With Bruce Bochy’s masterful handling of the National League’s pitching staff at the 2011 All-Star Game, which resulted in a 5-1 victory, either the Phillies or Bochy’s San Francisco Giants, are in very favorable position to win the 2011 World Series. Not that I am discounting the other contenders, however, both the Phillies and Giants have the more overwhelming hurlers. When you hand home-field advantage to pitching staffs as potent as the Phillies or the Giants, one cannot underestimate the enormity of such an advantage. For those of you who are taking the Giants chances of repeating …

The word charismatic is often used when speaking about Phillies shortstop, Jimmy Rollins. The diminutive dynamo, a mainstay of the Phillies since his major league debut on Sept. 17, 2000, has been a model of consistency for the last decade and his ebullient and effervescent spirit has rubbed off on many of his teammates, who look to Jimmy for guidance and leadership.  James Calvin Rollins was born on Nov. 27, 1978 in Oakland, California, to James and Gigi Rollins, both of who remain instrumental in Jimmy’s life, today. His dad, James, Sr. was a wrestler and weightlifter and also ran track. …

As the days drew nigh to Christmas, baseball fans in New York, Texas and Boston held their collective breaths as they awaited the decision by Cliff Lee, as to where he would ply his trade in 2011. Not that the Boston Red Sox were in the mix, it’s just that the fans of “Red Sox Nation” were hoping that Lee would not choose to upset the balance of power in the AL East. So, on the ides of December, when word came down that Cliff Lee was returning to the city of brotherly love, the world of baseball was knocked for a proverbial loop. Not only did Lee opt to sign a long-term contract with the …

The chorus of boos rained down on Colbert Michael Hamels from the denizens of Citizens Bank Park. It was April 5 of this year and Cole Hamels had not even survived the third inning against the New York Mets, who had pounded him for six runs, seven hits and built a 6-0 lead.  As Hamels handed the ball to manager Charlie Manuel, the cascade of boos from the tough loving faithful failed to even remotely rattle the now 27 year-old southpaw. The game which signified Hamels’ initial outing of the season marked the ever increasing maturity of the now veteran left-hander.  At the post-game press …

How good was Charlie Manuel as a hitter?  Consider the following: Carl Yastrzemski was the last major leaguer to win a triple crown (leading his league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in). Yastrzemski accomplished this feat in 1967, 44 years ago. That very same season, Charlie Manuel, a young prospect in the Minnesota Twins system, also won a triple crown, albeit, in the Midwest League.  Charlie duplicated Yastrzemski’s feat while playing with the Wisconsin Rapids. In 111 games, Manuel batted .313, with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs.  Manuel also achieved success in 1968 with …

When the word filtered down that Charlie Manuel was to succeed the fiery Larry Bowa at the beginning of the 2005 campaign, the announcement of his hiring was met with less than unbridled joy.  Oh, Charlie had limited success at the major league level, having had managed the Cleveland Indians to a second place finish in 2000, followed by a first place finish in 2001.  However, after a slow start by the Tribe in 2002, Manuel was handed his walking papers on July 11.  Charlie did, however, arrive with the reputation as a great hitting coach and the dreaded label, “players’ manager,” as if that …

Ryan Howard stared at his pitcher incredulously. With the score knotted at 4-4 in the top of the 19th inning, the sight of his “pitcher” shaking off, not one, but two of his catcher’s signs, drove Howard to laughter.  After all, the pitcher had not even thrown a pitch as of yet to the Cincinnati Reds reigning MVP, Joey Votto. However, this was not just any hurler. This was the Phillies super sub, utility infielder Wilson Valdez. Manager Charlie Manuel had stated in the past that he would never send a position player to the mound under any circumstance, however, Charlie had already used Roy …

