Philadelphia Phillies – More Surprises With 12 Days Until Opening Day
‘World Series or Bust?’
The Philadelphia Phillies are just 12 days away from opening day, in which Roy “Doc” Halladay will take the mound for the Phillies when they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates. Will this be the year for the Philadelphia Phillies and the City of Philadelphia?
Fans Expectations for the Philadelphia Phillies
It’s been 2008 since the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series and many would have hoped and some have projected that they would have won two more by now. In several areas, the Phillies aren’t getting any younger and time may be running out for this current crew.
Injuries have been piling up, with the most recent being Michael Martinez, who suffered a broken foot earlier this week. He is expected to be out a few months. With Ryan Howard recovering from surgery and most recently an infection, Chase Utley and his knee problems, and Placido Polanco with his sprained left ring finger, the Phillies are very thin in the infield.
Will the Phillies need to go shopping for another player? They could use Joe Blanton as trade bait. There is also Freddy Galvis who is a shortstop, but has been playing second base in Utley’s absence. It’s just a shame, because Martinez was having a good spring training. Is there a bright side? Read below.
The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies
When the Philadelphia Phillies open the season in Pittsburgh, Roy Halladay will take the mound. Did you know? Doc will start on opening day for the 11th season in a row, the longest current streak in the majors.
Of course, most of you know that Cliff Lee will pitch second and you would think that Cole Hamels would go next, third in the rotation, right? Hold the press though. Hamels will be pitching fourth, while Vance Worely will be pitching in the third spot. Before some of you blow a gasket, think about the logic.
The fourth game of the season for the Phillies will be opening day in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. Of course hype and pressure can come with that. Pressure? Hamels has pitched on opening day before, has played in the World Series, and most of all, was the starting pitcher for the Phillies in the 2008 World Series. And to get things back in order, Rich Dubee, the Phillies pitching coach, has said that Halladay would pitch next, not Blanton. So the rotation would start to fall into place, with Cole Hamels going back to the number three spot sometime soon.
The difference in 2012 will be that the Phillies will have a starting line-up than expected, because Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will be recovering from their injuries.
Bright Side to the Philadelphia Phillies
We always want to know if there is a bright side to things, right? Well, the Philadelphia Phillies played through many injuries last year, and still ended up with 102 wins, the most in the majors.
Keep in mind that the Phillies started opening day and the month of April last year with Chase Utley and Brad Lidge on the disabled list, yet the Phillies finished April with an 18-8 record, the second best in the majors. Attribute a lot of this to starting pitching, in which the Phillies ended up with the best ERA in baseball at 3.02, the lowest since the Atlanta Braves in the mid 1990’s.
Another key reminder is that the San Francisco Giants won the 2010 World Series with an excellent pitching staff, and just average hitters. Many of us like many hits, home runs, and think great pitching can be boring. But they can also help win Championships. If Vance Worley can perform as he did last year, the Phillies will have one of the best rotating staffs in baseball, especially with the addition of closer Jonathan Papelbon.
The Philadelphia Phillies Outlook for 2012
The Philadelphia Phillies 2012 season could look like a bust, with several key players who will be placed on the injure reserve by opening day. You’ll see John Mayberry mostly over at first base, with Jim Thome possibly starting once a week. Ty Wigginton could be a good fill in from time to time in the infield, with Laynce Nix and Pete Orr. What about going after a player like Maicer Izturis from the California Angels. Will Joe Blanton be traded?
Hey Philadelphia Phillies fans, what are your thoughts? What would you like to see happen? Who would you use for trade bait? Are you getting excited about the 2012 Phillies season? Please share with us.
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