The Phield 2010: My Bracket

As The Phield churns out matchup previews over the course of the next few days, as well as starts the tournament with voting for the play-in game, let's take a look at my bracket.

My bracket for The Phield 2010. Click to enlarge and see my predictions.

Yep, I'm calling for a 3-seed to take it all. I am still shocked The Fightins were given a 3 and not a 2 (or even a 1), as their site has been stellar since its full-time debut in the spring of 2008. Yep, before the greatest night, er, nights in Phillies history. My final four consists of Macho Row, The Fightins, Beerleaguer, and The Zo Zone.

Macho Row, in my opinion, got too high a seed and could have easily been a 3 or 4. I think they can take down the almighty 700 Level, the overall #1 seed. Why? Because, while The 700 Level is an excellent Philly blog, it is split over all things Philly sports. I think blogs that are dedicated to just the Phillies cover the team more thoroughly and I think that will be shown with the results in The Phield. Really though, no disrespect to The 700 Level. I've been a daily reader of their site since 2006 and think they're the best all-around Philly blog on the web. For this though I go Macho Row.

The Fightins may just be my favorite Phillies-centric blog. It has a little of everything: statistics, game recaps, a kick-ass store, focus on broadcasters, and jokes. Boy do they bring the jokes. They have the fan base to topple the other 64 worthy entrants.

Beerleaguer is a classic and located just outside my hometown. The commenters may appear dry and pessimistic about everything but sole writer Weitzel knows his stuff. His strong following should get him to the Final Four. I'll be one pushing to get him there.

Lastly comes The Zo Zone, my favorite blog by a Phillies beat writer. I figure one of the beat writers makes it and since Zo is my favorite - and appears in tune with fans and other blogs - I think he storms past fellow beat writer blog Finger Food and edges out Swing and a Long Drive in the Elite Eight.

So there are my picks. I'm not getting into every single selection because that would take forever. Plus, this is just my gut feeling and biased approach as to which blogs I like best.

Really the real winner in this whole awesome process are the smaller, less-known blogs. This is free advertising for them and they should relish the chance to grab a new audience. I know I'll be perusing all 65 of these sites more often to get as much Phillies love as possible. Each site is different and original, and I respect that.

So, now that you see who I got... who you got? Favor The 700 Level? Love a dark horse?

Playing The Phield

Yep, another long break in posts. Sorry about that. We're mainly a Penn State/NFL blog so it's hard to stay up on things from February through August (save for April... NFL draft!). One thing I need to start doing again is blogging about my beloved Phillies. And this might push me to do so. It's called "The Phield".

The Phield has composed a bracket of 65 of the best Philadelphia Phillies blogs around the Internet to determine one Phillies blog to rule them all. It's an awesome idea, started by former Phillies Nation - a #1 seed, by the way - writer by the name of Timothy Malcolm. He has done a stupendous job of finding great Phillies fans' sites from across the web, excluding us here. But that's OK; I never expected to be added to The Phield since I haven't written about the team since October 30th, 2009. Heck, I didn't even comment on the World Series loss or offseason changes.

Anyway, this leads me to want to start talking about the Phillies again. I love the team but don't give them as much face time here due to my obsession with all things football. Hopefully that changes this coming season and I can get a high seed for the 2011 Phield. That's my new goal.

For reference, here is The Phield for 2010, taken from the main site.

Click to enlarge.

Malcolm certainly included all of the ones I peruse on a daily basis, such as Macho Row, The 700 Level, The Fightins, Swing and a Long Drive, and Phinally Philly, plus a lot more. There are at least 30 I hadn't even heard of before this tournament. My Google Reader is about to be even more full...

You can get involved in the voting, too! Follow @ThePhield on Twitter, where you can submit votes and get updates. You can also vote by emailing thephield@gmail.com by 8 PM each day. You vote for your favorite blog in each two-team matchup, when the match-up is featured on the site (and mentioned on Twitter). UPDATE: Kevin McGuire, from Macho Row, has let me know that The Phield has changed voting procedures to a poll on the main site. Vote there each day between 8 AM and 8 PM.

Good luck to all 65 teams involved! My the best Phillies blog win!

J-Roll Not Impressed with Fans in Yankee Stadium

Per MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki:

Jimmy Rollins was asked about the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium compared to other ballparks.

"It's really more of a different atmosphere at our ballpark compared to the others," he said. "Our ballpark is so loud and rowdy. I was really expecting some of that here, but it was very tame and civilized actually."

In New York?

