| | By the time this season begins, the Phillies will have played 33
exhibition games. None of them will have had as much importance as those
tedious games of long toss their staff ace played in the outfield during the first month of spring training.
|
PHILLIES LOWDOWN |
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|  | | Curt Schilling says he's ahead of schedule. |
1999: 77-85
Runs: 841, 6th in NL
Allowed: 846, 11th in NL
Key facts
Phillies have had one winning season (1993) since 1986.
Bobby Abreu has increased his average, on-base percentageand slugginer percentage each of his three seasons.
Phillies were 46-40 before the All-Star break, 31-45 after.
Tim Kurkjian's scenarios
Best-case: Pat Burrell is recalled within a month and becomes a big-time power man immediately, bringing even more hope to a franchise on the way up.
Worst-case: Ace Curt Schilling has more arm problems; they can't do anything without him.
Prediction: 3rd in NL East
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Curt Schilling and his surgically repaired right shoulder mean that much to the Phillies.
The proof is in these numbers: When Schilling pitched last year, the
Phillies were 19-5. When he didn't, they were 58-80.
The success or failure of this Phillies season will ride on how quickly
their ace can return. Since undergoing December surgery, Schilling has
pushed himself to get back sooner rather than later. The Phillies have maintained
from the beginning that the target date is the middle of May. Schilling has
had an earlier date in mind all along.
At this point, it appears as if Schilling's date may be more accurate.
He estimated he'd be six weeks away from returning once he started throwing off a mound the way all pitchers do at the beginning of spring training. He threw off a mound for the first time on March 19 and it's possible he could appear in one of the Phillies' final three exhibition games.
While Schilling tries to get back before May 1, the Phillies must try to survive without him. It will not be easy, even with the addition of Andy
Ashby, who has solid enough credentials to at least be an interim staff ace, and Mike Jackson, a closer who has converted on 90 percent of his save
opportunities the last three years.
The Phillies' April schedule is as brutal as they come. They open with
six games against Arizona and Houston. And by the end of the month, they will have played 15 of their 26 games against the four National League teams that were in the postseason a year ago. Should the Phillies' mid-May target date be more accurate, the Phillies will be without their ace during a stretch in which they play 21 of their first 38 games against playoff teams.
Of course, the Phillies try to look at things in a positive light. They
believe if they can survive the early portion of the schedule by at least
playing around .500, they will receive the same sort of jolt a team gets
when it adds a stud pitcher at the trade deadline.
If Schilling comes back as the same pitcher he was before surgery, the
Phillies could definitely be a contender.
-- Bob Brookover
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Lineup comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Player
|
Comment
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Grade
|
|
D. Glanville, CF
|
First Phillie to get 200 hits since Pete Rose in 1979
|
B
|
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Ron Gant, LF
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Scored 100 runs for first time since 1993. Keeping LF warm for Pat Burrell
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D
|
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Bobby Abreu, RF
|
Who was it that the Devil Rays got for him even up? Oh, right. Kevin Stocker
|
A
|
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Scott Rolen, 3B
|
More back trouble this spring. One thing's certain: no letup, no give-in by this guy
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A
|
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Rico Brogna, 1B
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First Phillie 1B to record consecutive 100 RBI seasons
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B
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M. Lieberthal, C
|
Phils brass would have been happy with 15-75-.275
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A
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M. Anderson, 2B
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The jury's still out, but things don't look good. Tools haven't gotten job done
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D
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D. Relaford, SS
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The shortstop of the future just two years ago may be running out of time
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D
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Pitching comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Pitcher
|
Comment
|
Grade
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Andy Ashby, SP
|
Better behind strong No. 1 -- Kevin Brown in 1998, Schilling in ... whenever
|
B
|
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Paul Byrd, SP
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When sharp, keeps hitters off balance with slop. When he's not, it's T-ball time
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C
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R. Person, SP
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Nasty stuff, but control lapses prevent him from using it to best effect
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C
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Randy Wolf, SP
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A disappointment: started strong, hammered in 2nd half. Still, high ceiling
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C
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Jeff Brantley, RP
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Huge plus if fully recovered from shoulder surgery. Huge "if," though
|
D
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M. Jackson, RP
|
Tied with Paul Assenmacher for most games pitched in the '90s
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B
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