Phillies Nation

Photo: Jeff Roberson, AP

One moment can define a career for a player, especially if it happens in October. Ben Francisco had one of those career defining moments in the third game of the National League Division Series.

Continue reading Top Moment #5: Ben Francisco’s Moment of Clutch

It came as a surprise when it was revealed that the Phillies were the "mystery team."

This top moment technically happened in 2010, but since it occurred during the offseason and was not part of our 2010 Top Moment series, we will include it in the 2011 edition.

I remember December 14 and 15 clearly.  I was up late reviewing for finals, and because I am so “studious,” I somehow missed all the rumors of a mystery team landing Cliff Lee.

At 6:45 a.m the next morning, I woke up angrily to the sound of my phone ringing.  Who could be calling at this hour, and is it really that important?  Oh, it was important alright.  My rage quickly turned into excitement when the person on the other line screamed: “THE PHILLIES GOT CLIFF LEE!”

Continue reading Top Moments #6: Welcome Back Cliff Lee

146 games: that’s all it took for the Phillies to advance to the postseason. The 2011 Phillies became the fastest team in franchise history to clinch a postseason spot. The 1915 Phillies, who lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, clinched the playoffs in 147 games.

Advancing to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year was a special moment, but the game in which it occurred was also something to remember.

Continue reading Top Moment #7: Halladay’s Shutout Clinches Playoffs

Celebration never gets old (Photo by M. Kennedy)

Continued Success! With a 9-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Phillies clinched the National League East for the fifth year in a row.

Raul Ibanez smacked a grand slam and Roy Oswalt pitched a masterpiece to help the Phillies get to the champagne-popping moment.

Unlike recent years, the Phillies clinched the NL East early.  There was a different feeling than years prior: no ninth-inning jitters on the last day of the season, nor a fear of a collapse.  Every Phillies fan knew the Phillies were going to clinch; the only question was “when?”.

Continue reading Top Moment #8: Phillies Clinch NL East

Photo: Philly.com (Ben Margot/AP)

July is a crazy month for baseball.  With the trade deadline at the end of the month, hundreds of rumors and potential trade scenarios are revealed.  With all the transactions and rumors, the end of July is sure to spark a lot of debate.

Jayson Werth signed with the Washington Nationals in the 2010-2011 offseason, leaving a gap in right field for the Phillies.  Ruben Amaro didn’t fill the void, giving Ben Francisco and Domonic Brown an opportunity.  However, it wasn’t enough as the Phillies were struggling to produce runs.

Continue reading Top Moment #9: Addition of Hunter Pence

Photo: AP

For several years in recent history, the Phillies were known for their offense rather than their pitching.  The Phillies were in the top ten in runs scored from 2004-2010.  For the first time since 2003, the Phillies did not end up as one of MLB’s top ten run-producing teams.

For a change, the Phillies were known for their pitching rather than their offense.  So when the 2011 Phillies found themselves in a 5-0 deficit, they were less likely to comeback than they were in 2007, for example.  Just because they were less likely doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Continue reading Top Moment #10: Comeback in Los Angeles

As Lance Berkman sent Roy Halladay’s offering deep into the right field seats, the hearts of Phillies fans sank.  It seemed like the game was over, but any true Phillies fan knows never to doubt their team.

Despite the three-spot in the first inning, Halladay pitched magnificently as he settled down.  The pitch to Berkman was the only mistake he made the entire night.  Unfortunately, Kyle Lohse was retiring batter after batter.  Luckily, that all changed in the sixth inning.

Continue reading Top Moment #11: Phillies Rebound from Slow Start in NLDS Game One

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

It is not surprising when a star pitcher tosses eight shutout innings and strikes out ten batters.  On the other hand, when a star pitcher hits a solo home run, it is surprising… and awesome!

On July 9, Cliff Lee hit his first career home run, but the Phillies fell short to the Atlanta Braves.  A month later, Lee single-handedly beat the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Continue reading Top Moment #12: Lee Does it All

Photo: Philly.com

On June 15, the Phillies and Marlins took part in a double header.  The Phillies were all over the Marlins in the first game as Kyle Kendrick led the Phillies to an 8-1 victory.  The second game of the double header was closer and more exciting.

It was one of the rare games in which Roy Halladay was not dominant. The Marlins took an early lead, but luckily for Halladay, the offense saved him.

Continue reading Top Moment #13: Chooch Ends Double Header with Walk-Off Single

Photo: AP

The box score doesn’t tell the whole story.  Statisticians point to numbers to evaluate players, but it’s impossible to get a sense of the game just by looking at newspaper clippings.  August 5, 2011 was a perfect example: the Phillies demolished the San Francisco Giants 9-2, but the story line was much greater.

Being on opposite coasts, the Phillies and Giants aren’t known for a rivalry, but they shared some tension over the last couple years.  Jonathan Sanchez and Chase Utley exchanged words on multiple occasions.  Charlie Manuel proclaimed the Giants pitching staff “good, but not great.”  A new dimension evolved when the benches cleared in the sixth inning of a blowout game.

Continue reading Top Moment #14: Tempers Flare in San Francisco