Soren wrote:Greene has pretty high bust probability doesn't he?

There are stats on everything, but one I'd like to see is how many homers Howard hit when the team was ahead by four or more runs. And do you think he is open to changing the way he approaches hitting? It seems he is becoming an easier out and isn't making any adjustments.
-- BCR, Wilmington, Del.

Howard led the big leagues last season with 38 go-ahead RBIs and 23 game-winning RBIs. Some of those hits came early, but some of those hits came late, too. Baseball Prospectus also has a statistic called "Others Batted In Percentage," which measures the amount of runners a batter drives in other than himself based on the amount of RBI opportunities he has. Howard, at 18.0 percent, ranked 17th out of 135 players with 500 or more plate appearances last season. Those numbers tell me you have a selective memory when it comes to Howard's big hits. Does Howard need to change his approach at the plate? Manuel has talked a lot about his hitters making adjustments this season, and I believe Howard is one of the players he has in mind. We'll see.

Is anyone else worried about the pattern that has developed in the Phillies' last several finishes: 2008, won World Series; 2009, lost World Series; 2010, lost National League Championship Series; and 2011, lost NL Division Series. 2012?
-- Bill M., Reading, Pa.

Honestly, that's just a coincidence. The Phils have improved their regular-season win total every year since 2006. That only shows the randomness of the postseason. The best team doesn't always win. If you enjoyed the 2008 World Series championship, when Philadephia wasn't the best team in baseball, then you have to accept the fact the Phillies fell short last season despite being the best.

The Nationals and Marlins got a whole lot better this offseason. In light of the Phillies basically standing pat, can this team win the division?
-- Joe W., Newark, Del.

I think the Phils not only are the favorites in the NL East, but the entire NL. How can you bet against Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels? I can't. If the team can stay healthy, it should win a ton of baseball games.

jamiethekiller wrote:i apologize for delaware

Polar Bear Phan wrote:I got a ticket to Opening Day today (ok, technically yesterday). I wonder what the percentage of Phillies fans will be? Last time I attended Opening Day it was probably 55-60% Phillies fans and two seasons later that opponent had to have a special pre-sale to ensure their fans could watch their team against the Phillies. How sucky will Pirates fans be in comparison with Nationals "fans?" LOL