Philadelphia Phillies 2003 Finish: 86-76, 3rd NL East	Select Team Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs Devil Rays Diamondbacks Dodgers Expos Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Red Sox Reds Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees

Jim Thome Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Batting Order
CF	Marlon Byrd Ranked second among NL rookies with 150 hits and 86 runs.
SS	Jimmy Rollins Must reduce career high 113 Ks.
1B	Jim Thome Will he be first Phillie to hit 50 HRs in a season?
LF	Pat Burrell NL's biggest disappointment in ‘03.
RF	Bobby Abreu Good for at least 20 HRs and 20 SBs last five seasons.
2B	Placido Polanco Had career highs in HRs, RBIs, BBs and SBs in ‘03
C	Mike Lieberthal Opening Day start will be team record eighth for a catcher.
3B	David Bell Needs to rebound from lost season.
Rotation
RHP	Kevin Millwood Folded down stretch in ‘03 — 1-3, 5.94 in September.
LHP	Randy Wolf Career high starts, wins and Ks in ‘03.
RHP	Vicente Padilla Electric stuff. Has won 28 games over past two years.
LHP	Eric Milton Won 41 games from 2000-02 with the Twins.
RHP	Brett Myers No. 5 man with No. 1 potential.
Bullpen
LHP	Billy Wagner Game over at 100 mph.
RHP	Tim Worrell Gained closer experience with Giants in ‘03.
LHP	Rheal Cormier Phils' most dependable reliever last season.
RHP	Roberto Hernandez Must overcome control problems.
RHP	Amaury Telemaco Veteran middle man can also start.
RHP	Josh Hancock Will join others battling for final spot.
Prospects
LHP	Cole Hamels Polished lefty struck out 147 in 101 innings in Class A.
RHP	Gavin Floyd Takes his great fastball and curveball to Double-A.
1B	Ryan Howard Florida State League batting (.304) and HR (23) champ in 2003.

No excuses. It's time for the Phillies to win the National League East. The Braves, Marlins and Expos have all lost significant talent, and the Mets still aren't ready. The Phillies are the only team in the division that has added top talent the past two winters as they geared to move into Citizens Bank Park this season. Last winter brought Jim Thome and his thunderous bat. This winter the Phils focused on pitching. They fortified their rotation and rebuilt their bullpen around Billy Wagner's explosive left arm. “We're ready to win right now,” manager Larry Bowa says. “We're overdue.”

It's not filled with big names, but it has five arms capable of winning. Kevin Millwood, Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla and Eric Milton all have made All-Star teams, and Brett Myers should make a few before he's done. Millwood, Wolf, Padilla and Myers all won at least 14 games last year, the first time the Phillies have had four 14-game winners since 1901. Milton, acquired in a trade with Minnesota, has recovered from the knee injury that scuttled his 2003 season. He was a double-digit winner three times with Minnesota. Millwood was a disappointment down the stretch in 2003, leading critics to wonder if he's a true No. 1 starter. He failed to land a big deal on the free agent market and accepted salary arbitration. The right-hander has plenty of incentive to have a big season, and the rotation has to feel good about an improved bullpen. “One through five, we match up with anybody,” Millwood says. “If you have Brett Myers as your No. 5, you're pretty good.”

Talk about filling your needs. The Phils had no closer the final two months of 2003. Shortly after the World Series, they traded for one of the best. Wagner's addition alone should make this the most improved part of the team. With newcomer Tim Worrell and rejuvenated Rheal Cormier in setup roles, the Phils shouldn't let many late leads get away. Roberto Hernandez, a free agent addition, will get sixth- and seventh-inning work. Wagner, Worrell, Cormier and Hernandez have appeared in 2,225 regular season games and registered 592 saves. That's experience “I'm looking at what the Phillies have done this offseason, and what everyone else has done, and it's going to be tough for us not to win,” Hernandez says.

Second baseman Placido Polanco is a solid, winning player who makes contributions with his bat, his glove and his intangibles. Injuries slowed him late last season, but look for Polanco to have a strong season as free agency beckons. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins has proven to be an excellent defender, but he still has problems putting the ball in play, keeping it out of the air, and getting on base.

You can mark Thome down for 40 homers, 120 RBIs, 100 walks and 100 runs. His track record is that good, and he's underrated with the glove. Thome is hungry to win again, and he shines in winning situations. He had 20 homers and 51 RBIs in the final two months last season, carrying the Phils as they staged an unsuccessful bid for the NL wild card. Third baseman David Bell is one of the club's biggest question marks after missing much of last season with a lower back injury. Can he survive an entire season? Can he justify that four-year, $17-million contract? Bell has something to prove in his second season in Philly.

Pat Burrell was a popular preseason pick for NL MVP in 2003. He ended up as possibly the game's most disappointing player. If he gets his stroke and his confidence back, this outfield should be productive. “I won't look back at 2003 with a lot of great memories,” Burrell says. “But I think I'll be better because of it. I have no doubt I'll get it back.” Center fielder Marlon Byrd made great strides as a rookie, but he still needs to improve his on-base percentage and consistency if he's going to lead off. Bobby Abreu is too good of a hitter to strike out over 100 times. It's high time he challenged for a batting title. Defensively, this unit is competent, but unspectacular.

Veteran Mike Lieberthal remains one of the team's most indispensable players. He handles the pitching staff well and is a tough out in the lineup, even if his power numbers have dropped. Phils catchers threw out just 24-of-136 would-be base stealers in 2003. Despite what the numbers said, Lieberthal still can throw. He was given little chance against base stealers because Phillies pitchers did a poor job holding runners. Todd Pratt is a solid backup, but the Phils can't afford an injury to Lieberthal.

Jason Michaels and Ricky Ledee are both solid outfielders who contribute in their roles. Several teams coveted Michaels in the off-season after he hit .330 in 76 games. Versatile infielder Tomas Perez is a favorite of Bowa's. Second baseman Chase Utley, a gifted hitter, will be valuable insurance if Bell breaks down and Polanco needs to go to third. Shawn Wooten brings power and Doug Glanville adds speed to reserve roles.

Ownership gets high marks for increasing the payroll to the $90 million neighborhood to keep Millwood. General manager Ed Wade, who was criticized for not doing more at the trading deadline last year, rebounded with his second straight strong winter. The pressure is on Bowa. Rocky relations with players have led some to wonder if he's the man to lead this talented team. A slow start could mean trouble for Bowa, who has two winning seasons and 252 wins in three seasons, the most by a Phils manager in his first three seasons since Pat Moran in 1915-1917.

New stadium. Plenty of talent. A division in transition. This is the Phillies' time. The offense needs to cut down on the strikeouts and deliver some of those stranded runners. If track record means anything, the pitching staff should be solid. This is a team that needs to end the yearly drama between Bowa and the players. He needs to be supportive and cut down on the dugout histrionics that the players hate. The players need to realize that most of them are on long-term contracts and have more security than the skipper. Don't be bothered by Larry being Larry. Just play. If harmony can be struck and natural ability takes over, the Phils will make the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

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