I’ve been a Phillies fan before they won the World Series in 1980, so I’ve watched this baseball team struggle through a lot of hard times since then.
Sure, there were some high points along the way, but mostly it’s been a steady attitude of hoping for better next year.
The first half of the 2015 season has been difficult to watch if you’re rooting for Philadelphia.
But before the first pitch was thrown, every baseball fan pretty much knew what to expect from this club.
The Phillies are in a rebuilding stage right now and it’s going to be a long ride!
Fan favorites from just a couple of years ago are only a figment of what they once were.
In looking at the first half of 2015, let me start with the players costing the most money in Philly.
The Big Name Busts
They are probably going to lose their pitching ace Cole Hamels at the trade deadline, so the Phil’s starting pitching rotation is really going to struggle from here out.
The good news is, they potentially could free up a lot cash to invest in weaker areas.
Chase Utley has had a dismal year, to put it mildly.
It seems that even though he is injured going into the break, Chase has pretty much lost his starting position at second base.
Replacement Cesar Hernandez has seized the opportunity and is literally lighting it up!
Then there’s Ryan Howard.
Many fans have grown tired of expectations falling short with this once-promising talent, myself included.
For the amount of money being paid, Howard really needs to step it up or move on.
The last of the big name busts on this list is catcher Carlos Ruiz.
At the time of this post he is batting around .217 with only 7 hits for extra-bases.
That’s not going to cut it in the big leagues.
The Land Of Hope And Dreams
Is there anything to smile about in Philadelphia after half a season of baseball played?
Sure there are! Things aren’t all doom and gloom in the “City Of Brotherly Love!”
One top prospect, third baseman Maikel Franco, has been voted National League Rookie of the Month in June.
If they can get some of the other young bats working, such as those of Domonic Brown, Cody Asche, and Freddy Galvis, the Phillies could start putting some notable wins up.
Hamels is pretty solid on the mound and Ken Giles is improving. Beyond that, their pitching needs tuning up.
Papelbon is dependable as a closer, but they definitely need to give him more to work with moving forward.
Closing Thoughts
Obviously, the Philadelphia Phillies aren’t going to be a threat to win it all in 2015!
But as a fan, it should be interesting to watch how the rest of this year plays out.
We can only hope that management makes the right moves and continues to rebuild this struggling baseball team.
