Will City of Brotherly Love Finally Toast a Champion? Last season was a strange, strange journey for the Phillies. After star shortstop (and future MVP) Jimmy Rollins predicted a division title in the offseason, the Phillies stumbled out of the gate, culminating in manager Charlie Manuel going senile and challenging reporters to a fight. But months later, the Phillies made good on Rollins’ guarantee, capitalizing on the Mets’ historic choke and winning the National League East. Unfortunately for the Fightin’ Phils, their good fortune quickly ended at the hands of the red-hot Colorado Rockies. Now in 2008, the Phillies must make good on yet another Rollins guarantee and this time, make some noise in October.

Bats. Boasting, in my opinion, the best lineup in the National League, the Phillies score runs in bunches. And it certainly doesn’t hurt their offense when they play in the bandbox that is Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies are a team that can claim three of the game’s elite players in their infield. It all starts with Rollins, whose dream 2007 ended with a National League MVP award. The numbers were silly: 139 runs, 212 hits, 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 homers, 94 RBI and 41 stolen bases. But those numbers may in fact pale in comparison to the swagger and confidence he brought to the Phils’ clubhouse. Rollins has already predicted 100 wins for the Phillies this year in a back-and-forth shit talking session with Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran.

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