BadMoon
Demi G0D Overseer
From ESPN. I don't see how anyone could pick anyone else to win?
"The only team that can beat the Phillies," he said, "is the Phillies."
And you know what? He might be right. Since the day Roy Oswalt showed up in this team's clubhouse, the Phillies have been the best team in baseball, by any standard:
• They're 41-19 since then. Only one other team in either league -- Minnesota (38-22) -- is within seven wins of them.
• They played 10 series and 29 games in that span against teams that were .500 or better at the time. They won all 10 series and went 24-5.
• They lost their first two road games after Oswalt arrived -- then went 21-5 on the road the rest of the way, winning nine straight series.
• Their team ERA, post-Oswalt, was a spectacular 3.23. That's seven-tenths of a run lower than it was before Oswalt checked in, and the second-best in baseball, only microscopically higher than the Giants' (3.21), since then. And Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels were a combined 21-7, 2.33. Scary.
• Finally, no other team in either league had a better record against the other teams in the postseason field. The Phillies went 21-15 against the Braves, Reds, Giants, Yankees and Twins this year. The only other club that was more than one game above .500 against fellow playoff teams was Tampa Bay (20-15).
"The only team that can beat the Phillies," he said, "is the Phillies."
And you know what? He might be right. Since the day Roy Oswalt showed up in this team's clubhouse, the Phillies have been the best team in baseball, by any standard:
• They're 41-19 since then. Only one other team in either league -- Minnesota (38-22) -- is within seven wins of them.
• They played 10 series and 29 games in that span against teams that were .500 or better at the time. They won all 10 series and went 24-5.
• They lost their first two road games after Oswalt arrived -- then went 21-5 on the road the rest of the way, winning nine straight series.
• Their team ERA, post-Oswalt, was a spectacular 3.23. That's seven-tenths of a run lower than it was before Oswalt checked in, and the second-best in baseball, only microscopically higher than the Giants' (3.21), since then. And Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels were a combined 21-7, 2.33. Scary.
• Finally, no other team in either league had a better record against the other teams in the postseason field. The Phillies went 21-15 against the Braves, Reds, Giants, Yankees and Twins this year. The only other club that was more than one game above .500 against fellow playoff teams was Tampa Bay (20-15).
