Philadelphia

Was what Jackie Robinson endured and accomplished as significant as what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did?  If so, then why doesn’t Jackie have a national holiday like Dr. King has in his honor?

Perhaps no holiday because the world hasn’t seen any vivid images of Jackie being sprayed down with water hoses or being hauled off to jail.  I’ll deal with the first question later here.

**This is an article I wrote after Harry Kalas passed away on April 13, 2009.**

Things certainly will not be the same in the Phillies' press box this 2009 season; despite the following-up of a most memorable championship campaign. Philadelphia, a city which has been gifted with the greatest of voices the world has seen, now have lost quite possibly the best of them all: Harry Kalas.

The absence of Jayson Werth, Chase Utley and Brad Lidge from the Phillies left plenty of cause for concern at the beginning of the season.

Losing the team’s No. 3 and No. 5 hitters and the closer created a scenario where many hoped that the Phillies would be able to hang on until Utley and Lidge returned.

But instead of merely surviving, the Phillies, with a 7-2 record, are thriving.

Welcome to BoxPlus, where I give you just a little more than the box score does.

Phillies 9, Astros 4

Game 2 of the Phillies' young season saw a bit more of an offensive attack to back ace No. 2, Cliff Lee. 

The Phillies opened the 2011 season Friday with a dramatic come-from-behind win against the Houston Astros, thanks to a walk-off single by pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr.

The Phillies' offense in the first eight innings was eerily reminiscent to the stagnant offensive output in 2010, but in the bottom of the ninth, the Phightin' Phils were reborn. The Phillies can only hope that this comeback, fueled by small ball, will ignite the their bats for the games to come.

Another baseball season has gotten underway with a smattering of baseball games on Thursday, and once again spring is here...figuratively, if not literally.

Baseball, of course, is driven by statistics more than any other sport, and the game is filled with wonderful statistical milestones that set apart the mortals from the immortals.

The 2011 season promises to see many players crossing significant career milestones, with Derek Jeter crossing that holiest of holy marks, the 3,000-hit barrier.

Let's have a look at 20 significant milestones that we may see in 2011.

Everybody has their list.

They get a ton of attention and for this group, unwarranted. They're overrated.

Which stats are the best indicators of being overrated?

OPS? WAR? Should an eye test be taken?

Potential sometimes cannot be judged on stats.

Let's take a look at the 10 most overrated players in baseball.

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I wish the season would start already. 

To give you an idea of how desperate I have been for baseball; pre-season baseball has been the highlight of my month.  I have watched countless recaps of pre-season games, and now I am aching for the regular season.

Many people believe that the season ends after the final pitch of the World Series, however I, and many other baseball fanatics alike, know that the season continues even after the World Champions are crowned.  

The Phillies come into this year as preseason favorites to reach their third World Series in the last four years, and with good reason.

The Philadelphia Phillies have proved to be the class of the National League in recent years.  Their successes have included two World Series appearances (one title) and four straight NL East crowns.  As of late, they've done everything possible to keep the proverbial "window" open for as long as possible.  With winning comes more money; money that the Phillies have spent more and more freely.