Kuzul

We've already seen some awesome pitching from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2010 MLB playoffs. But will the Phils be able to display some equally clutch hitting as the postseason continues? Let's hope.In the mean time, let's look back at the 10 biggest hits in Phillies' postseason history.Keep in mind that the following rankings are not just based on the timeliness of the hit itself, but also on the relative magnitude of the game in which the performance came (basically, World Series hits count for extra).Enjoy this trip through Phillies' history!Begin Slideshow

Roy Halladay's no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS is without question the greatest starting performance in Phillies' playoff history. But it certainly isn't the only great one. Here are the 10 best postseason starting pitching performances in Phillies' history. Keep in mind that the following rankings are not just based on the excellence of the pitching line itself, but also on the relative magnitude of the game in which the performance came (basically, World Series performances counts for extra). Enjoy this trip through Phillies' history!Begin Slideshow

Before autumn 2007, Charlie Manuel had about the same chance of ever being Manager of the Year as Michael Vick had of ever being the Eagles' starting QB, right? Guess a lot has changed in three years. But can the skipper of a team that was an overwhelming World Series favorite in the preseason actually win Manager of the Year? Well, The Phillies are on the doorstep of their franchise-record fourth straight NL East title. Ho hum. Nothing too surprising. Right now the Phillies are where everyone expected them to be back in March, but the road they’ve taken over the past six months to get here has been anything but routine. The Phils have trailed in the division for the majority of the season, slept-walked through inexplicably prolonged spells of offensive stagnancy, and sustained a mind-boggling rash of injuries. Yet, these Phillies have overcome all the adversity that everyone quickly assumed would derail them in the ...

In sports, the ability to win on enemy turf often distinguishes the contenders from the pretenders. That’s proven to be true during the 2010 MLB season, particularly in regards to the marathon-style NL East race. The Phillies, who begun the season just 22-30 away from home, have now won 17 of their last 20 on the road. The 2010 season will mark the seventh straight season in which the Phillies have had a winning record when needing room service. Simply remarkable. Then again, maybe it’s not too remarkable, since these Phillies seem to prove every year that divisional standings only matter at the end of September, not at the end of July. Remember the type of rhetoric that was being thrown around on sports-related radio, TV, and web pages in early July? You remember, right? Try not to laugh… The Phillies were not going to win the NL East in 2010 because the division was ...

C'mon Philadelphia, please put down the Michael Vick Kool-Aid...just for a second. We're talkin' baseball right now. For years, the Phillies have relied heavily on their “Big Three” to win games; the “Big Three,” of course, being the trio of homegrown studs (Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard) the Phillies have featured in their daily lineup for the past several years . Sure, that “Big Three” is still pretty good. But over the final two months of the 2010 campaign, the Phillies have made it to the brink of the postseason on the strength of a different kind of big three: the kind of big three that occupies their starting rotation. Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.  Game-set-match. That three-man rotation is pretty good. But is it the greatest 1-2-3 rotation punch in Phillies history? Let’s count down and find out.Begin Slideshow

Uh, one problem, Geovany—you forgot the ball... When things are going well, this is the kind of stuff that happens. Obviously things are going really well for the Phillies right now: good defense, timely hitting, and absolutely incredible pitching. But that’s not all. Anyone who’s followed this team for the last four weeks knows the Phillies have repeatedly capitalized on their opponents’ tendencies to commit numerous fielding or throwing errors that have directly led to big innings by the Phils’ offense. Please know that I’m not saying that the Phillies don’t deserve to have as good a record as they have now. They DO deserve it. Remember, there’s a reason why teams like the Nationals or Royals never seem to win games like this. Bad teams always let the competition off the hook. Good teams, like the Phillies, truly make the opposition pay for their mistakes, and that’s exactly what ...

Pat Burrell’s return to Citizens Bank Park is a logical time to evaluate where “Pat the Bat” ranks among the Phillies best outfielders of all time. The Phillies came full-circle during Burrell’s time in Philly, beginning as a last-place team during Pat’s rookie season in 2000 and ending as world champions of baseball by the time Burrell’s tenure ended after 2008. The following rankings were based upon these three categories, listed in order of importance: Hitting, Longevity, Defense (CFs get a slight edge over LF and RFs). Ranking/comparing players of different vintages and centuries is always tough, but I did my best. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane!Begin Slideshow

Just 10 short years ago, professional baseball in Philadelphia was dead. Totally, undisputedly, dead. I was a sixth-grader at the time, back in 2000, and nobody at Elkins Park Middle School in the Montgomery County Philly suburbs even wanted to talk about our city’s ball team. No one. Wanna talk about Pokemon? Sure. The Harry Potter books? Of course. The Fightin Phils? No way. The Phillies were nobodys. They were losers. They were losers until Larry Bowa became the Phillies 49th manager in team history on November 1, 2000. Now to the present: The 64-year-old Bowa has returned to Philadelphia this week as the Dodgers third base coach. Back in the ‘70’s, Bowa made a name for himself as the Phillies’ terrific shortstop. But 20 years later, he also oversaw the Phils’dramatic turn-around at the start of the new millennium. Larry’s only previous managerial experience came with San Diego, where he was fired midway through 1988 after ...

No, David Herndon isn’t one of the main reasons the Phillies have disappointed thus far in 2010. Not even close. Obviously he doesn't deserve the same amount of heat that teammates like Shane Victorino and Brad Lidge have been getting. But that doesn't mean Herndon should be getting a free pass. It's safe to say that Herndon, the 24-year-old rookie sinker-baller, hasn’t exactly been a positive addition to the bullpen this season. Not just because opponents are hitting a ridiculous .343 against him. Not just because he’s allowed nine out of his 14 inherited base runners to score since May 14. But also because he is in part preventing the Phillies from giving some of their minor league prospects a shot in the majors. Herndon has hand-tied the Phillies. How? Well, entering 2010, Herndon was out of options. In other words, the Phillies could not send him to the minor leagues. They’d have to keep him on ...

In sports, being able to take care of business at home usually separates the bad teams from the good ones. But being able to win on the road is ultimately what separates the good teams from the very best. It’s no secret that the Phillies’ uncanny ability to consistently win away from home has helped make them of baseball’s best teams in recent years. Winning on other teams’ home turf has been a staple for this club ever since 2004 and is also a huge reason why they’re three-time defending NL East champions. The 2007 Phillies won their last SIX games in Shea Stadium against the Mets. The 2008 Phillies won ALL NINE of their games in Turner Field against the so-called division rival Braves. The 2009 Phillies averted disaster by starting the season 24-9 on the road, despite beginning the year 13-22 at home. Yet, it’s been a much different story so far in 2010. The ...