Why is SIX afraid of SEVEN?

There is a lot to be happy about going into the 2007 season. Our pitching seems to be stellar, our offense is tops in the league and the attitude is exuberant. While all of this is great, there is an aspect of our team that I feel is being overlooked by many. Remember that black hole the past two years? It was that feeling we all got deep in stomach after our sixth man in the lineup batted. We all knew what came next: David Bell, Mike Lieberthal, pitcher. Bell might have been good in 2004 and Lieberthal is probably one of the Phillies' best catchers ever. But in 2005 and 2006, we all knew that if the top of our lineup did not get it done, we were screwed by the end. Not this year...

Here is a question for you all: How many double plays did Bell hit into the past two years?
- 24 in 2005, 2nd most in the NL
- 18 in 2006, 9th most in the NL
And I don't hate David Bell, but he seemed to constantly be the ultimate rally killer. And he ran like a fairy.

Lieberthal was no better and while he didn't ground into nearly as many double plays, he wasn't the best at merely getting on base and turning the lineup over. His speed, along with Bell's, also was a huge cause for concern for the bottom of lineup. It wasn't easy for pitchers to move them along with a bunt and they always clogged up the bases if Jimmy came up after them.

Phillies pitching (including bullpen) hit for a whopping average of .091 with ZERO homeruns and 11 RBI's. We shouldn't expect too much from pitchers when it comes to offense, but this is downright disgusting. They also struggled getting down a bunt when they needed to with 29 sacrifice hits. All in all, the last three hitters were always cause for panic.

But it is a new year now which brings new hope and light to a recent hole of darkness. At our seventh slot this summer, either Rowand or Helms will be hitting. Both whom I'd pick in a heartbeat over David Bell. Rowand has the speed that Bell didn't have and Helms has the power. Actually, both have more power and should easily be considered an improvement. Rowand has come up with some key hits with the Phillies in 2006 and Helms seems to have finally found his swing this late in his career.

Our catcher will once again be hitting 8th and, once again, should be an improvement over Lieby. Barajas is best known for what he brings on defense, however, just a few years ago he did hit 21 homeruns. The scariest thing about him, however, is his horrid OBP. Only once in his entire career did he have an OBP over .300...and that total was .306. He doesn't hit for a high average and doesn't walk nearly as much as you would like an eight-hole hitter to. The main reason for optimism here is Ruiz. I thoroughly believe he is going to become our everyday catcher by the end of the year and will be at least average with the bat, which after all is all I would like to see. His speed, while not great, is also far superior to that of lieberthal and that fat bastard Fasano. (pictured above)

And finally, our pitchers should be much improved this season. I bolded 'should' because this spring training, we have heard talks on stressing fundamentals and improving the pitchers offense. The least we can ask for is a freaking sacrifice bunt when it is called upon. To ensure this, we all know of the coaching changes Gillick made. Hopefully it pays off.

Overall, the key to a good lineup is balance. Great 3-4-5 hitters are wonderful, but what happens if neither of those guys can get it done? The Phillies have had one of the most explosive offenses in the National League the past 2 years, however, most of this was due to the top of our lineup. Imagine how good this team can be if our 1 through 8 hitters ALL hit and not just 1 through 6.


And the answer to the title of this post: Because Seven Eight(ate) Nine. GET IT?!?!