Philadelphia Phillies 2002 Season Preview

by Lou Parrotta

If the 2001 season was in fact an overachieving season for the Philadelphia Phillies, then manager Larry Bowa's crew has a lot to prove this year. The mere fact they have to show the world they were serious contenders last year will provide a lot of pressure on this talent-filled team.

The Phillies added only two official free agents in Terry Adams, who will replace former 13-game winner Omar Daal, and yet-to-realize-his-potential Ricky Ledee. While this may not seem like much, it is significant for a team that is not as well off as the upper-tiered wealthy teams.

In addition to Adams and Ledee, the Phillies will be welcoming back their All Star backstop Mike Lieberthal who had his season prematurely ended with a severe knee injury. Lieberthal is this team's leader in every aspect of the word both on and off of the field. The Phillies might have been in the playoffs instead of two games behind the ever-powerful Braves had they had Lieberthal behind the plate and guiding them in between the white lines.

Another season is upon us and the Phillies offer a lot of promise in 2002. Bowa's boys will have to step up to the challenge once again this year as the Mets and Braves have made many more significant changes than the Phillies did. However, sometimes you can improve your look simply through a year of growth. The Phillies just might fit that ilk.

The fact that the Phillies are another year older will allow for them to perform this year as expected instead of as overachievers. Youngsters like Jimmy Rollins will need to capitalize on the tremendous years they had last year in order to reach the playoffs this year.

The Phillies had a major distraction over the winter that they hopefully will not have to deal with over the course of the season. Star third sacker Scott Rolen refused to sign a long-term contract over the winter, and both sides have since had somewhat of a problematic relationship as a result. It was decided that the two sides would address the contract situation after this season, but the major issue is whether or not Rolen will allow this to ruin his season. If it is a factor, the Phillies might as well write the season off right now.

The Phillies have another huge question mark on their team this year, and it is a familiar one. Their starting staff is lead by Robert Person, who won 15 contests last year. After that, their main hope is newcomer Terry Adams. Yes, they do have Randy Wolf, despite his losing record last season, and Triple-A stud Brandon Duckworth, but after that they are in desperate need of a fifth starter. This will be decided, barring a trade, between Nelson Figueroa and David Coggin; not quite your Maddux-Glavine combo.

The Phillies bullpen will be their strongest point in the pitching department, and that is not saying much. Jose ģI Learned How To Close Againē Mesa corrected the problems he had his last two years in the American League, and retreads Ricky Bottalico and Rheal Cormier offer veteran guidance to young powerhouses like Vincente Padilla who is continuing his conversion to relief.

Without a doubt the offense will provide some memorable highlights on SportsCenter. Young sluggers Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, and Travis Lee, coupled with offensive consistency out of Rollins, Marlon Anderson, and Doug Glanville, give the Phillies the potential to put up decent run totals. On the defensive side, the double play combination of Anderson and Rollins will provide as many thrills as any two middle infielders in the game today.

As a side note, young Rollins also possesses a promising Ripken-like reverence for the game. Recently, he was awarded the Cool Papa Bell Award by the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City for most stolen bases in 2001. What makes it interesting is that he and Juan Pierre, who shared the award with him, were the only two major leaguers who attended and accepted their awards in person. It says a lot about him that Rollins has that much respect for those stars who preceded him.

The Phillies will perform above average once again this season. Just how much they achieve will be dependent on how they overcome the shortcomings they have to deal with.

Ten Years Ago...

Our Phillies Preview from April 1992, by Roy St. James:

Strengths and weaknesses: The rotation is maturing and looking good, that is Terry Mulholland (16-10), Tommy Greene, Jose DeJesus, Andy Ashby, and Pat Coombs. Not quite household names. When your strongest position players are John Kruk (who missed a lot of spring training but is supposed to be ready now) and Lenny Dykstra, you don't worry NL clubs like the Pirates, Mets or Cubs very much. Dale Murphy adds class and a steady ing presence, but he is playing himself out. They hope the highly- touted Wes Chamberlain is finally ready. He hit 13 homers in 101 games and was awful in left. Those are the strengths. Catcher Darren Daulton could be a strength if he stays away from bachelor parties and returns to 1990 form. The infield is made up of retreads, youngsters and role players, but if there are no stars here, there is depth (Morandini, Sveum, Batiste, Mariano Duncan, Ricky Jordan). Bullpen-Mitch Williams and Barry Jones, hopefully in good shape, also Joe DeBoever and Steve Searcy.

General Outlook: The Mets are improved, and I don't see the Phils passing the Cards or Pirates, so they will battle with the Cubbies for the lower division title, 4th place. Although there are no standouts in the rotation outside of Mulholland, there are some promising starters. The ERA (3.86), OBA (.246), 988 K's, 16 CG and 11 shut outs were among the league's best, but their 600 walks led the NL.

Perspective: The Phils were 78-84, an improvement for a team that hasn't had a winning season for 5 years.