PhillieFan6425

i am new to this forum so hello to everyone first of all. second, i am very pleased to see my phillies have a serious shot at the division title. i just wanted to know the forums opinion of the phillies stregths and weaknesses in this coming season.

philliesfan84

Phillies and post season, I've been waiting to really appreciate this, since I was only 9 in 1993.
Strengths: Our fielding and front of the line up.
Weaknesses: Sorry to say, I'm still skeptical of the pitching (but what Phillies fan isn't?) and the whole 3rd baseman thing is getting to me also. If Rowand can remain injury free I think he'll lead the outfield.
Overall I do feel that our beloved Phillies will be in the post-season and it will be an exciting season especially with the Mets; and this is the beginning of a few strong franchise years.

W_Marone

Only thing I'm honestly concerned about is the bullpen, but who knows, someone could show up and shine in the pen this season.

I dont mind thirdbase right now because we know the team can already hit, Nunez can play defense extremely well, and Helms should hopefully put up respectable numbers. I'm stil a little relucant to give the Phillies the east however, I still think the Mets are a very good club, but they have pitching problems of thier own.

Prediction....the Phillies win the Wild Card.

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Favorite Players:

1. Jonny Gomes
2. Cole Hamels
3. Alex Gordon
4. Anthony Reyes
5. Jesse Crain

bigboy10182000

First I would just like to welcome you to the site, if there's anything you need you can post it or PM one of us mods and we can help you anyway we can.

As far as strengths (and I am a Phillies fan) of course the bats are, we still lask a true lead off hitter and Burrell still can't hit a thing but I like the addition of Helms and of course Utley and Howard. I think Barajas can be a nice fit here behind the plate and hitting.

bigboy10182000

I am not as worried about 3rd base, Helms is a vereran and didn't do bad in limited duty last year with Florida and IMO is a LOT better then Nunez.

The OF worries me a lot, Rowand is overatted in the field and Burrell just plain stinks out there. Victerino has the speed but IMO not the arm for RF, any injury there would be very bad.

I also don't see us winning the division, I hate to say it but not even the wild card, just anoth .500 mark and missing by a game or so.

W_Marone

I dont think anyone is overrating Rowand defensivly. No one, including myself, see Rowand as a gold glover, just a guy who goes out there and give 100% on every ball hit toward him...sort of an Eric Byrnes down in Arizona, not the best defenseman but puts his heart into every play. Burrell was really happered in the field last year because of his nagging foot injury and I'm not sure that his wrist was 100 percent either. I'm not worried about Burrell in the field as much as I am him with runners in scoring position. Burrell is the wildcard of this team this season. If he produces like we know he can and has shown in the past and doesnt have another year like 2003 (I beleive that was the year he was horrific if I remember correctly) then they'll be fine. Thirdbase I'm not really worried about, and I acutally like Nunez better than Helms, Nunez is far superior with the glove, and I dont expect another year like last one's out of Helms at the plate, add in the fact that Nunez started to come on last season toward the end and Nunez could be much better this season at bat, if given the chance.

I don't think the Phillies wont make the playoffs, on the contrary, I think they do, but I'm not sure if they win the Division or not, on paper I think they're the best team in the East, because of the rotation, and the lack there of in the Mets case, puts them behind the Phillies to me. And in the National League all together I think them and the Mets go 1-2 and they are interchangeable between the two spots.

The only real hamper, as I mentioned earlier, looks like the bullpen. We know Tom Gordon still has it, the question is if Geary and Madson will get it back/still have it during this season and if guys the likes of Clay Condry and Matt Smith can pitch well enough to keep the Phillies in the game through the 7-8th innings...Antonio Alfonseca will also be interesting to see what happens with, honestly, I think Ryan Madson could be the closer of the future for the Phillies and I think moving him to the rotation last season really messed him up, but with him pitching exclusivly out of the pen this season, we should definanlty see the Madson of old. Plus, whatever releiver(s) Jon Lieber might bring in should help out the pen. My prediction, the Phillies win the East, but not without the Mets close behind, but I think the last two weeks of the season when the Phillies play the nationals some 6 times or so really helps them out, that is, if they dont fold like last season.

Take it easy,

Ken

__________________
Favorite Players:

1. Jonny Gomes
2. Cole Hamels
3. Alex Gordon
4. Anthony Reyes
5. Jesse Crain

truebluefan

Welcome to the site!

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