philliesbell.com

[philliesbell-blog]

Charlie Morton first obstacle in way of Phillies postseason hopes

Charlie Morton first obstacle in way of Phillies postseason hopes

In order to reach the 2020 Major League Baseball postseason the Philadelphia Phillies are likely going to have to win at least two of three games on this final weekend in Tampa Bay against the host Rays. It would be preferable for the team to sweep all three games in the series, a tall order against one of the best teams in baseball.

Manager Joe Girardiwill send his two best starting pitchers to…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Phillies 2020 playoff scenarios as final weekend looms

Phillies 2020 playoff scenarios as final weekend looms

As we enjoy the final off-day of the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season, fans of the Philadelphia Phillies are looking forward in anticipation towards what they hope will prove to be one of the most exciting weekends for the team in nearly a decade.

The Phillies are in Tampa Bay for a series with the talented Rays, a team that has already clinched the American League East Division crown.…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Adonis Medina joining Phillies 2020 rookie parade

Adonis Medina joining Phillies 2020 rookie parade

With the announcement that 23-year-old Adonis Medina will take the mound as the starting pitcher on Sunday afternoon, that makes 10 players who will have enjoyed their Major League Baseball debut with the Philadelphia Phillies during this crazy 2020 campaign.

Prior to Medina, the other nine making their big-league debut have been infielder Alec Bohm, outfielder Mickey Moniak, catcher Rafael…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

MLB Power Ranking: One week to go in regular season

MLB Power Ranking: One week to go in regular season

We are now in the midst of the penultimate weekend of the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season. One week from tomorrow, the season will draw to a close and baseball will prepare for a postseason in a bubble. A few bubbles, actually. More on that later.

Counting today’s games, there are nine playing dates remaining on the official calendar. There are 16 playoff berths up for grabs in this…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Doubleheader sweep gives Phillies life in postseason race

Doubleheader sweep gives Phillies life in postseason race

The Philadelphia Phillies had lost five of their previous six games and ten of the prior 15. In second place and just 1.5 games off the NL East Division lead on September 8, the club had dropped to third place and 4.5 out entering Friday’s doubleheader with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Phillies woke up on Friday morning with a losing record for the first time since August 30.

Losses on the…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Phillies to play shorthanded during most important week in years

Phillies to play shorthanded during most important week in years

The Philadelphia Phillies have battled through this weird and wild COVID-affected 2020 MLB regular season for two months. Thanks to a late-August, early-September hot streak, the club has put themselves into a playoff position and remains in contention for an NL East crown.

While there are three weeks remaining in the schedule, the Phillies ultimate 2020 fate could very well come down to how the…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

MLB Power Ranking: Labor Day 2020

MLB Power Ranking: Labor Day 2020

Major League Baseball has done a fantastic job in putting on a 2020 season under incredibly difficult circumstances. While the COVID19 coronavirus pandemic has affected the schedule a few times, adjustments were made and the season has moved along.

Back in mid-August, the first MLB Power Rankings here at The Bell revealed that the Colorado Rockies were surprisingly the top team in the game after…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay

Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay

“When you’re in a video game, and you’re building a pitcher in a video game, all of his qualities – mental toughness, determination – he is the prototypical guy you’d build for me. Listen, his arm was great and he had good stuff, but there was much more to it for him to have that amount of success.”

That is a quote from one of the greatest and most popular players in Philadelphia Phillieshistory,…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Arrieta, Howard are the keys to Phillies ultimate 2020 success

Arrieta, Howard are the keys to Phillies ultimate 2020 success

If you follow Phillies social media as closely as I do, the majority of the club’s fan base hold the following opinions regarding starting pitchers Jake Arrieta and Spencer Howard.

Arrieta is over. He was a Cy Young Award winner five years ago, but that was with the Chicago Cubs. He has been a huge disappointment since signing a three-year, big dollars free agent contract with the Phillies. His…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

MLB Power Ranking: August 15

MLB Power Ranking: August 15

The 2020 Major League Baseball season is unlike any other previously experienced in roughly a century-and-a-half of organized play. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic first caused spring training to be shut down back in March, then the season to be delayed by four months.

Things finally kicked off in late July following a lengthy negotiation between MLB and the player’s union and a two-week…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Half of the Phillies lineup simply not producing

Half of the Phillies lineup simply not producing

The Philadelphia Phillies are currently struggling along to the tune of a 5-6 record here in the early going of the 2020 Major League Baseball season. For many fans, the largely ineffective bullpen has been the main culprit.

While it is a truth that only three or four relief pitchers have proven reliable to this point for manager Joe Girardi‘s squad, the fact of the matter is that a bigger…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Remembering Tony Taylor “TT”, as Tony Taylor was affectionally known, was a very kind, friendly and appreciative human being. He was one of the most respected players to wear a Phillies uniform and one of the most popular players ever among fans.

[philliesbell-blog]

2020 Philadelphia Phillies preview and prediction

2020 Philadelphia Phillies preview and prediction

Well, we’re finally here. Philadelphia Phillies 2020 Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park. Following a four-month shutdown and delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Phillies will host the Miami Marlins this weekend for the first three games of a 60-game sprint of an MLB regular season.

There are many changes to Major League Baseball for this year due to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus.…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

2020 MLB preview and predictions

2020 MLB preview and predictions

Making predictions for the 2020 Major League Baseball season that is set to get underway on Thursday is a riskier proposition than ever before. Instead of a 162-game, six-month long, everyday marathon that exposes depth and talent more than any other pro sport, MLB is about to undergo a 60-game, two-month long sprint.

The likelihood is that the best teams will still rise to the top over those 60…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Phillies 50: Forgotten 1971 - Bobby Pfeil

Phillies 50: Forgotten 1971 – Bobby Pfeil

If you’ve been following this ‘Phillies 50’ series since I began the reverse countdown back in March, then you have reached the final installment. If you’re just starting out, welcome to the first installment.

The series was created in honor of my half-century following the ball club closely beginning in 1971. It was designed to give fans a chance to visit the careers of one position player and…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Phillies 50: Forgotten 1971 - Manny Muniz

Phillies 50: Forgotten 1971 – Manny Muniz

This ‘Phillies 50’ series was designed to highlight the performance of one position player and one pitcher from each Philadephia Phillies team between the years 1971-2019 as part of my celebration of following the ball club for a half-century.

Veterans Stadium was opened in my South Philadelphia backyard for the 1971 season, and that would also signal my first full season following the Phillies.…

View On WordPress

[philliesbell-blog]

Phillies 50: Forgotten 1972 - Pete Koegel

Phillies 50: Forgotten 1972 – Pete Koegel

The position player representative from the 1972 Philadelphia Phillies for this ‘Phillies 50’ series played three years in Major League Baseball. That 1972 campaign would see him get his most experience in the big-leagues, but also would be his last.

Pete Koegel had been drafted by the Athletics back in 1965 when the franchise was still in Kansas City. In August 1969 he was traded with pitcher Bo…

View On WordPress