Infielders

Two MVPs, the best second baseman in baseball, Peter Happy, and Eric Bruntlett. What else do you need really?

Ryan Howard

Ryan was god awful for most of the year, and then got unbelievably hot in September. He led the majors in HRs and RBIs, and swung really, really hard the entire season. He finished second in MVP voting, and rumors have it he resembles a grandfather clock. Good for Ryan.

His greatest regular season moment happened in Atlanta, where the Phillies went 9-0 in 2008. On September 16th, in the team’s first game after sweeping Milwaukee to jump back into the race, the Phillies were playing their typical lackluster game against an inferior opponent. In a game they once lead 3-0, then trailed 7-4, RyHo laced a 2 out 2 run HR in the 8th to put the Phillies ahead for good 8-7. Something was happening here.

Ryan also struggled pretty badly early in the playoffs, and then broke out with 3 HRs in two days against Tampa, capped by his 2 HR, 5 RBI performance in Game 4 against Tampa.

Andy Tracy

Andy appeared in a close Sunday night game against the Dodgers on August 24th. I was unhappy about this, and voiced it to the entirety of section 310. That’s really all I remember this year about Andy Tracy. He had 4 PAs, 0 Hs, but did walk twice before injuring himself during one of those mighty plate appearances. He would never resurface, not in the regular season or playoffs. Enjoy the playoff share, Andy!

Chase Utley

Chutley is good at baseball. When they brought him up he couldn’t field the position or hit lefties so the Phillies played him behind Placido Polanco. He has since made the Phillies look foolish. He got robbed of the Gold Glove this season, but won a Silver Slugger and got some jewelry. He also a penchant for dropping F bombs while he is mic'd up. Most famously declaring the Phillies are World F'n Champions. More hilariously though was when he got booed during the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium and muttered "Boo? F you!". Chase is awesome.

On Sunday April 20th, Chase assured the Phillies would not be swept by the losers from Flushing by hitting two HRs and getting 4 RBIs in a 5-4 win. I was also very drunk this day, and Hoch stole some boxed wine. He also thought pork was chicken, but that’s a story for another day. As is “NEED HELP CALL THE POLICE”.

Chase, of course, had some pretty big playoff moments. My absolute favorite was his 2 run HR off Derek Lowe to tie Game 1 of the NLCS at two. It lead to a round of manhugs that almost led to missing the heroics two batters later. He also made that absurd defensive play to throw Bartlett out at the plate to end the top of the 7th in Game 5 against Tampa. And the double play against LA that kept the game in striking distance. Chase is good. And he wasn't even healthy.

Tadahito Iguchi

After being released by San Diego, Tad returned to the Phils for the September stretch. He went 2-8 at the plate, with both hits coming in that final game against the Nats. He was not eligible for the playoff roster.

Although it happened in 2007, let’s remember the main reason Tad was brought back. August 30th, 2007. My birthday. We got kicked out. Drinking in McFadden’s. Tad gets a hit. Rush headlocks Bruiser Flint.

Brad Harman

This Australian kid started a game for the World Series champions. It happened on April 25th, when Cholly decided Howard needed a day off. Chase played at first, and Harman started at second where he collected a hit, run and RBI as the Phillies beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh. I imagine Pittsburgh is a lot like Sydney. Or maybe the outback. Or it just sucks. Brad did not appear in the playoffs.


Mike Cervanek

Mike got his first major league hit August 6th during a beautifully pitched 5-0 win by Kyle Kendrick (seriously) against Florida. He then hovered around the bench the rest of the year making rare appearances, but leading Jack to wonder where he was whenever Taguchi hit. No playoffs.

Jimmy Rollins

The reigning MVP got hurt in April during some Jose Reyes base running douchebaggery and never seemed to get it going. However, he was still unquestionably the offensive spark of this team. If Jimmy hit, the Phillies scored. He said before the year they would 100 games, and they won 103. The second longest tenured Phillie was here for a lot of bad, and deserves all the good that is finally coming.

On July 22nd, in the Phils 100 game of the year with first place on the line, the Phillies crapped it up to the tune of 5-1 going to the 9th at Shea. Single. Single. Single. FC RBI. Double. Jimmy comes up with two on in a tie game and laces a double down the third base line. 7-5 lead, 8-6 win.

Jimmy ledoff both the clinching games against the Brewers and Dodgers with home runs. I don’t know which was better, I’ll let you pick.

Eric Bruntlett

Brunt also was a target of my displeasure this season. He just seemed so….useless. Everytime Cholly would send Burrell’s caddy to LF in the 7th inning my blood would boil. He was a terrible base runner, but was always used as a pinch runner. Now Rushir is talking about buying a Bruntlett jersey. It’s funny what winning does.

Brunt did have a knack of coming up biggest in our Sunday home games during the Rollins injury. He hit a HR against the Cubs April 13th and made a game saving defensive play in the 9th the 20th against the Mets. His best moment of the regular season also came during a Mets game I attended, during the frantic comeback from a 7-0 deficit. In the game that put the Phils back in first for a day, Brunt tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a two out double, which I also missed because I had to explain to a genius from North Jersey why the ivy at Wrigley was thicker than the Ivy at CBP.

His job as Burrell’s caddy led directly to him scoring two of the most memorable runs in Phillies history, as he scored the walk off run in World Series Game 3 and the winning run in Game 5. Eric Freakin Bruntlett.

Pedro Feliz

My fondest memory of Pedro this season is, when after hearing me yell Pete Happy at every opportunity this season, Hewitt asks me why I call him that. This happened in September. 2008 Season Tickets really were the gift that kept on giving.

Pete, despite having a mediocre season, fielded 3rd base well and had a knack for big hits. His PH HR won the April 20th Mets game. He had a fabulous game August 24th against the Dodgers, however. The Phillies were sleep walking through this game, trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th. After a leadoff Victorino single, a bunt, a K, and the before mentioned Andy Tracy walk, Petey strutted to the plate and laced a game tying single. This sent the Sunday night game into extras, pleasing the unemployed amongst us. Pedro came up in the 11th after a Cole Hamels PH appearance (oh, Uncle Cholly) and hit a walk off 2 out 3 run HR.

Pete also got a single in the bottom of the seventh against Tampa in Game 5. It scored a run. Turned out to be pretty important, methinks. All this time waiting for a championship, and Feliz drives in Bruntlett to get it done.

Greg Dobbs

Dobber led the league in PHs, which is pretty impressive because he started a lot of games. He was the only .300 hitter on the roster, mostly because he almost never hit against a lefty. On July 26th at CBP vs the Braves, Cole Hamels took a 3-0 lead into the 4th where he promptly gave up 9 runs. Of course. This being a Saturday 4 PM start and me being at the height of Phillies related frustration, I turned off the game and began drinking. Due to my morbid curiosity, I flipped the game back on about an hour later and two pitches before Dobbs hit a Blaine Boyer pitch into the seats with two outs and two on, putting the Phillies ahead 10-9. That would be the final score. Never a doubt, Harry.

Dobbs had a mediocre playoff, collecting two hits in Game 2 against the Dodgers, helping to set up the classic Brett Myers at bats.