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Phil Sheridan: Phillies in familiar spot entering second half

Charlie Manuel's steady job as manager of the National League all-star team will be on the line in the months ahead. The gig, which goes to the NL representative in the World Series, is well-deserved this year.

Charlie Manuel has dealt with his fair share of injuries and inconsistent play this season. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)
Charlie Manuel has dealt with his fair share of injuries and inconsistent play this season. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)Read more

Charlie Manuel's steady job as manager of the National League all-star team will be on the line in the months ahead. The gig, which goes to the NL representative in the World Series, is well-deserved this year.

In the middle of last week, Manuel made a few pointed remarks about the funk that had settled on his Phillies. They were playing, he said, without "that edge" that defined them as they developed into contenders and then champions over the last few years. Manuel didn't use the word complacency, but there was no mistaking his meaning.

The Phillies won their next four games, including three extra-inning thrillers in a row, all against the first-place Cincinnati Reds. On the final weekend before the all-star break, with their manager's words still echoing, the Phillies finally looked like the Phillies again.

It is at such times that Manuel's normal, steady approach really pays dividends. If he were the sort of manager who spouted off after every loss, or who played mind games with players when they struggled, he wouldn't have the same impact when he did speak up. This team knows that when Chuck gets upset, there's a legitimate reason.

So what are we to make of these Phillies at the break? They teased us with a rare strong start, hit a feel-good zenith with Roy Halladay's perfect game on May 29, and then tumbled from first place to third during the first two weeks of June. Their powerful offense has disappeared for long stretches and their pitching has been inconsistent.

And yet, you can make the case that this team has done well to be in position to make a second-half run, and that Manuel deserves a fair amount of credit for not letting things spin out of control.

Explanation: The Phillies have not allowed this brutal rash of injuries to destroy the season completely. And it really has been that bad, even if many fans and most media pretend otherwise.

One reason these last few years have been so special is that these Phillies are a team in the truest sense. They are not merely a collection of stars, like the Yankees. They are a team, and that means chemistry and consistency are as much a part of their success as sheer talent.

Take Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Placido Polanco, and Chase Utley out of the lineup for long stretches and there are bound to be consequences. That is half the starting eight. Rollins, Polanco and Utley are the first three hitters, the ones who jump-start the offense. If it seems obvious that injuries are the main culprit in the Phillies' inconsistent season, then why has there been so much ire directed at general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.?

Amaro absolutely should be aggressive in improving this team before the trade deadline. But it is unrealistic to expect him to wave his magic wand and replace half of the best lineup in the National League.

Just like last year, the Phillies had a record of 43-38 after 81 games. Last year, they went on a tear at that point, winning 10 games in a row. The streak began against the Reds.

This year, they dropped to 43-40, then won four in a row against the Reds. If they can come back from the break and stay hot in Chicago and St. Louis, they'll be about where they were a year ago - and better off than they were in July 2008. That year ended with a parade, by the way.

There are two significant differences between this season and the previous two. The Atlanta Braves are dramatically better and capable of winning the division if the Phillies don't answer their challenge. That, and the injuries. Those two items pretty much explain the state of the Phillies at the break.

They endured all the injuries and their record is about the same. But they're 41/2 games out of first because the Braves are better. The real story will be told in the second half, as the Braves attempt to fend off a Phillies team that knows exactly what it takes to win in August, September, and October.

Rollins has begun to look like himself at the plate. Ruiz made an immediate impact upon his return the other night. Polanco could be back in the lineup this weekend. There are plenty of reasons for this team to feel as if it has regained that "edge" Manuel was talking about. Amaro can help by adding a piece or two, just as he and Pat Gillick did in recent years.

History doesn't endlessly repeat itself. The Phillies aren't guaranteed a strong second half because of 2008 and 2009. But they know what it takes, and their manager isn't about to let them forget it.