Ed. Note: I foolishly left out by far the biggest story from the Phillies' spring training, Jayson Werth's beard. Behold it in all its greatness.
TQ was in St. Louis a few weeks ago and thought it appropriate to send me a picture of my nemesis, Scott Rolen. Rolen (in)famously forced his way out of Philadelphia in 2002, citing the organization’s lack of commitment to winning. What a difference eight years makes. While Rolen toils away in baseball purgatory, Philadelphia has become the preferred destination of many free agents. One of the top pitchers in baseball, Roy Halladay, took a below market value contract extension because he wanted to play for the Fightins. Placido Polanco, the man who was once traded for Scott Rolen, re-signed, saying he never wanted to leave. Cliff Lee, the departed postseason hero, expressed genuine shock that he wouldn't get to finish his career in the City of Brotherly Love. The organization and its players see themselves as a potential National League dynasty, and anything short of another World Series title will be a disappointment.
With all due respect to Halladay, any discussion of the Phillies begins with their potent lineup. Boasting a staggering seven former all stars, the lineup rivals that of any George Steinbrenner has ever bought. Everyone knows the names Rollins, Utley, and Howard. Those players drive the offense, but I contend that it's the re-addition of Placido Polanco which can make this lineup truly great. Last year, the bottom of the lineup was at best effective and at worst frustratingly slow and impatient. At the plate, Pedro Feliz often exhibited the patience of a four year old on a long car ride. Polanco allows Shane Victorino to move down to the 7 hole, which accomplishes two things. First, it moves a contact hitter behind Rollins, increasing the odds that Rollins will be in scoring position when the sluggers come up. Second, it puts speed and on base percentage at the bottom of the lineup - almost like having a second leadoff hitter after the power hitters. When the full starting lineup is on the field, expect the batting order to look like this:
1. Jimmy Rollins SS - L/R
2. Placido Polanco 3B - R
3. Chase Utley 2B - L
4. Ryan Howard 1B - L
5. Jayson Werth RF - R
6. Raul Ibanez LF - L
7. Shane Victorino CF - L/R
8. Carlos Ruiz C - R
And then there's Roy Halladay. What can you say about Doc that hasn't been said before? Anything less than 16 wins and a sub 3.00 ERA was a bad year for him - in the AL EAST. The thought of Halladay facing the young Marlins or the hapless Nats is salivating. He also provides the clear cut ace needed to take the pressure off of Cole Hamels. Call it the Verducci Effect, call it immaturity, call it whatever you want, but Hamels' 2009 was a year of frustration and disappointment. No one knows where his career is headed, but if he can get his head on straight, he and Halladay can be one of the top 1-2 punches in the game. The three and four spots will be held down by Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ just as a year ago. The sabremetrics all point to Happ's 2009 as a result of luck, but even if he regresses, he will still be a capable 4th starter. The 5th spot is undecided, with the most likely candidates being Jamie Moyer or Kyle Kendrick. Not much to say on this one; it's the 5th spot after all.
The bullpen is the one facet of the Phillies which is tumultuous. Can Brad Lidge bounce back from the disaster of a season in which he lead the league in blown saves? Can J.C. Romero recover from his lost season that involved injuries and a 50 game suspension? Will Antonio Bastardo or Sergio Escalona be able to fill the void left by Scott Eyre? Can Jose Contreras replace the traitor Chan Ho Park? I have absolutely no idea and won't even try to guess. One thing is certain though - the bullpen can't be any worse than last year, and that team still came within 2 wins of another World Series title.
I could get into the bench, but I won't. How many of you are likely to follow the team enough to care about the bench players? All you need to know is that it should be better than last year.
Hopes are high again in Philadelphia. The addition of Roy Halladay has people excited, thinking that the last two years have been merely a prelude to greatness. Jimmy Rollins, ever the prognosticator, thinks that if everyone "goes off", they can resemble the 2001 Mariners who won 116 games. That may be stretching it more than a bit, but barring any major catastrophes, look for the Phillies to be players in October again.
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