The Phillies’ Immediate Future
By Tal Venada
Ramifications:
From the worst 162 to the best, the floor won’t be in last place because the Miami Marlins will have the best shot at finishing 30th. But being in the bottom 10 is still a possibility.
In order to have a 70-92 record, counted-on players would have abysmal numbers, the league would catch up to Hoskins, Williams and Aaron Altherr, and injuries would plague the organization. Or Kapler’s analytical strategy could be a bust if he goes overboard. Hope not!
As for a minimum expectation, a .500 mark or slightly higher like 82-80 should be attainable if they perform as they did in the second half. Of course, some regulars, in that case, would disappoint the faithful, while the winter additions would only balance out those letdowns.
If Santana, Pat Neshek, and Tommy Hunter are productive, the Phillies could finish 10 games over .500 (86-76) as long as the other regulars and youngsters do the same or better than last year. And the surprises offset the disappointments.
Although the franchise had World Champions in 1980 and 2008, they have won pennants fans are familiar with like the 1950 Whiz Kids. And others gave us plenty to root for: the squads of the 1970s, the 1983 Wheeze Kids and the 1993 working-class heroes.
During their history, the Phillies had the collapse in 1964 and the comeback of the team to beat in 2007. However, winning it all by greatly exceeding even the most optimistic predictions haven’t happened for Philadelphia. Besides destiny’s darlings, wunderkinds, and a Cinderella team, what’s the word for a club like that? Miracle!