"Yeah," Rollins said. "You only heard one big cheer and that was on the home runs. Other than that ... those expensive are running the loud fans out."

Rollins later was asked if this feels more like a World Series compared to last year's series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"When we get to Philly it will," Rollins said.

3 Reasons the Phillies Will/Won't Win the 2009 World Series

Hello World Series. It's been almost a year since we last hung out but I'm sure you haven't forgotten us. We're the Philadelphia Phillies, defending world champions of baseball. Just wanted to let you know that we're back and ready for a repeat. Here's why...

3 Reasons the Phillies Will Win the World Series (again)

• Experience - As I alluded to, OK stated, the Phillies are back in the World Series for a second straight year. After steamrolling the perceived superior Dodgers and Rays in last year's trot the their first WFC since 1980, the Phillies learned how to play October baseball. They didn't know how to handle the spotlight in 2007, after they won their first divisional title since 1993, and were promptly swept by the red-hot Rockies. You don't think the Phillies learned something from that and used it to help last year? The magical 2008 season brought about many lessons, which J-Roll, Vic, Chutley, RyHo, Werth, Raaauuuuuuulll, Chooch, Pete Happy and the other remnants of last years roster will employ this time around. The Yankees haven't been here since 2003, and they looked much different then. You'll hear Jeter-this and Mariano-that but, in reality, it's the Phillies, not the Yankees, with the experience needed to win another title.

Expect to see this scene again real soon.

• Expectations - What are they for the Phillies? Well outside of Philadelphia there apparently aren't any. Only 6 of the 24 ESPN "experts" predicted the Phillies to return to the World Series. Of those six, zero predicted a repeat for The Fightin's. Sixteen of the 24 picked the Yankees to win the Series, and this was before the playoffs started. Now that we know it's a Phillies-Yankees throwdown not much has changed. Again, 9 of the 10 experts pick New York (I always did like you, Karabell). I don't want to play the "no respect" card; I (and they) could care less. The Phillies perform quite well as underdogs. Without the intense pressure the team can play the game the way the want to. They won't be tense or pressing, like the Yankees will be. Six years between World Series appearances feels like a generation in the Bronx. Of course nine years between titles is almost unfathomable for the Yankee faithful. Bottomline: all the pressure is on the Yankees, and that's one of the reasons the Phillies will win it all again.

• Ryan Howard - Last year Philadelphia saw multiple dynamic performances from one Colbert Hamels. This year it's Ryan Howard's turn. He had his usual end-of-the-season surge and it carried over into the playoffs. He was recently named NLCS MVP and looks to take home World Series MVP, which he will if (when?) the Phillies repeat. He is the heart of the team in 2009 and RyHo has delivered thus far. Don't expect that to change, especially because of where the series will be played. Have you heard Yankees Stadium and Citizens Bank Park or havens for home runs? I know, BRAND NEW INFORMATION!

The Fightins

3 Reasons the Phillies Won't Win the World Series

• Familiarity - Cliff Lee, the Phillies new ace, is not something new to the Yankees. The former Indian faced New York plenty of times while in the A.L. While Lee dominated N.L. opponents that may have been due to them facing him so few times in the past. That can't be said about the Bronx Bombers. Game 2 starter is Pedro Martinez, also not new to the A.L. batters. While he hasn't pitched in the A.L. since 2004, many of the Yankee batters have numerous plate appearances against him. If Lee and Martinez aren't on the top of their game and challenging the hitters the first two games could be long for Philadelphians. And the Series won't end as it did last year.

• Mariano Rivera - The best closer in the game for the last decade plus has not lost anything. He is still mostly unhittable. Rivera isn't Huston Street or Jonathan Broxton. He's Mariano frickin' Rivera. Don't expect a 9th inning comeback off of him. A come-from-behind win must be nailed down in the 6th, 7th, or 8th. If the Phillies enter the 9th down, say goodnight.

• Umpires - OK, this is a bit of a cop out. And I'm not saying MLB or the umps want New York to win. I'm just pointing out how utterly terrible the umpires have been the entire playoffs. It's well documented. They could cause the Phillies (or the Yankees) to lose the World Series. How ludicrous is that? Let's hope that doesn't happen...

HARRY HOW / GETTY IMAGES

So there you have it, why the Phillies will/won't win the 2009 World Series. If you missed why the Yankees will or won't win the World Series check out E's post here.

BOLD PREDICTION SURE TO BE WRONG: Phillies repeat, take the '09 Series in six. You heard it here first. OK, not really. He said something about it too. Although I'm a little more cautious.

