April: A look back at the month that was

All throughout spring training, Phillies fans prayed to the baseball gods to have their team finish better than 10-14. Well, at 11-14 we all got our wish. So why am I not thrilled? How about we take a brief look back at April to see exactly what happened:

Week One: 1-5

• After being swept by the Braves and losing 2 of 3 to the Marlins, Phillies' fans started to get that familiar feeling deep inside their gut. Manuel's head was being called for by game 3 and Gillick was getting a big "fuck you" from every fan he came across. The reason?...a shitty bullpen that Pat could not fix.

• State of the Phan: Suicidal Tendencies. Remove all sharp objects, ropes and pills from anyone wearing red.

Week Two: 2-3, Phillies: 3-8

• A heartbreaking loss to the Mets combined with losing the series at Shea, had the Eagles draft talk starting earlier than usual this April. The Bullpen was still a huge issue, as the offense was starting to rise up the "cause for concern" ladder. Manuel was still on the hot seat and my hatred for Jose Reyes was rising. Also, the realization that Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews would share the booth for 9 whole innings started to push some fans closer to the edge. Philadelphia held the title of "worst in baseball."

• State of the Phan: Hanging. The cuts were made and knots were tied. There was maybe one/possibly two good things about the Phillies at this point.

Week Three: 3-3, Phillies: 6-11

• After two straight rain delays, fans were thankful the weather gave them a temporary break from the depression that was the Phillies. They were blown out by the Mets, then lost a tough one in extra innings to the Nationals. Myers, the opening day starter, was demoted to a set-up role in the bullpen. Manuel almost fought Howard Eskin and College Nights were getting out of control. The Phillies did win their first series, however, versus Cincinnati, which was highlighted by a 15 strikeout performance by our newly appointed ace. Also, on April 22nd, the Phillies won two games in a row for the first time.

• State of the Phan: Unenthusiastic. Hamels performance was stellar, but 5 games under .500 was still a big hurdle to overcome

Week Four: 5-3, Phillies: 11-14

• A five game winning streak! Why did we ever doubt these guys? The offense finally woke up as the Phillies won two more series, making it three in a row. Rowand, Rollins and Utley were leading the charge and the bullpen miraculously stabilized. The hole we dug and sat in during the first three weeks was becoming smaller.

• State of the Phan: Hopeful. We still can pick out the obvious flaws, but you can't win 5 in a row and be that bad, can you?

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Stud of the Month: J-Roll...J-Roll J-Roll J-Roll
- Finishing the month batting .298 with 9 homeruns, 18 RBIs and 26 runs scored, Rollins backed up his "team to beat" feelings. Unfortunately, he was one of the only players to do so.

Dud of the Month: Adam Eaton
- Making 8 million dollars for the next three years shows what a horrible debacle baseball has become. A 7.71 ERA to go along with a 1.64 WHIP, what the hell was Pat Gillick thinking?

Pleasant Surprise of the Month: Aaron Rowand
- I was hoping Rowand would be gone before the season started. Not because I don't like him, I just didn't think he was good enough to keep around. At .378, however, he put my foot in my mouth. I'm sorry Aaron. Forgive me?

Depressing Player of the Month: Ryan Howard
- At .221 and only 3 homers, the reigning MVP has hurt the heart of the Phillies order. Is it time to worry about a 2003-Burrell-like season?

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May
If Myers can settle in to become a dominant reliever, I can't see Manuel trusting Tom Gordon in the ninth that much longer. Don't kid yourself, the bullpen is still a problem and will unfortunately cost us some games down the line. But I don't think this is our only concern:

• Will Garcia finally step up and pitch past the 6th?
  
• Will Eaton stop sucking?
  
• How long until Ryan Howard is moved down in the lineup?
• Why does Burrell only have one homerun?
• How much does Manuel hurt this team?
• WHY IS NUNEZ STILL STARTING GAMES?
  

Only eight games in May will be played against NL East rivals, and none of them will be against New York. The Phillies will need to be at .500 by the time they come home from this road trip to keep some fans interested. Hopefully the warmer weather heats up the Phillies' bats and they finish the month a lot better than April. We may find out who the Phillies truly are.