A Look Ahead: All-Star Week
Posted by Jason Bintliff, Mon, July 13, 2009 07:53 PM | Comments: 21
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After a stellar end to the first half of the season, The Phillies will send five out of eight of their position players to compete in the 2009 All-Star game in St. Louis. Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and Shane Victorino will all start for the National League team while Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth will sit in as reserves. Coach Charlie Manuel will lead the squad along with the rest of the Phillies coaching staff thanks to the World Series appearance in 2008.
Ryan Howard will take center stage in the Home Run Derby in a ball bark in which Howard has had great success.Howard will face the likes of Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, Brandon Inge, Nelson Cruz, and Joe Mauer. Howard, a Missouri native, appeared in the Home Run Derby in 2006 and took the trophy.
Chase Utley will appear in his fourth consecutive All- Star game, starting all four, while Howard will make his second appearence. Ibanez, Victorino, and Werth will all be making their All-Star debut.
After the much needed break, the Phillies resume action and start the second half of their season on Thursday in Florida against the second place Marlins. The Phillies will enter the four game series with a four game lead over the Fish and look to put miles between themselves and the rest of the division.
The Phillies head to Florida as one of the hottest teams in all of baseball winning nine out of their last ten. The Marlins however are just 5-5 during that stretch and again seem to be returning to earth after getting hot in late June. Overall the Phillies have played well against Florida going 4-2 so far this year. Included in those wins was a laugher that featured outfielder Cody Ross as a pitcher. The Phillies offense has definitely feasted on the Marlins pitching this year averaging six runs per game against them.
As hot as the Phils are, they could easily take three of four from the Fish. Doing so would put the Phillies in a nice spot to enter the final week of July. Going into August with a commanding division lead isn’t a must, but would sure help their chances at clinching their third straight division title.
The season is only half over, but the Phillies are sitting pretty and have a better winning percentage than this time last year. If these winning ways continue, we in Philadelphia will not be holding our breath, waiting for inevitable late September collapse from our friends in New York, to clinch the division. The Marlins and Braves are two dangerous teams and the Mets are mediocre at best. The Phillies however are leaps and bounds better and the second half of the season should prove that.
Enjoy your Phils in the All-Star game and enjoy the weekend showdown with the Marlins. It promises to be exciting. What a great time to be a Phillies phan.
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
After the All Star break…..I am looking forward to the official 2nd half.Amazins first step forward needs to start in Atlanta.Mets have a 4 day excursion in a place formerly known as the house of horrors Turner Field.Mets need to look passed that and muster enuff to win 3 of 4 games,and take a HUGE step forward and pick up 3rd place than move on one series at a time.I for one haven’t given up on the Amazins,at least not yet.
Posted: 08:16 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Go Phills
HAHA what a whack article. The MArlins and Braves are dangerous? the Mets are mediocre at best? how about the Mets getting Reyes, Beltran, and Delgado back. How about Maine coming back, How about Putz and Wagner coming back. I only mention this because you say that you have to worry about the Braves and Marlins ,but somehow the Mets collapsing is gonna get the Phillies in. Ryan Howard taking center stage? no, Albert and Feilder are taking center stage.
Posted: 08:58 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 50 Jason Bintliff
Go Phills…
Maine, Putz, and Wagner don’t exactaly strike fear into my heart. Delgado is on the down turn of his career. Beltran and Reyes I grant you is an upgrade, but don’t give my Putz, Wagner, and Maine and think your argument holds any water. I do think the Marlins and Braves are dangerous, but we are obviously better. The Mets are a wreck and I don’t think they will be a factor. As far as the Home Run Derby, Howard is part of a cast that takes center stage being as no other players are involved. I respect your opinion but I disagree.
Posted: 09:10 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 50 Jason Bintliff
P.S., read closer, I said we “WILL NOT” be waiting for the Mets collapse.
Posted: 09:14 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 The Dipsy
Is it me, or does anyone else think that Roy Halladay has told the Jays he wants out? After hearing that interview I wouldn’t be surprised.
The Dipsy
Posted: 09:24 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Go Phills
Ill give you the collapse part ,but Wagner as a lefty specialist is fully capable of shutting down our lefties. Putz,healthy, is also a former all-star. They both can come back and be important pieces. Regardless if Delgado is on his downturn does not mean that his power will not do wonders for that line-up that just hit there first home-run in 80 innings. Then having Beltran and reyes on base can obviously only help. This also makes their bench getting so much stonger. They have solid bench pieces starting in center,short, and first.
