Congratulations To The 2010 NL East Champion Philadelphia Philies

[Mitchell]

Okay, it technically hasn't happened yet, but all baseball fans know it will. So, I wanted to be the first to post congratulations to the 2010 NL East Champion Phillies. Four division titles in a row. Impressive, but they still have to win ten more in a row, to match the streak that the Atlanta Braves had, from 1991 to 2005.

As for my Braves, I'm obviously disappointed with the way they played in the recent series in Philadelphia, getting swept three in a row, and losing a seven game division lead that the Braves had earlier this season. I'm not surprised, though. Bottom line, the Phillies have a better team. I said at the beginning of the season, that the Phillies would win the NL East, and the Braves the Wild Card. I may well turn out to be right. The Braves need to play well in the next nine games to make the Wild Card. They are capable of doing so, but, the question will be.. will they play up to their capabilities?

Certainly, the next nine days, and how the Wild Card plays out, should be interesting. It should be between the Braves, whoever doesnt win the NL West, and the Colorado Rockies. Hopefully, for Braves fans sake, they will pull through to salvage something, after blowing the seven game NL East lead. To be fair, I know the Phillies werent at full strength until recently, with all their injuries, so the lead might not have been seven games, or at all, if the Phillies had been healthy. Phillies have been white hot lately, so they deserve to be where they are, and to win the NL East for the fourth time in a row. They are a very good team.


Mitch

 

[Backstep]

Well, Mitchell, I guess your guys will have to gut this one out to take the wld card. I know Atlanta has Washington coming up, so at least you should be able to win the next series. The important thing is to keep ahead of the Giants since it looks like the Rockies are coming back down to Earth.

Hey, at least it's a spot of excitement. The NL West/Wild Card race is the last one left. Basically it's 3 (or 4) teams fighting for 2 slots. Everything else is more or less done (It doesn't really matter if Tampa can overtake New York since they'll both be in).

As for the Phillies, 4 division titles makes for nice banners, but long-lasting success is judged by League pennants and Series rings. If the Phillies win the NL again (and possibly the World Series), then I'll be truly impressed with what they've accomplished.

 

[Mitchell]

Backstep, as you know, the Braves went to the World Series five times in the 1990s, but won only once. I still consider them a dynasty, between the five World Series appearances, and the 14 straight division titles. The only team that had better success then them in the 90s, was the Yankees, with the three World Titles in that decade.

If the Phillies win the WS this year, they have a shot to then be considered a dynasty, but, I think the Yankees will have a lot to say about that. Even though Philly will have home field, if it's a Phillies Yankees WS, that should be a very interesting Series if it happens.

Mitch

 

[Backstep]

I think of Atlanta in the 90's as a success story, of course, but one that couldn't quite get past the Yankees for true dominance. Maybe I'd call them a National League dynasty, whereas the late 90's Yankees were a baseball dynasty.

The Phillies could go the same way, but it's all a matter of how many NL pennants and Series' rings this particular generation of players win. Even if the Phillies win the World Series this year, that still doesn't make them a baseball dynasty whereas another win in 2011 or 2012 would. Likewise, for them to be a National League dynasty, I think 5 or 6 straight playoff appearances will do it. By the end of 2012, I suspect we'll know whether they were just a successful team or whether they themselves were dynastic as well.

As for the World Series... I'll wait until the regular season is over to predict who will do what.

 

[Tickle Fiend]

A team can't be considered a dynasty without winning multiple league championships. Dominating your division for more than a decade is a tremendous achievement, but that doesn't compare to a team who won the World Series four-out-of-five years during that same span.

 

[usgrant]

Looks like the Phils have a better 1-3 and 1-4 starters then the Yankees. I think the Phillies bullpen is suspect. I still give Tampa a shot at dethroning the Yanks.

 

[Mitchell]

Tickle Fiend, when you say "Multiple League Championships", do you mean "League Championships" or "World Series Championships"? The Braves were National League Champions five times. In 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999. So, if you're going by "League Championships", I'd say five is a dynasty.