DO IT FOR HARRY, BOYS.

3 Reasons Why the Yankees Will and Will Not Win the World Series

Well, it has been a long 6 years but my Yankees are finally back in the Series. The Phillies may be the defending champions but you can bet that the Yankees will be up for this series and force them to give everything they got. Scouring over some message boards, I am completely floored at the arrogance of some Phillies fans. I have seen many, many posts saying that the Phillies are going to win the series in 5 games. Really?? That means they have to beat CC at least once AND win with Pedro starting. That also means Cole Hamels has to not implode in Game 3. Quite a tall task if you ask me. I think anybody making that prediction is seriously underestimating the Yankees. With that introduction, here are my three reasons why the Yankees will win and will not win the World Series.

Why the Yankees will win…

CC / 3-man rotation

The fact that the Yankees get to use CC Sabathia 3 times in this series is huge. He has been pitching out of his mind and will be able to go toe-to-toe with Cliff Lee, assuming they pitch him thrice as well. AJ Burnett worries me on the road (similar to the Phillies and Cole Hamels) but in Game 2, I expect a great start out of him. Pettitte has been incredibly solid this entire postseason as well. Yeah, they’ll have a big time line up to go against but I know that they can hold their own.

Pedro Martinez

I was almost giddy with excitement when he was named the Game 2 starter. He has never been that great against the Yankees in the postseason (1-2 record, 4.72 ERA) and now he is 6 years older. Not only that but he has not been tested at all this year. Yeah, he pitched well against the Dodgers but that offense was reeling and is not really that great to begin with. Also, he pitched against NOBODY in the regular season. His only decent starts during the season came against the Mets, Nationals and Giants. Those are 3 of the worst offensive teams in the league. I fully expect the Yankees to tee off on him in Game 2 and hopefully Game 5 as well. Not only that but if the Phillies want to use Cole Hamels twice, that means he is going to have to pitch in a pivotal Game 6 in the Bronx. Regardless, whenever Pedro takes the mound, it will be great theatre.

Mark Teixeira

Cold for pretty much the entire playoffs at the plate, he started to heat up at the end of the ALCS and that is great news for the Yankees. When he is on, the Yankees are nearly unbeatable. A-Rod is also helping this too by protecting him in the order. The Phillies are going to have to throw Teixeira strikes unless they want a man on base when A-Rod comes up. That is what got the Angels in trouble towards the end of the ALCS. Also, I would be remiss not to mention his defense at first base. He is going to win the Gold Glove this year and I am certain his defense alone won them a handful of games this regular season.

Why the Yankees will lose…

Phillies Lineup

It is pretty good. And has been great this postseason. The Angels provided a good warm-up for the Yankees in the ALCS (Yankees and Angels were #1 and #2 in runs scored during the regular season) so I feel like the starters will be ready. But that does not stop the fact that they need to get through Rollins, Howard, Werth, etc. etc.

Stranding runners

Did it wayyyy too much in the ALCS. The Yankees did get better late in the ALCS but I worry about them putting the first couple guys on and then doing absolutely nothing. They may need to rely on the long ball a bit in a game or two.

Bullpen

Thought to be a strong point heading into the postseason, the bullpen has somewhat shaky thus far. Then again, I could be wrong here. Their ERA this postseason is 2.28…but I feel like they have been living on the edge for a lot of the postseason. Joba and Hughes have not been pitching nearly as well as they were down the stretch of the regular season. Rivera does have the second best ERA this postseason (0.84 behind Lee’s 0.74) but Game 6 proved that runs can be scored off of him. I also just have terrible memories of him blowing the clincher against Arizona in 2001.

One way or another, this is going to be an amazing World Series. I would be very surprised if it does not end in a Game 6 or 7 in the Bronx. As for my prediction? I think the Yankees will pull off #27. But not before an epic Game 7 showdown.

I Love New York

Yep, about that posting 2-3 times a day thing...

Anyway, here's something I had to direct your attention to.

This was found on Urban Dictionary by Tug Haines from The Fightins.

"Supirrior" indeed.

I've got nothin' more to add.

Congratulations, Ryan Howard

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard clobbered the 200th home run of his career tonight in Florida. It was his 23rd of the season and gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead. Howard is the fastest player in MLB history to reach 200 home runs, which he did in 658 games.

Congratulations!

