Blogging about the 5x NL East Champion Phillies
The beautiful thing about sports is that you’re never going to know what to expect. As a player, coach or fan, the game is built on mostly skill. But factored into that equation is a thing called luck. Like it or not, the luck factors into the bizarre and the bizarre factors into the shock … Continue reading 2011 Moments: #1 Baez, Valdez unlikely relief heroes for Phils
It looked as though the Phillies were going to resign closer Ryan Madson but the deal seemed to fall apart. Instead they plucked former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon off the free-agent market. The deal is believed to be worth $50 million over four years. It also includes a vesting option for a fifth year. … Continue reading Papelbon inks four-year deal with Phils
102 wins. Just reading it summarizes the dominance of the Phillies 2011 regular season. But despite breaking a franchise record that stood for over four years, the season ended in disappointment. Many questions were raised towards the end of the season and soon following the Phillies elimination in the Game 5 of the NLDS to … Continue reading 2011 Moments: #2 A record-breaking season
There are certain things only certain athletes can do. The Phillies have one of those athletes and his name is Chase Utley. On July 26, Utley rounded the bases much like he has 188 times in his career. But this time was different. The 32-year-old second baseman needed a little extra hustle to make it … Continue reading 2011 Moments: #3 Utley does things the hard way
Cliff Lee was forcing the Philadelphia fans to fall in love with the left-handed pitcher even more than they already had two years prior. Lee’s swagger off the mound, his abilities on the bound and his ability to win over the hearts of more and more fans intensified when Lee belted not one, but two … Continue reading 2011 Moments: #4 The Might of Cliff Lee
Jaime Garcia had the Phillis foiled, and it seemed they couldn’t do a single thing against the Cardinals left-hander. That is, until they pinch-hit Ben Francisco in the 7th inning in hopes of sparking something for the offense. Francisco provided more than just a spark; he single-handedly won the game for the Phillies. Though the … Continue reading 2011 Phillies Moments: #6 An unlikely hero
Some say that July 29th should be a holiday for the Philadelphia Phillies franchise. It was on that day in 2009 that the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee from the Indians. On July 29th 2010, the Philadelphia Phillies added another Ace to their staff, Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros. One year later, Philadelphia was astonished one … Continue reading 2011 Moment: #7 Hunter Pence Trade
Much wasn’t expected when Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg took over as manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The IronPigs had never had a winning season in their first three years of existence. In fact, they had never had a record over .500. But Sandberg turned everything around and had the Lehigh Valley buzzing. The IronPigs finished … Continue reading 2011 Moment: #8 IronPigs make first ever playoffs
The fans knew it was over as soon as the ball left John Mayberry Jr’s bat. Perhaps it was the fact the Phils had the bases loaded with one out that forced Astros center fielder Michael Bourn to play shallow. But the moment Mayberry ripped a screamer to center with the game tied 4-4 in … Continue reading 2011 Moment: #9 Opening Day Heroics
Only a few months into the 2011 season, the dominance of the Phillies rotation was put on full display. Living up to the expectations heading into the season, the Phillies were a league-best 34-22 while holding a two-game lead on the Florida Marlins in the division. It was all thanks to the pitching, that is, … Continue reading 2011 Moment: #10 Cliff Lee’s lights-out June
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