 3.89. The team's National League odds to win the pennant are currently around +600, we should see the team fall right into place when October comes around, Major League betting trends certainly suggest so.
At home in Citizens Bank Park we should see the same consistent wins that Philadelphia has come to expect from the Phillies, and although their road games haven't matched the wins they enjoy at home, they are a well seasoned team of professionals that should not be underestimated.
