Phillies Seasons: 2011, National League East Champions
August 8, 2015
By Scott S.D. Weiss
This had the makings of potentially being the best season in Philadelphia Phillies history. The previous season (2010) resulted in a fourth consecutive National League East title and an unbelievable statistics line from ace starter Harry Leroy Halladay III (known as Roy Halladay). Not only did Halladay unanimously win the NL Cy Young, he pitched a regular season perfect game and a no-hitter in Game One of the NL Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Heading into the 2011 season, the Phillies already had a fearful rotation with Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. But what if Clifton Phifer Lee decided to sign with the Phillies after being traded from the Phillies to Seattle before 2010 (he was also traded to the Texas Rangers)? In 2009, Lee came to the Phillies from the Cleveland Indians before the non-waiver trade deadline and went 7-4 in 12 regular season starts and 4-0 in the playoffs.
Yes, Lee said "no" to both the New York Yankees and Texas to join the Phillies. Now, the Phillies would display their four aces in perhaps one of the most dominant starting rotations in major league history.
Right-fielder Jayson Werth took his arm and potent bat to the Washington Nationals on a seven-year agreement after four seasons in Philadelphia. Reliever Jose Contreras signed a two-year contract with Philadelphia after posting a 3.34 Earned Run Average in 67 games with the Phillies.
An infield with first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, third baseman Placido Polanco, and primary catcher Carlos Ruiz meant get ready for hits, runs, home runs, some stolen bases, and even strikeouts. Subtract Werth from the outfield and the Phillies had Raul Iba?ez in left field and Shane Victorino in centerfield. Finding a right-fielder had been one of the few question marks.
Regular Season
Usually known for sluggish starts on April, the Phillies stormed out of the gate by sweeping the Houston Astros in a three-game series on opening weekend. Halladay, Lee, and Oswalt won their ffirst starts while Hamels lost against the New York Mets). Contreras planned on being new Phillies closer as Brad Lidge moved to a setup role; however, Contreras suffered an injurely in late in the month and was replaced by Ryan Madson. Madson continued the season as the closer. Philadelphia finished April with an 18–8 record, the second best in the majors, trailing only the Cleveland Indians of the American League.
On May 9, the Phillies took sole possession of the best record in the majors and remain in that spot for the remainder of the regular season. The Phillies didn't string many winning or losing streaks in May. However, the Phillies' 2-1 14-inning loss against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park on May 1 was memorable when the Mets' Daniel Murphy was batted as a pinch-hitter Madson because spectators started chanting "U-S-A!"; it was determined the chants were in response to the news al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, had been killed by United States special operations forces in Pakistan. Two months into the season, the Phillies were 34-22.
June brought good vibration with an 18-9 showing. In the middle of June, the Phillies endured seven-game winning streak, taking three of four from the Chicago Cubs, swept the Florida Marlins in four games. Then, the Phillies weren't consistent in terms of wins and losses during the next week. The month ended with an interleague showdown against the Boston Red Sox, a series many predicted to be a World Series preview. Against the Red Sox, the Phillies won two of three, including Lee's shutout performance in the first game.
Lee was 5–0 with a 0.21 ERA in June, earning him NL Pitcher of the Month. During that same month, Lee had more runs batted in at the plate than earned runs (two RBIs and one earned run).
The Phillies still didn't show signs of rust in July by compiling a 17-8 record, seemingly running away with the NL East. On July 11, the Phillies assumed the top spot on ESPN's Major League Baseball power rankings and wouldn't relinquish that for the remaining 12 weeks of the season.
What did Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. do in terms of buying before the non-waiver trade deadline (July 31)? The Phillies acquired right-fielder Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league prospects. Houston felt like his home as Pence shed tears and walked off the field after discovering he was no longer an Astro.
The Phillies began Aug. riding a nine-game winning streak and extended their lead to eight and one-half games ahead in the division. Oswalt came back into action after missing quite some time with an injury, winning his first two starts by a combined score of 16-3. Hurricane Irene resulted in the Phillies playing 33 games in 31 days from Aug. 29 until Sept. 28. Along the way, the Phillies entertained three doubleheaders, the last came as a result of a Sept. rain-out.
Philadelphia reached 40 games above .500 on Aug. 31 for the first time since back-to-back 100-plus win seasons in 1976 and 1977. Wins during the next two days propelled the Phillies to 42 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.
Gee, on Sept. 14, the Phillies became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 1–0 win. On Sept. 17, they clinched the NL East title for the fifth consecutive season. It looked like the Phillies could get 110 wins but at 102-60, the Phillies had the best record in baseball for the second year in a row and broke the clubrecord for most regular-season wins.
Towards the end of the season, the Phillies endured an eight-game losing streak, but already clinched the NL East, as well as the best record in the majors. The Phillies ended the season by sweeping the Atlanta Braves, capped off by a 14-inning win in the last game of the season. By winning the final game of the regular season, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel also became the manager with the most wins in Phillies history (647) and also eliminated the Braves from postseason contention, allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to play in the postseason.