The rich are about to get richer.  There is a young man currently toiling for the High A Clearwater Threshers who is not that far removed from joining the Philadelphia Phillies elite staff.  His ETA is approximately 2013 and he will be bringing an impressive resume and a full arsenal to Citizens Bank Park.  His name is Jon Pettibone and he is a slender looking, but solid 6’5 200 lb right-hander.  Jonathan H. Pettibone was born in Placentia, California on July 19, 1990, which makes him all of twenty years old. Jon was drafted by the Phillies in the third round of the 2008 amateur draft, and …

The names of the all-time greats just roll off the tongue, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio and Babe Ruth.  All of them legends, all of them immediately recognizable as among the greatest run producers in major league history.  In fact, Gehrig, Greenberg, DiMaggio and Ruth hold the distinction of knocking in the most runs per game in the illustrious history of the game. However, many would be surprised to learn which player ranks fifth all-time, just behind the aforementioned Hall of Famers. Oh, but he’s very familiar to Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel, who calls his huge slugger, “…

George Kissell, the career minor league manager, coach, scout and instructor, who once roomed with Babe Ruth, knew a thing or two about the game of baseball. So when Kissell, who passed away at the age of 88 in 2008 remarked, “Placido Polanco has the best knowledge of the strike zone that any hitter I’ve ever seen,” it certainly raised some eyebrows.  Placido, the Phillies third-baseman and occasional second-baseman since 2010, is perhaps the one Phillies superstar who consistently flies under the radar. In Polly’s initial season in Philadelphia,  Placido managed an impressive .298 batting …

During the course of any major league season, the organizational depth of any franchise becomes paramount to the success of the parent team.  As the month of April drew to a close, this couldn’t have possibly been more apparent to the followers of the Philadelphia Phillies. With several key players being sidelined for a myriad of reasons in the early going, the inhabitants of Coca- Cola Park in Allentown have provided much needed relief efforts for the citizens of Citizens Bank Park.  On Saturday, April 30, one of the Iron Pigs played an instrumental role in Roy Halladay’s superb complete-…

Entering the 2011 season, this Phillies pitcher had started eight consecutive opening days, had gone undefeated in the post-season (4-0), had led the NL in ERA (2.98), had once led the NL in victories (20), had twice won 20 or more games, had a lifetime record of 150-83 for a Hall of Fame like .644 winning percentage and an equally impressive lifetime 3.18 ERA.  This same hurler had never had a losing season in his ten major league campaigns and in nine of his seasons, had won in double digits. This estimable dart thrower had also compiled an astonishing 1666 to 467 strikeout to walk ratio …

John Mayberry Jr. made quite an auspicious 2011 debut with the Phillies on opening day at Citizens Bank Park. On Friday April 1st, Mayberry’s dramatic bottom of the ninth inning pinch-hit single, capped a three-run rally, which gave the defending Eastern Division champions a come-from-behind 5-4 victory.  What made the hit even more impressive was the fact that the clutch hit came off of a right-handed pitcher, Brandon Lyon, exactly the type of pitcher that had given Mayberry fits throughout his career, and perhaps prevented big John from reaching the majors full time. All throughout Mayberry…

Roy Halladay arrived in 2010 with a portfolio that read “Best Pitcher in Baseball,” and incredibly, may have even exceeded our lofty expectations.  A league leading 250.2 innings pitched, a league leading four shutouts, a league leading nine complete games, a league leading twenty-one victories and an ERA of 2.44 did not even begin to tell the story of this huge right-handers dominance.  Consider that not one other team accounted for as much as nine complete games.  And, oh yes, there was that perfect game at Florida on May 29th, a game that the Phillies just managed one run of support. Then…

There was much handwringing and teeth gnashing upon the news of Jayson Werth’s signing on with the Washington Nationals.  Just exactly what Jayson’s departure will mean to a Philadelphia lineup that is predominantly left-handed, is up for debate. However, close examination of many statistical facts may astound even the most ardent of Phillies fanatics.  To begin with, the assumption that Werth did extensive damage to left-handed pitchers is unfounded. In fact, in 2010, a year in which Werth batted a solid .296, with 46 doubles, 2 triples, 27 homers, 106 runs and 85 RBIs, it might surprise …