Heading to CBP for Tonights Game

I'll be taking in the Phillies-Pirates game tonight at The Bank. It will be my first live Phillies game since a 10,000th-loss-avoiding win on July 14, 2007, also one of my best friends bachelor party. On a related note, tonight is Walkoff Walk's CBP HEIST. Bloggers from The 700 Level and The Fightins will be in attendance (plus others). They're congregating in section 202. Not sure where I'll be gbut it'd be sweet to see some of them there. Here's to a Phillies win!

Vote for Shane!

Send Shane "The Flyin' Hawaiin" Victorino to the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis! VOTE NOW.

Phillies in the All-Star Game, Update 3

When it comes to National League All-Stars its basically the Phillies, Mets and Cardinals. Then everyone else. The Phillies (Chase Utley, Raul Ibañez, Jimmy Rollins), as of the official June 15th results, have three players set to start for the N.L. in the 2009 All-Star Game. The Mets have two (David Wright, Carlos Beltran), as do the Cardinals (Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina). The final spot (excluding pitcher) would be Milwaukee's Ryan Braun. Of course we're still about a month from the game; aything can happen until the teams are announced. Current results below.

2009 All-Star Game (National League) vote totals released June 15th, 2009 (MLB.com).

The most newsworthy item this week may be Utley taking over the #1 spot from Pujols, in terms of total votes. The Phillies second baseman, who had the most votes among N.L. players in 2008, now has 2,273,355 votes. Pujols is second overall with 2,158,036.

So obviously Ryan Howard still is lurking behind Pujols at first base. Don't expect Howard to pass him. However, Howard could become a reserve. Actually it's probably a forgone conclusion that Howard will indeed be in St. Louis this July.

Nothing else to say about Utley. The Dodgers Orlando Hudson is a distant second at second base with 904,648 votes.

The most undeserving starters is, unfortunately, Rollins at short stop. Jimmy has shown signs of improvement recently but should not be set to start in front of Hanley Ramirez (a close second) or Miguel Tejada (a distant fifth). J.J Hardy is third while Jose Reyes (why?) is 4th.

Third base has gone completely unchanged, order-wise. It goes Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, Chipper Jones, Pedro Feliz, Bill Hall. I'd love to see Feliz make it as a reserve but doubt he'll get the nod over Zimmerman or Jones.

Carlos Ruiz is up to 4th! "Chooch" is having the best season of his MLB career and with the lack of big names behind the plate this season has a good a case as any to make the All-Star team for the N.L. Ruiz has 809,633 votes, about 6,000 behind 3rd place Jason Kendall and 85,000 behind 2nd place Brian McCann.

Ibañez, Braun and Beltran remain 1-2-3 in the outfield, though the Cubs Alfonso Soriano is approaching the Mets OF. Phillies OF Shane Victorino has jumped suspended Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez for 5th. Teammate Jayson Werth remains in 8th.

I'm expecting five Phillies to make the team - Utley, Ibañez, Rollins, Howard and either Ruiz or Hamels.

If I were choosing who should go, I'd tab Utley, Ibañez, Howard and Ruiz.

Sorry, J-Roll.

Ibañez Stacks Up Well with Past NL MVPs

The Phillies won the rubber match versus the hated New York Mets last night thanks to a Raul Ibañez 3-run home run in the top of the 11th inning. The win pushed the Phillies to a 35-23 record, two wins better than their '08 pace, and a four game lead over the Mets in the N.L. East. The game winning home run was Ibañez's 21st of the season, second among N.L. players (Adrian Gonzalez, 22). RAAAAUUUUUUULLL now leads the league in RBIs, too. With his amazing start in Philadelphia, and since we're more than 1/3 of the way through the 2009 season, rumblings of a potential MVP are in the air for the newest Phillie. Through 58 games, how does Ibañez stack up to past award winners this far into the season?

Click to enlarge statistics.

There are 19 statistics I looked at in my analysis. While a person's all around game is important to the team, when it comes to MVP voting it seems that two things standout as the "main criteria" for the award: leadership and offensive production. Now I'm a defensive man myself but, honestly, defensive metrics are used merely as a tie breaker when it comes to MVPs. It's clearly about the offense; remember, chicks dig the long ball. So all of the statistics listed above, save one, fall in the offensive category. The only outlier is team success.

Looking at the averages for the 19 major categories, Ibañez (or the Phillies) are better than the average 11 out of 19 times. Of the eight statistics Ibañez isn't better than your average N.L. MVP, two he's at the average. Of the remaining seven, walks, intentional walks and grounded into double plays are not "make or break" variables.