While holding the bat and running the bases, Philadelphia's offense batted .253 (1,409-for-5,579) with 713 runs, 258 doubles, 38 triples, 153 home runs, 693 RBIs, 539 walks, 1,024 strikeouts, and 96 stolen bases in 120 attempts.
Ruiz led all regulars with a .283 average which included 49 runs, 23 doubles, six long-balls, 48 walks, 48 strikeouts, and 40 RBIs. Backup catcher Brian Schneider was 22-for-125 in 41 games with 11 runs, four doubles, two see-yas, nine RBIs, and 11 walks.
In 132 games, Victorino collected 145 hits in 519 at-bats (.279) with 95 runs, 27 doubles, 16 triples, 17 round-trippers, 61 RBIs, 55 walks, and 19 steals (22 attempts).
Polanco didn't have the extra-base power as in years past with 111 singles, 14 doubles, five homers, 50 RBIs, and 46 runs in 122 games.
Left field had been occupied by Iba?ez, John Mayberry, Jr., and Ben Francisco. Iba?ez appeared in 144 games, going 131-for-535 with106 strikeouts, 33 walks, 84 RBIs, 20 sayonaras, one triple, 31 doubles, and 65 runs. Mayberry, Jr. Brought out the lumber in 104 games with 40 singles, 17 doubles, one triples, 15 four-baggers, 49 RBIs, 37 runs, and eight steals.
Apparently, Ross Gload had been listed as a right-fielder, going 29-for-113 in 93 games with three runs, eight doubles, 23 strikeouts, three walks, and eight RBIs. Dominic Brown played left field and also in right field for 56 games, recording 45 hits (.245), 28 runs, 10 doubles, a triple, five jacks, 19 RBIs, and 25 walks. When Pence came, he became the regular right-fielder and batted .324 (67-for-207) with 35 runs, 12 doubles, two triples, 11 fingers, 35 RBIs, 27 walks, and 38 strikeouts,
Rollins hit .268 (152-for-567) with 30 steals (caught stealing eight times), 59 strikeouts, 58 walks, 63 RBIs, 87 runs, 22 doubles, two triples, and 16 big flies. Wilson Valdez acted as a reserve shortstop in 99 games, posting 39 runs, 68 hits (.249), 14 doubles, four triples, one homer, 30 RBIs, and three steals.
Utley wasn't the same as he when would be healthy, collecting 103 hits in 398 at-bats with 44 RBIs, 54 runs, 21 doubles, six triples, 11 outta heres, 39 walks, and 14 steals. Rookie reserve second baseman Michael Martinez hit .196 in 88 games with 10 extra-base hits, 25 runs, and 24 RBIs. Veteran infielder Pete Orr was 21-for-96 in 46 games with seven runs, three doubles, four RBIs, and three steals.
Still known as the Big Piece, Howard flexed his muscles at .253 in 152 games with 81 runs, 30 doubles, one triple, 33 fence-clearers, 116 RBIs, 75 walks, and 172 strikeouts.
Late-season call-ups included catcher Eric Kratz, outfielder John Bowker, and right-fielder Brandon Moss. The three combined to tally two hits in 25 at-bats with zero runs, a double, zero RBIs, zero walks, and 10 strikeouts.
By far the best pitching staff in the league had been the Phillies. Philadelphia pitchers compiled a 3.02 Earned Run Average in 1,477 innings with 18 complete games, 21 shutouts, 56 holds, 47 saves in 56 opportunities, 23 wild pitches, six balks, 1,320 hits, 529 runs (495 earned), 120 gopher balls, 404 walks, and 1,299 strikeouts.
Halladay didn't get a hangover from his 2010 NL Cy Young brilliance, going 19-6 in 32 starts with a 2.35 ERA, eight complete games, one shutout, 208 hits, 65 runs (61 earned), 35 walks, and 220 strikeouts in 233.2 innings.
Lee finished 17-8 in 32 starts with a 2.40 ERA, six shutouts, six complete games, 197 hits, 66 runs (62 earned), 42 walks, and 238 strikeouts in 232.2 innings. He also had been feared for his bat, going 15-for-75 with six runs, two doubles, two homers (one at home against Atlanta and the other at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA).
Oswalt probably had been the third starter, posting a 9-10 mark in 23 starts with 153 hits, 60 runs (57 earned), 33 walks, 93 strikeouts, and a 3.69 ERA in 139 innings.
Hamels could've been the ace on any other big-league club. As the supposed fourth starter, Hamels went 14-9 in 32 games (31 starts) with a 2.79 ERA, 169 hits, 68 runs (67 earned), 44 walks, and 194 strikeouts in 216 innings.