Backstep, I partially agree with you about a National League dynasty, but, as I also said, no team in baseball history has ever won fourteen straight division titles. In my view, any team that wins it's division, fourteen years in a row, is a "Dynasty".

Mitch

 

[FeatherMAN28]

Twins Twins Twins!!! 😀

 

[Tickle Fiend]

Tickle Fiend, when you say "Multiple League Championships", do you mean "League Championships" or "World Series Championships"? The Braves were National League Champions five times. In 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999. So, if you're going by "League Championships", I'd say five is a dynasty.

I was trying to be inclusive of all of the sports while making a distinction between division champs and the champs of the entire league/sport.

 

[Mitchell]

Okay, I understand.

Mitch

 

[storm7400]

You can't say the the Braves of the 90's were a dynasty because they didn't win the Championships to warrant such credibility. What they did in "our" lifetimes is a tremendous feat without question but if we're going to give them a label I would go with reliable. 14 consecutive years they won their division and were in the playoffs, but once you get beyond that first impression you see that they were a good team but not exactly great.

Furthermore, if you make the argument that the Braves of that era were a dynasty based on consistency, then you have to at the very least make a similar one for the Cleveland Indians of that stretch. From 1995-1999 and again in 2001 they were AL Central Division Champs and made the World Series in 1995 and 1997 falling short in both appearances. And since its not reasonable to consider the Indians a dynasty, the Braves suffer the same determination, because in fact the dynasty of that era was in fact the New York Yankees because in fact they ran through both the Braves and Indians numerous times en-route to capturing the World Series.

 

[Mitchell]

storm, let's agree to disagree on this. I would say that 14 straight division titles does constitute a dynasty. The Indians had a mini dynasty.

Mitch

 

[Mitchell]

By the way, the Phillies officially just clinched the 2010 NL East title. Congratulations to them, their fourth division title in a row. They have to keep winning division titles, every year, from now until 2020, to equal the Braves feat.

Mitch

 

[AmishTickler]

By the way, the Phillies officially just clinched the 2010 NL East title. Congratulations to them, their fourth division title in a row. They have to keep winning division titles, every year, from now until 2020, to equal the Braves feat.

Mitch

If the Phillies win the World Series this year, I think that definitely trumps the Braves run in the 90's. Actually I don't think one World Series win constitutes a "dynasty". Having Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine all those years and only winning one title? The Braves came up small when it counted the most.

 

[AmishTickler]

Pop the champagne guys!!

Congratulations on the Phils 4th straight division title! Charlie Manuel should definitely be the NL Manager of the Year this season. He kept the team together when the chips were down and things didn't look good at times during the season. You saw what happened when the Phils were at full-strength in September and what this team is capable of doing. You could make an All-Star team just with the Phillies players that spent time on the DL this year:

Lidge
Madson
Happ
Rollins
Romero
Blanton
Schneider
Utley
Polanco
Durbin
Ruiz
Bastardo
Victorino
Moyer
Baez
Howard
Gload

All spent time on the DL this year. What an amazing job by Charlie Manuel! This team is firing on all cylinders right now. Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels. Who's going to stop these three aces in the playoffs? Phillies are attempting to be the first NL team since the St Louis Cardinals in the 1940's to reach the World Series three straight years. The Braves didn't do that in the 90's either.

 

[storm7400]

storm, let's agree to disagree on this. I would say that 14 straight division titles does constitute a dynasty. The Indians had a mini dynasty.

Mitch

No their "dynasty" ruled over the NL East and thats it. They got to the playoffs and more times then not were an early exit. Looking back with that rotation, they were a huge disappointment.

Frankly its comparable to the Buffalo Bills in the 90's in the NFL, 4 straight Super Bowl appearances is a major, major, major accomplishment and likely will never be duplicated. But by no means does anyone consider them a dynasty because they never won the Title.

Sorry Mitch, but no matter how you spin this the Braves were nothing more then a constant contestant in the playoffs. They went to the dance 14 straight times as a favorite, but only once took home the prom queen crown. A dynasty that does not make.

 

[milagros317]

Now that the Phillies have really clinched the NL East: Congratulations, Phillies. 😀