Through 58 games, Ibañez has 75 hits. Of the previous 10 N.L. MVPs, only Jeff Kent (2000 Giants) had more hits during the first 58 games of the season. The average is 64. Ibañez is also above average in the doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, batting average and slugging categories. Only 2001 Barry Bonds had more RBIs through 58 games.

Ibañez biggest "drawbacks" are walks, strikeouts and on-base percentage. He currently has 40 Ks, seven more than your average N.L. MVP. He also has drawn only 20 free passes, much less than average which in turn has affected his OBP. Despite his power surge and ability to hit for contact, Ibañez is not drawing walks. If he becomes more patient and opposing managers and pitchers become more leery of him, these categories won't be a concern. In reality, Ks and BBs are hardly big negatives for MVP candidates. Ryan Howard struck out a lot in 2006 (59 in first 58 games, 181 during overall) and still won the MVP award.

Basically, Ibañez has a nice lead in categories that are more important. In ones that carry less weight his a tad below average. So history says that, yes, at this juncture Raul Ibañez very much could be the 2009 N.L. MVP.

T-shirt available through Birdland & The Fightins store.

Of course one of the few drawbacks of analysis like this is that we're examining players through just over a third of the seasons. How you end the season is more fresh in the voters eyes and you also have a full 162 game slate to work with. Plus, this doesn't take in how others around the league are doing. Albert Pujols is right in the conversation as well. There are a handful of guys who have been as important as Raul has thus far. It's early, but it is encouraging to see that, statistically speaking, at this point Ibañez could become Philadelphia's third MVP in the last four years.

If he keeps up the pace he should give Pujols et al. a run for their money.

A Night Out with Philly Bloggers

The fine folks over at Phinally Philly have decided to organize a "Phanatic's Night Out". The goal is to get as many Philly bloggers and readers together for a Phillies game this summer. Dates available are all Saturday's: July 25 vs St. Louis (4:05), August 8 vs Florida (7:05) and August 29 vs Atlanta (7:05). Whichever date gets the most votes wins! If you're free on any of those evenings and feel like mingling with some bloggers and fellow Phillies fans, sign up! Confirmed guests (dependent on final date) are Roman and Kieran from Phinally Philly (hosts), Chris from Long Drive, Kevin from Macho Row, R.C. from Phillies Nation and me! Here's some more info.

How it Works
- We’re going for a discounted group rate, so tickets shouldn’t be more than $25.
- Once the most popular date is selected, a deadline will be set.
- You can either buy tickets with us and sit as a group or get tickets yourself and hang with us pre and post game.
- If you’re buying with us, funds will be collected via PayPal or personal check before the deadline.
- Once the deadline is up, we’ll order the tickets and either ship them out or you guys can meet us at the game for pickup.

Check back periodically for updates!

Let’s go Phils!
- Roman & The Phinally Philly Team

So what are you waiting for? Join us at the ballpark!

I can make it for the two games in August but, sadly, the July 25th game is out for me. So let's make an August date win!

Phillies in the 2009 All-Star Game, Update 2

Phillies fans have certainly spoken. Philadelphia players are all over the list, including three set to start. We're more than a month from the big game in St. Louis but let's take a look where the Home 9 stands as of Monday, June 8th.

2009 All-Star Game (National League) vote totals released June 8th, 2009 (MLB.com).

Starting at the top again we see that Ryan Howard remains behind Albert Pujols but has jumped Prince Fielder to take over second place. Howard is having a fantastic season in the field and has been on a tear of late with the bat. He deserves our votes.

It is safe to say that Chase Utley will be the starting second baseman. He has more than double the votes of the next closest player, the Dodgers' Orlando Hudson. People recognize the mad skillz of Chutley.

At the hot corner, David Wright remains on top with Ryan Zimmerman a distant second (separated by 245,000+ votes). Chipper Jones and Philadelphia's Pedro Feliz have jumped Milwaukee's Bill Hall to claim 3rd and 4th, respectively. Feliz is having his normally solid year at 3rd while also batting over .300 at the plate. An argument can be made that he stands to make the team, though the people in front of him now are deserving as well.

Jimmy Rollins is the only Phillies player I feel is being overvalued. Rollins, while still the standard in the field, has been deplorable at the dish hitting a meager .220 and recently being dropped to the six hole. If Rollins can pick it up offensively he may be more deserving. As of now he shouldn't be higher than 3rd, behind Hanley Ramirez (currently 2nd) and Miguel Tejada (currently 5th).

