Philadelphia Phillies

Testosterone, steroids, PEDs, or performance enhancers.

Anyway you say it, it means one thing: We can’t stop talking about them—or rather we can’t stop talking about the people who abuse themselves with them.

Bad luck spread through the Phillies pitching like the Swine Flu.

It started with Brad Lidge and worked it's way through the entire pitching staff. Lidge blew saves, Chan Ho Park failed, Brett Myers suffered a season ending injury, Clay Condrey went down, and now Antonio Bastardo is hurt.

Fortunately for the Phillies, the bats were alive and kicking. Led by Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia posted the best road record in baseball. Right now, the Phils' bats have been pretty quiet, but not terrible. 

I've never been one for moral victories. You either win or you lose.

A rematch of teams that met in a championship setting the previous season does not constitute a "revenge game" nor series.

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series—they have the rings. No series win in June the following season will avenge that.

Is it any surprise that the Toronto Blue Jays are the best defensive team in the majors this season?

"We'll be fine. We're the defending champs, and we're not defending champs for no reason. At the end of the day, I'm walking out of this place, and we're still in first place. That's how you've got to look at it." Confidence or complacency? Waltzing or wavering? Champs, or chumps? The answer should tell us who's going to be celebrating in October.

Hey, guys.  It's me, Citizens Bank.  I was hoping we could have a little chat.

You've been spending a lot of time in other parks lately.  No, no—don't deny it.  It's all over the news, don't embarrass yourself by lying about it.  It just makes this all the more painful.

Now, you know I don't care if you want to play in other stadiums.  In fact, I've come to expect it.  Away games are part of any team's schedule.  But... but do you have to like it so much?

"What do I mean?"  Do you have to ask?!

When Ruben Amaro was appointed general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies shortly after the team’s 2008 World Series victory, he knew the only way his inaugural season would be considered a success was if the Phillies managed to make it back to the World Series. Not an enviable position to be in considering the difficulties involved in repeating, let alone making it back to the World Series two consecutive years in a row.

The Philadelphia Phillies are in first place in National League East and are five games over .500, but the season has been more disappointing than thrilling. 

They are currently riding a six-game losing streak and now head into Tampa for a World Series rematch with the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays. With a few weeks to go before the mid-summer classic, let's look at a mid-season report on the reigning World Series Champions.

What's Looking Good

After being swept out of the 2007 playoffs by the Colorado Rockies, the Philadelphia Phillies were determined to not repeat their failures in 2008. After clinching their second straight division title, the Phillies dispatched the hot Milwaukee Brewers and took out Manny Ramirez and the rejuvenated Los Angeles Dodgers.