Well, we did it. The final team on our list!
Philadelphia Philllies
Record: 97-65 (NL East Champions, six games ahead of Atlanta).
Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Placido Polanco (.298)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (31)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (108)
On-base Percentage: Jayson Werth (.388)
Pitching Leaders
Wins: Roy Halladay (21)
Strikeouts: Roy Halladay (219)
Innings Pitched: Roy Halladay (250.2)
ERA: Roy Halladay (2.44). Bullpen- Ryan Madson (2.55).
WHIP: Roy Halladay (1.04). Bullpen- Ryan Madson (1.04).
Saves: Brad Lidge (27)
Highlight of the Season: What else? On October 6, Roy Halladay tossed just the second no-hitter in postseason history in Game One of the NLDS, blanking the Reds 4-0.
Lowlight of the Season: Game Six of the NLCS, when the Giants ended the Phillies' season in stunning fashion, defeating them 3-2 in Philadelphia on October 23.
The Lowdown:
The Phillies were as good as advertised in 2010, easily winning their fourth consecutive division title behind a fantastic pitching rotation and an intimidating lineup that was among the best in baseball. Oddly enough though, the Phils didn't catch fire until the second-half of the season, finishing the year with a 23-7 kick as they would enter the playoffs as the overwhelming favorite to win their third-consecutive National League pennant. That feat had not been accomplished by a National League team since the 1942-1944 St. Louis Cardinals, but if there looked like a team that could pull that off again, it was Philadelphia.
The Phillies made easy work of the Cincinnati Reds in the first round, sweeping them to set up a showdown against the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. On paper, the match-up appeared to be a mismatch, but as we all know, these games aren't played on paper. The Phillies' mighty lineup was shut down by the superior pitching of the Giants, and not only that, the Giants' relatively weak lineup was able to get the best of their stable of outstanding starters, defeating Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels each. What looked like an easy road to a National League three-peat turned into a disappointing finish.
Offense:
Philadelphia's offense was strong yet again last year, finishing seventh in MLB in runs (772), ninth in home runs (166), 12th in batting average (.260) and 11th in on-base percentage (.332). Much like the Yankees, the Phillies featured a nice blend of contact, speed and power, between the quintet of Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley.
Victorino provided an element of speed and a dash of power, hitting 18 home runs while stealing 34 bases, a nice balance you like to see from your leadoff hitter. Placido Polanco, known in many circles as the most difficult man to strike out in baseball, hit a team-best .298, while striking out only 47 times in 554 at-bats. Then came the lumber company of Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley, as the three were all still very intimidating despite Howard and Utley missing time due to injuries. Howard still finished with 33 homers and 108 RBIs in 143 games, while Utley hit 16 homers and drove in 65 in just 115 contests. Jayson Werthh added an extra element of power in his final season in Philly, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 85, to go along with a nice .388 on-base percentage.
Grading this lineup isn't too difficult at all. While they weren't statistically as great as the Reds, Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers, they were still one of the best in baseball.
Final Grade: A
Pitching:
The staff was led by free agent acquisition Roy Halladay, and he was as good as everybody thought he would be in his first year in the National League. "Doc" went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA and a MLB-best 250.2 innings pitched. Not only that, he became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1973 to toss two no-hitters in a season, as he would throw a perfect game against the Marlins during the regular-season and another no-hitter against the Reds during the playoffs. His overall effort was good enough for him to earn his second Cy Young Award, joining a select fraternity to capture the award in both leagues.
Behind him in the rotation was Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP that found his mojo again. Hamels would finish 12-11 with a 3.08 ERA and 211 strikeouts, which is certainly the kind of pitching the Phillies and their fans would love to see from him again. The Phils also received a nice boost in the rotation when they acquired Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros via trade. Oswalt would make 13 starts in Philadelphia, going 7-1 with a 1.90 ERA along with a WHIP of 0.90.
In the bullpen, the Phils received strong performances from Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero. Madson was probably the best reliever in the bullpen last year, recording an ERA of 2.55, a WHIP of 1.04, 15 holds and 64 strikeouts in 53 innings. Lidge was solid in the closer's role once again, returning to form with a 2.96 ERA and 27 saves. Jose Contreras also saw time in the set-up role, recording 13 holds with a 3.34 ERA, while J.C. Romero had a fair 3.68 ERA in 60 appearances.
Overall, the Phillies had the best WHIP in baseball at 1.25, while they finished sixth in ERA (3.67) and 10th in "batting average against" (.254). Not too shabby.
Final Grade: A
Wild Card: Roy Halladay
The late manager Chuck Tanner once said of Willie Stargell that having him on your team was "like having a diamond ring on your finger." I'm sure manager Charlie Manuel feels the same way about Roy Halladay right now.
Final Grade: A+
Overall:
If they didn't fizzle out against San Francisco in the NLCS, they would easily get an A+ from me.
Final Grade: A
Well, that will do it for our look at all 30 teams. Even though it took much longer than 30 days, I would like to thank each and every one of you who took the time out of your day to check out my blog, I really appreciate it! Make sure to check back soon for more posts on the White Sox and Major League Baseball on "The South Side Hit Parade!"