Brian McCann jumped to second at the catcher position while Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz makes an appearance in 5th. Ruiz should definitely be in consideration for a roster spot as he has been his usual self behind the plate defensively but has really matured with the bat and has done a tremendous job with the pitching staff. Let's try to bump him up to 2nd or 3rd!

All is right with the world. After placing 6th in votes just two weeks ago, Phillies LF Raul Ibanez now leads all NL outfielders. He sits in 1st with 1,415,493 votes, which is ~145,000 more than the Brewers' Ryan Braun. Carlos Beltran is rightfully 3rd but for some reason Alfonso Soriano and Manny Ramirez are 4 and 5. I don't want Ramirez anywhere near this game. Phillies CF Shane Victorino is 6th, about 5,500 behind Ramirez, and up one spot from last week. RF Jayson Werth currently sits in 8th place, three spots higher than last week.

So the Phillies are looking good. Three starters as of the most recent results, and there is plenty of time to elevate Ruiz and Feliz as well as The Flyin' Hawaiin and Werth.

Phillies in the 2009 All-Star Game, Update 1

Every Monday Major League Baseball releases new voting figures for the All-Star Game. This weeks edition was much kinder to Phillies. Apparently Philadelphia fans were not happy with the status of Raul Ibanez (6th last week) and Pedro Feliz (not listed) last week. Let's take a look at where the Home 9 stand.

2009 All-Star Game (National League) vote totals released June 1st, 2009 (MLB.com).

OK, let's start at the top of the list and work our way down. At first base you can't really argue with Albert Pujols (Cardinals); he may be the best player in the game regardless of position. Howard should be 2 or 3. I definitely think we can jump him over Prince Fielder by the time the new totals are released. Howard needs 2,287 votes to overtake Fielder.

At second base it's Chase Utley and nobody else. Utley has the second highest total among NL players with 1,111,963. Pujols leads the way with 1,240,395. The second best second baseman, Orlando Hudson (Dodgers), has 486,359. Next!

At third we have a fight between David Wright (Mets) and Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals). Both should be there for sure. Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz - who is having a fine season - is currently in fifth. Let's try to get him up to third! If he's that high Charlie Manuel may decide to bring Feliz with him to the game. Manuel is the NL Manager for 2009. Feliz currently has 349,818 votes, 90,341 behind third place (Bill Hall, Brewers).

Jimmy Rollins sits a surprising second among short stops. While he certainly has the name recognition, he is not having a great year. Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) and Miguel Tejada (Astros) should be 1-2. Rollins currently has 569,639 votes, 16,661 behind first place Ramirez.

Catcher is kind of the Phillies weak spot, though I'd take Carlos Ruiz over some backstops in the Majors. He won't make an All-Star Game in his career but he controls the pitching staff well and is capable of above average defense. For the All-Star Game, Yadier Molina (Cardinals) leads the way.

Now comes the outfield. Last week our very own left fielder, Raul Ibanez, was a disappointing sixth. SIXTH! With his stats and play this year? Preposterous! What did the Philly Phaithful do? VOTED. Ibanez jumped all the way to second and in line for a starting spot. He currently has 817,849 votes, 90,896 behind leader Ryan Braun (Brewers). Milwauke sure likes stuffing the box, huh? Thankfully Manny Ramirez has fallen to fifth. It'd be a real shame if he actually got voted in. Now that we have Ibanez where he belongs, lets show some love for the Flyin' Hawaiin - currently in seventh with 517,760 votes - and Jayson Werth (11th; 389,275 votes)!

Make sure you vote! You can do so 25 times. Ibanez, Utley and Howard deserve our votes and a case can be made for Feliz too. Send multiple Phillies to the 2009 All-Star Game!

Phillies in 1st on June 1st, a Very Good Sign

We're two months into the baseball schedule. June just began. Apparently if your team is in first place in the division on June 1st, that's a very good sign. Doug Miller at MLB.com has more.

And by reading into recent history of teams' records on the first day of the third month of the season, some predictions can be made.

Of the 89 teams that have had outright or shared leads of divisions since 1995, the first year that had six divisions and a postseason, 59 of those teams have qualified for the playoffs, or 66.3 percent.

Going season by season, the only years since '95 in which every June 1 division winner made it to October were 1998 and 1999, and the '99 Red Sox had to do it via the Wild Card. But otherwise, 2001 was the only year in which fewer than half (two of six, or 33 percent) of the June 1 division leaders made it to the playoffs.

Last year, five of the six June 1 leaders made it, with the late-surging Phillies riding their September momentum all the way to their first World Series trophy since 1980.

