Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion. The Philadelphia Phillies proved that saying correct one more time on Sunday night. Although the Phillies got down early 3-1 against the Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia kept battling and ended up with a 6-5 victory.
With the game tied 5-5 in the top of the ninth, Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to score Jimmy Rollins. In the bottom of the ninth, Phillies fans had to pray. Brad Lidge, Philadelphia’s closer who had a 7.21 ERA and an 0-8 record in the regular season, was able to record the save despite giving up a …read more

The Philadelphia Phillies were recently struggling and their hold on the NL East seemed to be slipping. But with a 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday, the Phillies have now won six games in a row and they have all but clinched their division.
Leading the way for the Phillies was slugging first baseman Ryan Howard. In the fourth inning, Howard hit a two-run blast. In the sixth, he followed up his previous at-bat with a solo home run. Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco also hit homers for the Phillies.
The win gave the Phillies an 8-game lead over the …read more

The National League had a youth movement of sorts when it came to the Gold Glove winners. Five of the players who won the 2008 Gold Glove award were first time winners. Here’s a complete list of the NL Gold Glove winners for 2008:
Pitcher – Greg Maddux, Los Angeles Dodgers – 18th Gold Glove
Catcher – Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals – 1st Gold Glove
First Baseman – Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres – 1st Gold Glove
Second Baseman – Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds – 1st Gold Glove
Shortstop – Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies – 2nd Gold Glove
Third Baseman – David Wright, New York …read more

The Philadelphia Phillies, a team that always had the talent but hadn’t put it together in the postseason, are headed to the 2008 World Series. With a 5-1 victory on Wednesday night over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies needed only five games to win the NLCS.
Jimmy Rollins got the Phillies off to a fast start when he hit a lead off homer. Ryan Howard also had a big night at the plate, as he went 3-4 with a run and an RBI. The Dodgers got their lone run on a Manny Ramirez solo shot in the sixth.
Arguably the star …read more

1. Boston Red Sox
At 40-26, the Red Sox on well on their way to another spot in the postseason. The defending World Series champions have a few weak spots on their roster, however they are a team no one wants to play. Boston has to be the favorite to take home another championship in 2008.
2. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have the best record in baseball. Their hitting is arguably the best in baseball. With a good combination of average, power and speed, the Cubs are a pitching nightmare right now. However, their 14-16 road record indicates …read more

Matt DiFilippo at Seamheads.com re-examines some statements (h/t Baseball Think Factory) made by the writers of Baseball Prospectus over the years that ended up a little wide of the mark. Here are a few of my favorites:
On Hanley Ramirez, before his monster rookie campaign (.292/.353/.480 at age 22) with the Florida Marlins:
There’s no indication that he is ready for the major leagues, but the Marlins are apparently going to let him try.
On Jimmy Rollins, in 2004 (three years before he won the NL MVP):
In any event, his power and speed both appear to be dissipating, and without those he won’t …read more

By Guest Blogger, Timm Davis
Once again the geniuses in the marketing department Of Major League Baseball have done it again. Now you can try and bid your hard earned cash on – you guessed it bug spray.
Yes, your eye’s aren’t playing tricks on you. You can bid on the bug spray that was used when the Yankees were taking on Cleveland during the American League Playoffs. So if you were trying to find that ‘hard to find’ gift for the Yankees fan who has everything look no further. They have some other things that they’ll be auctioning – but …read more