Philadelphia Phillies Fanatics

Tommorow is opening day. Go Phillies!<br />

Category: MLB

Go Birds & Philys too!!


Category: NFL

After watching Hunter Pence for just 5 days I can already see this guy is going to be another one of those great Phillies players and will fill that hole left in our lineup with the loss of Jason Werth just fine. I have a feeling when the season ends we will look back at the trade deadline pick up of Pence as the defining moment of when the Phillies started their march to the 2011 championship. 
  We will be saying Rueben is a genius for pulling off that trade. Also we will be hearing from around baseball how we should have never been able to have made that trade but the Braves made a crucial error and refused to trade any of there pitching prospects for him letting the Phillies move in and make a deal. 
This is the end of a slumping and struggling offense. Not saying this lineup won't have games when they can't get any offense and look terrible but the end of any type of sustained slump. Pence being added to this lineup and Chase Utley's playing time being at the point where he's now 100% after coming off the DL and Howard always hot down the stretch will keep this team scoring. Combined with this pitching staff Rueben has put together and I'm telling you now and remember you heard it here: we will be hailing Rueben as a hero and a genius for putting all these pieces together and destroying the National League in the regular season and post season and the AL champ in the world series.
He has done it time and again. When you look back it is amazing. Joe Blanton's performance when he came here was great, Then Cliff Lee was the difference in the 2009 season and in 2010 the Phils were down in the standings and things weren't looking good but the Roy Oswalt deal turned it around and we overtook the Braves and left them in the dust and ended with the best record in baseball. Now this Pence deal I have a feeling will be another one. Add the off season trades in there and what else can you say but Rueben is a genius. 
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Category: MLB

Seems like the Phillies have been fighting the injury bug all season. Chase Utley was out before the first exhibition game...and then we lost Dominic Brown with a broken hand and Brad Lidge before the season started. When the season started, Raul Ibanez was hitting below .100 for a month and a half. Then, let's see, Shane Victorino and  Jimmy Rollins lost a few games early and the closer who replaced Lidge, Javier Vasquez, also went on the DL.

Joe Blanton was the next pitcher on the shelf, followed by Roy Oswalt with back issues. Ryan Madson took over for Lidge, and he was doing great, but then he went on the DL. Shane Victorino went on the DL at the All star break and Placido Polanco has been hurting all season, and is out of the lineup right now.

So who has been stepping up for the Phillies...Michael Martinez has played everywhere, and Antonio Bastardo is now the closer. Vance Worley made a big impact, he's 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA and John Mayberry has also played well. Kyle Kendrick has stepped into the rotation and done a decent job.

The Phillies are 61-36, leading the majors in wins. Just think, if this team ever gets healthy, they are going to be very scary...they have three of the best pitchers in the league(Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels), and they are starting to hit and score some runs. Brad Lidge will be back soon(stop the Boos), so it looks like the Phillies will take command of the NL East and start lining up their starters for the playoffs. Plus, Shane Victorino returned from the DL.

It's all good news for the Phillies. And those injuries? Well, it's allowed other players to step up and get valuable playing time, which will be essential for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.



Category: MLB

Phillies are looking scary good right now even though there hitting is down. As everyone expected there pitching is ridiculous. Hamels arguably is there best pitcher this year. Halladay and Lee and solid as usual. There overall pitching is so good it makes Oswalt look like he is having a horrible year even though he is just as good as he has been the past couple of years. There bullpen with Bastardo and Stutes as the set up men and Madson solidifing the closer roll they are rock solid. If there bats get hot at the end of the season the only ones who could stop them are themselves.

Category: MLB