Heading into the 2007 season, there was perhaps no team more intriguing to watch than the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phils' franchise hasn't won a division title since 1993, but showed promise at the start of this year. Manager Charlie Manuel has at his disposal a quartet of heavy hitters in the heart of his order - shortstop Jimmy Rollins, second baseman Chase Utley, first baseman Ryan Howard and outfielder Pat Burrell. All of them are established major league stars, and none is a day older than 30.
The Phillies' lineup, led by this fearsome foursome, scored more runs than anyone in the National League in 2006, and on top of that, Philadelphia's pitching had started to fall into place as well. Ace Brett Myers, who carried the staff of the second-place Phils in 2005, found help in rookie Cole Hamels, who made his debut on May 12, 2006 and quickly became a mainstay in the rotation.
The rebuilding didn't end there. GM Pat Gillick kept crafting his rotation, going out and making a post-deadline waiver wire trade for veteran Jamie Moyer in August and then focusing his offseason energy on two more moves: the signing of former Texas Ranger Adam Eaton in late November and a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Freddy Garcia a week later.
Given Philadelphia's high-powered offense and its newly reloaded rotation, it appeared that this team, which came within inches of an NL wild card berth in '06, was poised to make a run in 2007.
And yet somehow, almost three weeks have passed and the Phillies own the worst record in baseball. It's the worst start this franchise has seen in a decade, and it came out of nowhere.
The problem, it appears, stems from the pitcher's mound. While Hamels has been just fine - turning in two solid starts en route to two no-decisions in the opening week before earning his first win over the Houston Astros Saturday - the rest of the rotation has struggled.
The most alarming development of the season so far has been the meltdown of Myers, the team's supposed ace. After earning a no-decision in the Phils' Opening Day loss to the Atlanta Braves, Myers has been downright terrible in each start since, surrendering six runs to the Florida Marlins April 7 and seven to the Astros on April 13. The Phillies have yet to win a game in which Myers has appeared.
How bad has Myers' April been? So bad, in fact, that Manuel has given up on him as a starter entirely. Previously the ace in Philadelphia and a member of the rotation since 2002, Myers has consistently been one of the best power pitchers in the National League, but was relegated to the bullpen Wednesday, as Manuel moved Jon Lieber into the starting rotation and gave Myers a job setting up for closer Tom Gordon.
Myers' first test in that role came Wednesday, as he pitched the eighth inning at RFK Stadium in a game against the Washington Nationals. After giving up back-to-back singles to the Nats, he worked his way out of a jam, successfully finishing the first scoreless inning of relief in his career.
But given the shaky nature of the rest of Manuel's rotation, one has to wonder how long Myers will stay in his setup role.
Always dependable in his time with the Seattle Mariners and in Chicago, Garcia opened the season on the disabled list with tendonitis in his bicep, and the New York Mets dismantled him upon his return Tuesday, drilling eight hits off him in four and two-thirds innings, including a two-run homer courtesy of Moises Alou.
Then there's Eaton. The right-hander turns 30 this fall, and he's still yet to pitch 200 innings in a season. He underwent surgery on his right middle finger in April 2006 and was mediocre in his return to Texas last year, posting a 5.12 ERA in 13 starts.
Most teams would send Eaton to the bullpen after a year like that, but not the Phils. Gillick gave Eaton a three-year, $24 million deal last fall, and so far, Eaton has done little to earn that money. In three starts, he's racked up a 6.62 ERA, with his worst outing being an eight-run shellacking from the Braves on April 5.
On the offensive side, the Phillies have performed exactly as expected. The dynamic 1-2-3-4 of Rollins-Utley-Howard-Burrell has been outstanding, especially Rollins, who's clubbed a league-leading six home runs, but the supporting cast leaves a little more to be desired.
The Big Four have combined for 10 homers so far this April, while the rest of the team has one - from part-time catcher Carlos Ruiz. Aaron Rowand and Wes Helms have both been getting on base at a decent rate, but this lineup will need some more pop to contend in the competitive NL East.
Right now, the East is led by the two top teams in baseball, as the Braves and Mets have quickly assembled the two best records in the majors. The Phillies are in last place now, but they have the talent to catch up. That catching-up may begin this weekend, as the Phils try to right their vessel in a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds.
