There were a lot of great things to remember about the 2006 online baseball betting season for the Phillies.
This was a very talented roster that was in the thick of the online baseball betting playoff hunt right down to the very end. However, it just didn’t quite work out. The Dodgers edged out the Phillies by three wins and it call came down to the last ten games of the online baseball betting season.
Over that span the Philles went six and for while the red hot Dodgers went 9-1 over the same span. And that was the difference in missing out on the post season and making the first round of the online baseball betting playoffs and being sent to the slaughter against the New York Mets in the baseball betting League Divisional Series.
The Phillies over all online baseball betting record of 85-7 was decent by any account. In fact, it was better than the baseball betting World Series champ, the St Louis Cardinals, and would have been good enough to win the NL Central crown. The Phillies were pretty consistent for most of the year but over that very last stretch of the online baseball betting season just weren’t quite good enough and dropped some games they desperately needed. The team went an impressive 44-37 on the road but was a stunning disappointment at home winning only 41 games and dropping 40. And the play at home was really what swung the tables for this online baseball betting team that finished 12 games back of the first place New York Mets and 6 games ahead of the third place Atlanta Braves.
When people look back at the Phillies’ 2006 online baseball betting campaign there is one thing above all others that sticks out. And that is the amazing online baseball betting year that third baseman Ryan Howard had. He absolutely crushed the ball and seemed to get better as the online baseball betting season went on. He was such a hit and had so much power that he finally started making Philly baseball betting fans forget about he legend of the other third baseman, Mike Schmidt, who for so many years dominated that position in the city of brotherly love. Just one year after capturing the NL rookie of the year award with a huge online baseball betting season, Howard lived up to hype and earned the MVP award in his sophomore campaign, although in truth this award would have gone to Albert Pujols had he been healthy all year. But nonetheless, Howard had a fine online baseball betting year any way you look at it on his way to belting 58 homers and leading the majors.
The lineup got plenty of production at other spots as well including at the lead off spot from Jimmy Rollins. He was one of the best lead-off men in online baseball betting last year and his base-running and ability to get on base more than compensate for his improving work in the field. Chase Utley also had a good online baseball betting season, one of the better all around second baseman in the NL he can bat for power and average and with Howard batting behind him he gets plenty of protection in the line up. Pat Burrell was a bit of downer for the Phillies in 2006 online baseball betting season. He was slightly injured with a gimp foot but, but his sour relationship with management and trade demands were not doubt a strain on the locker room. At the plate he continued to see his average dip and hit strikeouts increase.
The pitching staff for the Phillies is certainly not its strong point but it got the job in 2006 online baseball betting season. Last baseball betting season there were some surprises in the rotation, namely Cole Hammels. He started off on the wrong foot but as the online baseball betting season wore on this guy finished up strong and he looks like he might be a very good lefty in the bottom half of the rotation in the future and likely had the three spot in the rotation locked up. In the bull pen 40 year veteran Tom Gordon showed the fans he still has what it takes in this first online baseball betting year in Philadelphia.
He didn’t’ shatter any save records but he got the job done. There wasn’t much to report from the set up men last online baseball betting year and this area will need some improvement in 2007 baseball betting season.