Philliesface frighteningfuture this season

by Nick Luchko staff writer

The Philadelphia Phillies begin the 2001 year with a new manager, and a new attitude however, to this writer the end result will be the same. Not only do I feel the Phillies are going to Jose, they are going to flat out stink.

I always give the Phillies the benefit of the doubt and I am always rooting for them and want them to come out as winners, but this year I cannot do it. The pitching staff is terrible, the bullpen is filled with misfits and losers that have seen their better days 5-10 years ago and the starting lineup can only take you so far. There is just no hope for this team.

First off, Larry Bowa is a good guy. He was a classic shortstop back in the'80s with a no-die attitude leading the Phillies to their only championship. Bowa, however, will have to do a lot more then pep talking to get this team to win. He is going to need a miracle.

The Phillies have five unproven starters. There is no ace and it does not seem that any of these pitchers will take on the role. Lefthanders Bruce Chen and Randy Wolf will be the 1-2 punch. Hard throwing, Roger Person will be third in command but with a shoulder that has had problems in the past. Omar Daal will look to bounce back from a 19 game loss season while Chris Brock will round out the rotation.

The bullpen looks to be one of the most overpriced one in all of baseball. Jose Mesa will do nothing as he is still recovering from his past personal problems. Ricky Bottalico returns to the Phillies to blow another 15 saves. Vincent Padilla looks to be the only reliable reliever who will show signs of life that is of course if he can get his fastball beyond 75 mph.

The starting lineup looks familiar with one new face. Doug Glanville will lead off photo from www.phillies.com and play centerfield. Do not be surprised if Glanville gets traded due to his lack of hitting and the resurgence of Reggie Taylor. Rookie-of-the-Year Candidate Jimmy Rollins will be the Phillies shortstop of the future. Bobby Abreu will continue his hot hitting and right field coverage. Scott

Rolen looks to return to his gold-glove form after a year of back troubles. All-Star to be Pat Burrell will be unstoppable this year and will hit 30ilome runs. Mike Leiberthal will continue to be a steady player and one of the best catchers in the league. Under appreciated Travis Lee hopes to return to his 25 homers and 100 RBI's from two years ago. Marlon Anderson is bad. Enough said.

The Phillies will not make the playoffs. If this team is to do anything, it should spend money on free agents. It is the 4th largest market in America and their payroll is ranked as one of the lowest. The reason, they say, is because of the need for a new stadium. I say it is because they are too cheap and just want to put a product out on the field to get the job done. This is not-fair to the fans of this town that deserve a winning team. We will see when the stadium comes around three years from now if the Phillies are telling the truth.