Phillies' fate already determined

By Mike McDonald
Collegian Editor
August 29, 2007

The Phillies are, without a doubt, dead in the water. They are doomed to finish another season without going to the playoffs.

But then Monday night, Chase Utley goes 3-for-5 with a double and a homer in his return to the lineup against the New York Mets.

No, wait. My mistake. They are a legitimate contender, and they’ve got as good a chance as anybody.

Every time the Phils look like they’re finished, they come right back and show something promising. Utley’s triumphant return couldn’t have been much better, as he provided the fans with a quick reminder of the MVP-caliber player that he is.

Many people say that this four-game series with the Mets could ultimately decide the season. But regardless of what happens in this series, it will take a great September for the Phillies to make it to the playoffs, either as the division champ or as the Wild Card team.

Three out of four or a sweep against New York wouldn’t hurt, though.

With Utley and Shane Victorino returning, the lineup will receive a big boost. And Adam Eaton has returned, but that really isn’t such good news. Why? Because Eaton is terrible.

It is widely accepted that the jury is still out on the 2007 Phillies. The lack of good teams in the league has kept the Phillies afloat, and because of this, they will be in it right up until the end. The goal, however, is not to remain in contention with the rest of the league, but to overtake teams such as New York, Atlanta and San Diego and get into the playoffs.

This Phillies team does not have the pitching to do this. In fact, they are not even close in this department. Cole Hamels going down may have been the final straw. But fans hope that what this team lacks in talent it makes up for in heart and likeability.

This is an easy team to root for. They have battled through a slew of key injuries, and somehow they continue to win games. This factor has supported the rapidly spreading idea that Charlie Manuel could be the manager of the year.

Charlie Manuel is not the reason the Phillies have been able to keep fighting. It is actually quite the contrary. This team is winning in spite of their manager. Many experts who think Manuel is doing well point to the way the team has fought through adversity and stuck together. I point to the way the self-proclaimed “team to beat” fell flat on its face coming out of the gate this season.

Now, it is true that these players seem to play hard for Manuel, but this particular group of players would play hard for anybody. The players have kept it together because of their grit and character, not because of Manuel’s laid-back attitude. Uncle Charlie is definitely not the manager of the year.

All through September, the Phils will be right in the middle of the hunt for not just the Wild Card, but the division as well. The Mets have had all year to run away with the NL East, and they haven’t done so. They won’t do it in September, either.

This year’s Phillies team is talented and packed with popular players, but their pitching woes in both the bullpen and the rotation will ultimately keep them out of the postseason. It is fun to hit the ball and score runs, but pitching is what it’s all about, and these Phillies just don’t have it.

At the beginning of the season, the Phillies had some real hype coming from experts around the country. These expectations were centered around the idea that Pat Gillick had greatly improved the starting rotation. Little did they know that the club would essentially be paying a dead-armed righthander $10 million for just one win.

Fans have shown up all year long to watch this exciting ballclub fight through problems and put up runs. But unfortunately for these players and their fans, the season will end on September 30 against Washington.

mcdonaldm2@lasalle.edu