Ok…Coming in to the season we were all made aware that the Phillies’ Phab Phive is widely accepted as one of the best pitching staffs ever assembled. It’s fairly easy to just go along with the words of sports analysts, pundits and of course the Philly Phaithful who say that this will be a season for the ages. If you know me then you know that I’m one to go against the grain. I don’t do or say things just to go with the flow. But here is why I think we could be in for a magical season that exceeds even the pre season hype!
It’s hard for me to project gaudy, video game type statistics due to the fact that I know and have lived the harsh realities of this game. The game has an insistent way of humbling all players at some point and time regardless of their status. With that being said, I believe that this staff will exhibit the type of dominance this season that will test the will and upper limits of the game itself. A few variables will need to be place though.
First of all, you need to understand the psyche of an elite ball player. Talent is not the sole ingredient. Although God given ability does play a major role, it’s not the deciding factor. Talent is not what guides them to the upper echelon of their profession. These men maintain a different mindset. A mindset that consists of a more rigidly built structure and superhuman levels of unparalleled focus. This is then topped off by a steadfast aspiration to be the absolute best. We, as fans, get a chance to witness the everyday attempts to prove who’s the top dawg of the staff
This is the type of war or competition that is encouraged and is the crux of why this staff will lead the Phightins to the world series. We are in for a great year that will be fueled by top notch competition and an insatiable hunger lingering since falling short of last year's World Series.
As I stated earlier, a few variables need to be in place for all of this to transpire. The main one is that the Phive Horsemen stay healthy. Roy Oswalt has had a minor setback and my man Joe Blanton is off to a rocky start. This is not a problem. Roy will bounce back and Joe will settle down. Here’s to good health in 2011!
