Philadelphia Phillies Need a Wake-Up Call as they Near NL East Basement

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 season was not supposed to go this way for the Philadelphia Phillies.

When the year began, the Phillies had realistically high hopes that they could once again contend for the NL East title. Just as the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves had improved, it looked like so did the Phillies. This was a team that finally looked healthy again and looked to have regained a competitive drive missing since the 2008 year. People were optimistic and they had every reason to be.

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And when Cole Hamels threw the first pitch in front of a capacity crowd at Turner Field, no one could have expected that the fans, players and organization were going to be in for a long and disappointing season.

The Phillies lost that first game against the Braves and have never looked right since.

The first of many blows came when Roy Halladay‘s struggles were revealed to be the result of an injury that required him to hit the DL. Ryan Howard and Mike Adams didn’t fall far behind as each sustained injuries that may keep them out for the season. And just when the Phillies were starting to string together wins and play better, their best offensive weapon, Ben Revere, fouled a ball off of his foot and hasn’t played in a game since.

While the injuries have been debilitating, they really do only tell part of the story. Because overall, the Phillies as a team and as individuals have just not performed to the level that was expected of them this season.

As a result, the team has hit a new low, and instead of chasing the Braves and Nationals for a playoff spot, the Phillies are now chasing the bottom of the division to avoid sitting in the cellar. It is a place they have not been in quite some time and a place they certainly don’t want to return to.

So while there really is nothing left to play for in terms of a playoff spot, the Phillies are playing for pride while some players and members of the organization might be playing for jobs. Next year is a new chance for this team, but the results are only going to be more of the same unless some serious changes are made.

Because while one season like this might be forgivable, nobody in this organization is ready to go back into mediocrity for a prolonged period of time. And for the sake of the future, this latest blow needs to serve as a wake-up call for all involved.

Marilee Gallagher is a baseball writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow her on Twitter @MGallagher17 like her page on Facebook, or join her network on Google.

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