Well that bodes well for the Phillies then. Basically a 66% chance of making the playoffs. I'll take that! But Miller has more to say about each division leader this year. Here's his take on Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies: Nobody's closed ground in the late months of the season better than this club over the last two seasons. Just ask the New York Mets. And while some of those magical pieces from 2008 haven't quite materialized yet this season -- it turns out Brad Lidge really is a mortal closer, after all -- the Phils are right there where they want to be. In fact, they're the only team that was in first place last June 1 and is back in the driver's seat a year later. And after missing the postseason the two other times they led the NL East on June 1 (ultimately succumbing to the Atlanta juggernaut in 1995 and 2001), they finally got it done last year. That just might be one more good omen for all the phanatics out there.

So right now the Phillies are only 1 for 3 in holding on to a June 1st lead. Statistics say that the Phillies should be 2 for 3. In order to get to a more respectable percentage they have to win the N.L East in 2009 - which would be their third straight divisional crown. Do it! A list of how each division shaped up on June 1st from 1995 through 2009. The teams in bold ended up making the playoffs.

Division leaders on June 1st from 1995 through 2009. Teams in bold made the playoffs that season (MLB.com).

So the Phillies are eight games over .500 on June 1st, 2009 just as they were on June 1st, 2008. And I think we all remember how that season ended.

OK, so being in first on June 1st doesn't guarantee a playoff spot, let alone a World Series title. But it feels good to be there for a second straight year. Ya gotta like the Phillies chances of repeating at this time. Especially if they catch some of that fall magic again!

POLLS: Mayberry Should Be An IronPig

RECAP: The fan base has spoken. Young and developing right-handed OF John Mayberry, Jr. - who launched a 3-run home run in his first at bat in the Majors - should head back to Lehigh Valley for more seasoning. The other option was to sit on the bench and maybe get an AB every game as pinch hitter. In reality, Mayberry has stayed on the active roster. He could stay there until the end of June, when interleague play ends. The Phillies play 15 straight versus the Junior Circuit from June 12 to June 28.

NEW: Was Antonio Bastardo the right pick to fill Brett Myers' spot in the rotation? The 23-year old lefthander will get his first MLB start on Tuesday in San Diego. Was he the guy the organization should have turned to? Or would you have liked to see Kyle Kendrick, Drew Carpenter or Carlos Carrasco? Let your opinion be known on the poll on the right side.

Voting ends June 8th.

NOTE: Congratulations to Phillies SP Jamie Moyer who, after six tries, finally got his 250th career victory thanks to a strong outing against the Nationals yesterday. Moyer was the focus of our poll two weeks ago.

SNT: Instant Impact Ibanez

Click to enlarge.

All of Philadelphia believes that LF Raul Ibanez was the best free agent pick up of the year. Now Sporting News Today agrees. Check out the article above.

And please help not only send Ibanez to the All-Star Game, but make him a starter!

POLLS: Moyer Pressing for 250

RECAP: Readers seem to believe that Jamie Moyer is simply pressing for elusive win #250. Or he may just be in a mini-funk. Nobody believes Moyer has lost it, even at the tender age of 46. We'll find out tonight. Moyer takes the mound versus the Marlins, who he is 12-1 against in his career with a 2.84 ERA. He's had a decision in all 13 of his starts versus Florida. Could 250 happen on Memorial Day 2009?

NEW: Should John Mayberry, Jr. stay with the Phillies or be returned to AAA Lehigh Valley? It's a hot topic right now. His right handed bat is wonderful for interleague play. He also could be a premiere bench player. But because of his age (and options available) should he toil in the majors, maybe getting an AB every other game? Or should he try to refine his skills against AAA pitching until he is needed in a platoon (or starter's role) in Philadelphia? What do you think? Cast your vote on the right hand panel.

Voting ends June 1st.

