Philadelphia Phillies storyline: 2013’s tone is a wild card

Jimmy Rollins started the ball rolling in training camp for the Philadelphia Phillies. That 2007 challenge led to the playoffs, but what does the 2013 version have in store?

TAL’S HANDY CAPS

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Check out: Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Redialing for 2013 magic

CAP-SIZE HINDSIGHT: 4-1 Triumph

TYPE	PLAYER	REASON
The Crystal Champagne Toast	Chase Utley	Four-Star Performance
The Penthouse	Pete Orr Chase Utley Dom Brown Chooch Ruiz	* Smoked A 2-RBI Gap Double To Close Within 1 Run In The 2nd During His 1 For 2 Game Stroked A 2-Run Single To Tie It Up At 4 In The 5th During His 2 For 4 Night With A SB, A BB & 3 RBI A 2-Out RBI Triple To Take A 5-4 Advantage In The 5th Smacked A 2-Run Double To Open A 7-4 Lead In The 7th During His 2 For 5 Evening
The Workhouse	Home SP	* A 39-Pitch 2nd Inning
The Leather Warehouse	1B Darin Ruf	Made A Spectacular Over-The-Shoulder Catch Of A Foul In The 5th
The Fun House Of Mirrors	Home RF The Defense	Takes 1st On A SO WP & 2nd After A Throw (E2) To The Bag In The 8th A SO WP With The Bags Full & A DP Tag At The Plate To End The 8th
House Call	Ryan Howard Tyler Cloyd	Season-Ending Big Toe Injury Shut Down With A Dead Arm

Above Asterisks ( *) = Corresponding Plays And/Or Events

J-Roll Tracks Down The Unaware Runner In His Trot After His 7th-Inning Double

NITECAP INSIGHT

Spring-Loaded Action:

After a long winter, the pop of a caught fastball has a memorable ring. There are many elements in February and March that are repeated on a annual basis. However, there is one subject that has gone unnoticed, which is the tone. All organizations have a theme for each tour, which is based on the reality behind their mask of clichés. Sooner or later, that will be the last hurrah for the special units.

J-Roll Trots Around 3rd After His 5th-Inning 2-Run Dong

There is a difference when the roster has a championship foundation, which is the core four for the red pinstripes–before and after their famous Fall Classic. The photo from my last article shows them in their posed position: Rollins (dead center), Chase Utley (middle to the left), Ryan Howard (left end) and Cole Hamels (right end). That forms the circle in the order of seniority: It ends where it began.

For the Phils, it was a satisfied and overconfident approach in 2009, while 2010 was unfinished business with a still comfortable atmosphere after a title. In ‘07, that was the year of the team to beat, while 2011 was the 4-aces campaign or regular-season production. The idea was that they still had to do it, which resulted in a franchise record of 102 victories.

The Thief Robs Erik Kratz In The 5th

That first September, the Phils caught and passed the Mets for their first taste of postseason champagne after the 2007 comeback. The ‘08 tour had the vein for a big slice of October pie with the don’t-forget-the-awful-elimination-feeling burden from the previous fall. However, this spring it was the survival mode of .500 ball until the two big guns were on the diamond. The seeds of success were planted for the 2007 and 2008 summers, while during this 162, that was not the case. A 81-win projection sows some doubt before the fruit blossoms, and the staff’s number one goes down after working through questionable health.

The club didn’t fail to be near the divisional lead: It fell short of the breakeven mark. Now, the new addresses for Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton mirror the 2006 sendoff of Bobby Abreu to the Big Apple. That squad immediately began making a wildcard run, which led to its achievement in the following campaign. If there is a miracle drive to serious autumnal competition, the crew will either remember their 2009 mistakes or view the new season as a repeat of 2008. Baring divine intervention, however, you can expect a 2007 type of enthusiasm with a 2008 mind-set.

The Vanimal Unloads His Bullet At The Bank On August 22 Against The Reds

PRECAP PITCH

Vance Worley:

He is 2-5 with a 5.00 home ERA, which is 2.02 lower away from Philly. Against the Mets in both parks (1 each), his ledger reads: 0-2, a 9.00 ERA, 10 complete, 18 hits, 10 all-earned runs, 6 free passes (1 intentional) and 8 strikeouts. He has lasted 6.2 frames plus in 6 of 22 efforts with 8 monstrosities.

	STARTER	RECORD	TM	STARTER	RECORD	DAY & TIME
3	LHP Cliff Lee	06-08, 3.12 ERA	@ Nats	RHP Edwin Jackson	09-11, 4.13 ERA	Wednesday, Day

Chris Young Pictured At Home On August 21 Against The Rox

Chris Young:

He has toiled 6.1 innings or more in 6 of 14 showings with 3 clunkers. At Citi Field against the Phils, his line was: 7 total, 5 hits, 3 all-earned runs, 0 walks and 3 K’s on 81 Independence-Day tosses. That stated, he is 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA in his last 8 outings, including 3 disasters.

DELIVERY = PITCHER’S 2012	DEFINITION OF SEASON
Over The Top	Excellent
3-Quarter Sidearm	Good
Sidearm	Above Average
Short Arm	Approximately Average
Submarine	Below Average

Starters’ photos, not described otherwise, are in the 1st inning.

Quality number of the pitcher: 1 – 5

Slot on his club: 1 – 5

Ranking is 1 to 5 & 15 for the less adventurous.

*** = Approximately equal to after plus-and-minus computation

HURLER	B.J. Rosenberg	Gio Gonzalez
NUMBER	A Five	A Two
CLUB SLOT	Five	One
FOR 2012	1st Start	Over The Top
'12 RANKING	-- of 5 Categories	1st of 5 Categories
LAST START	1st Start	Changeup
LAST HIGH OR LOW	-- of 15 Categories	8th of 15 Categories

	PITCH	INN	ER - R- H		PITCH	INN	ER
1	Gyroball	9 (CG)	0 - 0 - 3	10	Screwball	6	4
2	Fastball	9 (CG)	0 - 0	11	Knuckleball	5	3
3	Cutter	9 (CG)	3	12	Forkball	0 - 4.2	Monstrosity
4	Split Finger	7	2	13	Eephus Pitch	0 - 2.2	Disaster
5	Curveball	7	3	14	*Palm Ball	Ejected
6	Sinker	6.1	3	15	*Spit Ball	**Ejected+
7	Slider	6	2		*Breaking Ball	Injured
8	Changeup	6	3		*Fosh	Rain Interrupted
9	Slurve	5	2		*Knuckle Curve	Pitch Count
	** = Suspended				* = A 2nd Pitch Also

STATS APOCALYPTIC HORSEMEN CLIFF LEE
CLIFF'S LINE: 6 INN, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K & 109 DARTS

ACE	W - L	ERA	INN+	CONV	CG - SO	BAD	INN	ER	BB - IBB	SO
Total	34 - 23	3.48	6.1	59 of 86	2 - 2	12	582.2	225	114 -2	557
Hamels	17 - 06	3.05	6.2	21 of 31	2 - 2	03	215.1	073	050 - 2	218
Lee	06 - 09	3.16	6.1	23 of 30	0 - 0	02	211.0	074	028 - 0	207
Halladay	11 - 08	4.49	7.0	15 of 25	0 - 0	07	156.1	078	036- 0	132

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