I'm not a sports historian, and I am a pretty young guy, but I think this has to be an unprecedented time to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan. Has there ever been this much excitement about the Phils' chances, with yesterday's addition of Cleveland's ace, Cliff Lee?It will be interesting to see how the Phillies handle this kind of pressure. Last year they had a nice team, but no one really expected them to win the World Series. Most 'experts' saw last year's run as a fluke, and gave the Phillies little/no chance of repeating as champs.
That's changed with the addition of Lee. A lot of people are saying they're the cream of the crop in the NL, with a good chance to win the whole thing again. But the pressure of high expectations can undo a team who isn't accustomed to that kind of pressure. At least so says the only professional athlete who I know personally. I tend to think he's right.
So I will be interested to see how the Phillies handle their great expectations. I sure hope they can pull off a second straight championship, which hasn't been done by a National League team since before I was born.
Who's got predictions?
0-2 since the trade...hope it's just a coincidence!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how the trade, the coming addition of Pedro Martinez and the anticipated, early return of Brett Myers to the bullpen will all play out. Will we lose some of our bullpen regulars (Durbin, Condrey)? What will become of Lidge, and is Myers' return being driven by Lidge's inconsistency? Myers was an able closer in 2007, and he loved it. Don't tell me he's not thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteMy bro has a good take on it. He thinks the Phils will juggle guys in and out of the DL for the month of August, until the rosters expand, then carry everyone, see how September plays out, and settle on a post-season roster.
So, my prediction: I think the Phils will repeat...but it won't be nearly so easy as it was in 2008. The route will take us through SF, LA, and maybe the Yankees. That sounds like even more fun than last year.
Jim W
Hopefully you're a prophet!
ReplyDelete