Phillies Weekly Update - 5/24/2009

NEWS & STATISTICS

• The Phillies were 8-2 on their 10 game road trip which saw them make four stops in Washington to take on the Nationals - who they swept - before playing three in Cincinnati and New York. They were 2-1 versus the Reds and Yankees.
• The successful road trip stretched Philadelphia's road record to 16-6, best in MLB.
• With 8 wins in their last 10 games the Phillies have maintained a small lead over the rival Mets for the N.L. East lead. The Phillies are 24-18, 1.5 games in front of New York and Atlanta.
• One year ago the team was 28-24, 2.5 games behind first place Florida.
• The Phillies have the 4th best record in the National League and 8th best overall.
• In 42 games they have scored 239 runs, an average of ~5.69 per game, which is 6th best in MLB. They have allowed 219, an average of ~5.21 per game, 23rd in MLB.
• Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino remain the only Phillies players to start every game this season.
• Ibanez continues his torrid offensive pace, leading the team in runs (37), hits (58), doubles (11, tied with Howard), home runs (17), total bases (122), RBIs (43), average (.352), slugging (.739), and OPS (1.151). Chase Utley is first in walks (25) and OBP (.434), Howard is tied with Ibanez for most doubles (11), Victorino has the most triples (4), and Jayson Werth has the most steals (8).
• With the top of the rotation - Hamels, Myers, Happ, - settling down recently, it's time for the back end (Moyer, Blanton) to come around. They take the mound in the first two games at home versus the Marlins starting tomorrow night. Myers will close out the series on Wednesday. After a day off Thursday, the team hosts the Nationals and will send Happ, Hamels, and Moyer into battle. Hopefully by May 31st Moyer will have win 250 (and 251).
  

AROUND THE PHILLIES BLOGOSPHERE

• At Macho Row: Check out the 1950 World Series recap in honor of the Phillies-Yankees series this past weekend - Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4. Unfortunately it only lasted four games.
• At Swing and a Long Drive: Take a look at John Mayberry, Jr.'s impact through two games. Could the Phillies be looking for a prominent starter to go with Hamels, Myers, and Happ?
• At The Fightins: They're celebrating one year! Check out each contributor's reactions: How do you spell retard?, Chamomiles Davis, and Dash Treyhorn. No comments yet from site founder, meech.one.
• At The 700 Level: Some long-standing Yankee player records were broken by the Phillies during the interleague matchup this past weekend.
• At Phillies Nation: After a great debut on Saturday, Mayberry had a forgettable day Sunday. Should he stay on board or be sent back to AAA? Amanda Orr thinks he should be an IronPig, for now. (same article as Swing and a Long Drive)
• At Phinally Philly: WTF is wrong with Lidge? And there isn't anything wrong with Yankee hatred.
• At We Should be GM's: Lidge is upsetting some (OK, a lot) of people.
  

Phillies Land 4 on SNTs Top 50 MLB Players List

Sporting News Today has been chock full of Phillies goodness recently and in today's issue released the results of a recent poll on Major League Baseball's best players. According to the daily news item, 100 Hall of Famers, major award winners, and other personalities voted. Everyone can probably guess #1 (Albert Pujols, duh). To the delight of Philadelphia fans, the Phillies were well represented. Four made the cut. It's probably pretty easy to guess who. Click the picture to find out. I highlighted them so you can find them quickly.

Sporting News Today published a poll on the Top 50 players in MLB. Four Phillies made the cut.

For those of you allergic to clicking, the Phillies voted on the list are 2B Chase Utley (6th), 1B Ryan Howard (11th), SS Jimmy Rollins (15th), and SP Cole Hamels (49th). That's right, the Phillie have three of the 15 best players in MLB right now. Thank God they won the World Series last year or they'd definitely be seen as underachievers. Two of these rankings surprised me. First, even after a down 2008 season (and a crappy start to '09) Rollins is still mentioned, and in the first half. Second, Hamels at 49? That seems low after an amazing fall run. I think between 33-39 was more appropriate. To me, he's as valuable (or as good) as Dan Haren (33rd) and Jake Peavy (38) and I'd definitely take Hamels over Chad Billingsley (42), Cliff Lee (43), Roy Oswalt (46), and Carlos Zambrano (48). I know positionally they arent't the same, but how much longer is Carlos Delgado going to be overrated? Is he really the 47th best player right now?

If I can count correctly, then (surprise, surprise) the two New York teams lead the way. The Mets somehow manage to get six players in the Top 50. I think some people would take issue with that, based on on-the-field results. As in, there haven't been any since a N.L. East Title in 2006. Here are your "amazing" Mets: Johan Santana (#3), David Wright (#13), Jose Reyes (#22), Carlos Beltran (#23), Francisco Rodriguez (#34), and Delgado. The Yankees have five players listed: Alex Rodriguez (#2), Derek Jeter (#8), Mariano Rivera (#9), Mark Teixeira (#17), and C.C. Sabathia (#29). Those two teams along should prove that (A) baseball is a team game and you don't need a plethora of superstars to win and (B) some of these players may be overrated because of the city (team) they play in (for).

Other teams of note include the Red Sox (four on the list), Braves (two), Marlins (one), and Nationals (zero). Poor Washington.