Posted: 09:28 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 shag beta sigma delta
So it takes the ASB to get the trolls back on the Phillies Nation site, they have been wrecked with injuries, but they are injuries that are hard to come back from, and even when the do they might be in hole to far down, and their psyci a lot destroyed, I believe it is the Phillies division to loss, which I do not feel they will. Happ is legit, and Blanton has been pitching very well, and I feel Cole will come back to being Cole. My worry is Pedro as the fifth starter going only 5 or 6 innings an outing which is what I expect form Moyer, so they may be an added strain on the pen going into september and October, and November
Posted: 09:31 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 metsfan08
“the Mets are mediocre at best”? well, when you take 3 out of your best hitters, 2 SP and your set up guy, you are going to struggle big time.
what about if we take howard, ibanez, utley, blanton, myers and madson out of the phillies team for a long time? how would they do? think about it…
the mets WILL NOT be mediocre when those BIG TIME players come back, your analysis is MEDIOCRE!!!! the other guy who ran the blog was a better writer than you!!!!
Posted: 09:34 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 The Dipsy
metsfan08. So harsh. So abusive. Part of being an elite squad, aside from honing your craft, is the desire to train intensely, observe good nutritional habits (and, no jose, cocaine does NOT count as nutrition), getting proper rest, and listening to your body. When the Mets want to devote themselves to excellence as the Phils have, they will get in touch with some of the things mentioned above, and it turn, have more guys available to play baseball. Jason is actually quite correct. Instead of watching the Mets choke in September we’ll watch them struggle to actually field a team.
The Dipsy
Posted: 09:45 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 shag beta sigma delta
Right now the Mutts are mediocre at best, when and if they get all their players back they will be better, but just a bit better makes you slightly above average, so they will not make a run in the second half IMO.
Posted: 09:54 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 metsfan08
shag beta sigma delta:
you never know, your starting pitching sucks, now if you guys get halladay, we will have to go for the wild-card, but until then your SP doesnt scare anyone.
its not like we are 12 games out, we are still in the race….so dont assume anything yet…
Posted: 10:00 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
I wouldn’t put myself in here and be defined as a “Troll” Am I a Met fan,yes absolutely,do I call it like I see it,Yes also do I believe in my Amazins?ABSO-bleepin-LUTELY.Most of you forgot about another team who was 7 games out with 17 games to go.Thats why they play the games and I believe the Mets aren’t toast yet.Reyes,Beltran,Maine,Putz,Wagner will be back sooner or later and looking for blood.The next 75 games will tell the story…..and for all the cynics that left the Amazins for dead,ONLY TIME WILL TELL!
Posted: 10:05 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 shag beta sigma delta
I apologize Grrrumpy, you are right you are definitely not a troll, you post wise and insightful things. Now some of you other followers I can not say the same thing, since you do come on here win or lose. the rest of them are simply trolls. Who have no baseball sense at all and just ramble about your mediocore team right now, they will be better, but Like I posted before, IMO they are not the strongest mental baseball players out there, and this injury bug will stick with them
that is just my Opinion
Posted: 10:15 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
This is why I want Halladay. Step on the Mets throats and finish them. The Mets trolls and Grrrumpy (who is not a troll) are right about one thing-the Mets will be a lot better in the 2nd half when they get their team back. Bringing Halladay to the Phils will crush them mentally.
Posted: 10:39 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Delta Dog,thanx for clearing that up.I know the injuries are destroying and have decimated the Amazins….but you have a clubhouse full of players who want to win and have done so in the past.Now I’m not discarding the Braves,Marlins or the Phils in any way shape or form,but like I said recent history shows being so far out of it doesn’t mean throw in the towel unless you are the Nationals and the next road trip is a fairly decent one that can help the Mets.Phils cleaned our clock and showed me that you guys are in it to win it.I say good luck to all in the NL east as it is gonna come down to the final weekend.
Posted: 10:41 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Papa Thompson
Note to Mets fans: We won’t collapse.
Whoever’s going to save your team better come back soon.
David Wright’s on pace to hit 10 (Ten) home runs this year.
Posted: 10:46 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 boxage
why do mets fans come to this site? i never look at mets fan sites
Posted: 10:54 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
If the Mets would be mentally destroyed with Halladay in the fold (That wasn’t meant to be a cute pun BTW),than its time for the Amazins to lay their gloves on the field and the bats by home plate.Mets should have enuff confidence to go out there and beat anyone that they face.This first series in the 2nd half in Atlanta should help get the Mets back on the road to respectability.They need to go out there one game at a time and not even think of the Phils because if they do,it’ll kill em.Eventually the Mets will wake up and we all know it. As for the “Troll” business,I look at people like Eli (YES Eli,I am calling you out) who make legit Fans look bad.
Posted: 10:57 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
To boxage…..I come in here because the bloggers in here (As opposed to MetsBlog) have their heads above water while in the other blog,most have their heads up their ass.I have no problem being an Amazins fan in a Phillies room,so why should you have a problem with it.This budding rivalry is so far so good no matter who is winning or losing.
Posted: 11:03 PM on July 13, 2009
Posts: 0 R.C. Cowie
I love the Mets fans we get. They actually articulate opinions well.
Posted: 01:09 AM on July 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Brett
Your’e okay in my book, Miner. It’s nice when people can have different opinions about baseball and articulate them well, rather than flaming the room with long posts all in caps that do nothing but criticize. I wish there were more of your kind.
Posted: 09:26 AM on July 14, 2009