Manuel's fifth starter flipped between Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley (maybe there were six true starters as Joe Blanton started eight of 11 games). Kendrick (8-6, 34 games, 15 starts, 3.22 ERA) fanned 59, and walked 30 in 114.2 innings. Worley had been an efficient surprise, going 11-3 in 25 games (21 starts) with a 3.01 ERA, one complete game, 116 hits, 47 runs (44 earned), 46 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 131.2 innings. Blanton (1-2, 5.01 ERA) punched-out 35 while walking nine in 41.1 innings.
Coming out of the bullpen were Madson, Lidge, Contreras, Baez, David Herndon, Michael Stutes, Antonio Bastardo, J.C. Romero, and Michael Schwimer.
Madson (4-2, 67 innings, 2.37 ERA) nailed down 32 saves in 34 chances with 62 strikeouts, 54 hits, 16 runs, and 62 strikeouts. Lidge lasted 25 games, posting a 0-2 mark and 1.40 ERA with one save (100th as a Phillie), 16 hits, three earned runs, 13 passes, and 23 strikeouts in 19.1 frames. Bastardo (6-1, 2.64 ERA) notched eight saves, fanned 70 hitters, walked 26, and scattered 28 hits in 64 games (58 innings).
The Phillies displayed the NL's best defense (.988 fielding percentage) with 74 errors in 6,125 chances, 135 double plays, 1,620 assists, and 4,431 putouts.
For the fifth consecutive season, the Phillies earned a trip to the NL Division Series. Sweeping the Braves in the final series affected the Phillies' draw. The Phillies would take on the Wild Card Cardinals in the best-of-five showdown. There would be no way the four aces and company could let the City of Brotherly Love down, right?
2011 NLDS: Phillies vs. Cardinals
St. Louis looked gassed and out of sorts before Sept. 1. Did you know the Cardinals were once 10 games behind Atlanta for the Wild Card. Manager Tony LaRussa knew this would be his final year as a skipper in the majors (he entered the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2014).
As the higher seed, the Phillies hosted the first two games at Citizens Bank Park. Game One saw the Cardinals jump out to an early lead as Lance Berkman belted a three-run homer in the top of the first, off Halladay. The Phillies woke up in the bottom of the sixth with fence-clearers by Howard and Iba?ez. In addition to the offense waking up, Halladay tamed the Cardinals, retiring 21 straight batters, and the Phillies took Game One, 11-6.
Lee, facing the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter in Game Two (Carpenter would make a start on three days rest for the first time of his career) The Phillies jumped out to a four-run lead before Lee surrendered five runs. St. Louis salvaged Game Two, 5-4, and evened the five-game set at one game apiece.
Games three and four happened at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium. Hamels countered on Jaime García in Game Three (both pitched scoreless outings through sinnings. In the 7th inning, Francisco launched a pinch-hit three-run homer to left field, giving Phillies the lead. St. Louis posted two runs, but Madson shut the door with a five-out save as the Phillies won, 3-2, to give the Phillies a 2-1 series lead. One more win and the Phillies would appeared in the NL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season.
But how could you remember Game Four without the scampering squirrel on the Busch Stadium grass and dirt? In a matchup between Oswalt and Edwin Jackson, the Phillies again jumped out to an early two-run lead. The Cardinals cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first. David Freese launched a two-run double in the bottom of the and blasted a two-run homer in the sixth. Philadelphia couldn't overcome Freese's big hits and the squirrel running on the field from "the wild" for a brief delay (once the critter trespassed, comebacks seemed doomed) as St. Louis won, 5-3, sending this series back to Citizens Bank Park for a decisive fifth game.
Game Five featured a marquee pitching matchup between former Toronto teammates Carpenter Halladay. St. Louis grabbed an early lead as Rafael Furcal scored off a Skip Schumaker double. It turned out to be all the Cardinals needed as they went on to win, 1–0. Howard made the series' final out with a groundout in which he hurt his leg trying to beat out the throw to first base (he hasn't been the same since that at-bat).
Goodness, the Phillies as 3-1 World Series favorites were eliminated even before the NLCS. St. Louis then defeated the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL pennant before taking down the Texas Rangers in seven games to win the Would Series. Wow, the Phillies failed to reach the World Series with 100-plus regular season wins for the third time (lost the NLCS in 1976 and 1977 to Los Angeles both times at 101-61).
ETC...
The Phillies led the majors in home attendance with 3,680,718 spectators. Halladay, Lee, Cole Hamels, Polanco, and Victorino represented the Phillies in the All-Star Game. Pitcher Trevor May and infielder Freddy Galvis were named the 2011 Paul Owens Award winners for being Philadelphia's top minor leaguers.
Radio broadcasts on WPHT-AM features the voices of Scott Franzke (play-by-play), Larry Andersen (color), and Jim Jackson (play-by-play). Television broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet, The Comcast Network, and My PHL 17 included announcers Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Chris Wheeler (color), and Gary "Sarge" Matthews (color/interviews).