Season Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

Last Season: 62-92, T-7th in NL

Manager: Ben Chapman (4th season in Philadelphia, 4th total)Offseason: With one of the worst teams in the league and plenty of room for qualified players to get a chance, the Phillies were very active in the Rule 5 draft. Johnny Blatnik makes the jump to the majors and should see playing time in a very young outfield. Monk Dubiel was selected and returns after a couple of seasons with the Yankees during the war. He should make the rotation. They also claimed Ed Heusser off of waivers to add to their bullpen and purchased Bama Rowell from the Dodgers.. On the trading market, they dealt veteran pitcher Tommy Hughes to Cincinnati for another veteran, Bert Haas. Another trade two months later saw Johnny Wyrostek sent to the Reds for slick-fielding shortstop Eddie Miller. They also traded Ralph LaPointe for Dick Sisler, son of legend George Sisler. In total, Philadelphia has 11 men on the Opening Day roster that did not play for the Phillies at all last year.Catcher: The Phillies have a young prospect ready to join the starting lineup at just about every position except catcher. That's because they have Andy Seminick, who is 27 and approaching his prime. He has averaged over 100 games per season over the last three years and led the team in home runs last year. His consistency at the toughest position could lead to some All-Star game appearances in the near future. The backup catcher will be Al Lakeman, who has a career average of just .210 in six seasons.
Infield: The only starter that was on the team last year is Emil Verban. The former All-Star's days may still be numbered, though, with rookies Granny Hamner and Putsy Caballero on the bench and looking for playing time. Verban may be a prime trade target mid-season for a competitor looking for a second baseman with great defense. Haas will start at third base but has also historically played out in center field and first base, as well. Miller will be the new shortstop coming off what was quietly one of the best seasons of his career. Miller led the league in doubles and had career highs in homers and RBIs. Sisler rounds out the starters at first base, like his father. He will finally get the chance to be an every day starter unlike his two years with the Cardinals. Rookie Willie Jones may see some playing time, too.Outfield: Last year's batting champion, and probably baseball's most improved player, Harry Walker, returns out in center field. Walker hit .237 in 1946 and was traded after just ten disappointing games from the Cardinals to his new home in Philadelphia. His majors high 16 triples and .363 average seemingly came out of nowhere and gave the Phillies faithful a reason to come out and see an otherwise underwhelming offense at Shibe Park. Del Ennis also flashed his potential out in left field with 29 homers and 154 RBIs in his first two seasons. This year, he will move over to right field to make room for 21-year-old rookie Richie Ashburn. Ashburn will make his major debut on Opening Day as the leadoff man after hitting .362 in Utica last year. He has speed and, if his minor league success can carry over to Philadelphia, could one day challenge Walker as the best contact hitter on the team. Rowell will act in a reserve role after a wild March that saw him traded from the Braves to the Dodgers and then purchased by the Phillies. Blatnik, like Ashburn, has never played in the majors, though at 27 his future doesn't look quite as bright.Rotation: The oldest rotation in the majors is surprisingly still going strong for the most part. After some impressive years in Washington, Dutch Leonard saved one of his best years yet for his first campaign in Philadelphia. Leonard is 135-113 over the last decade and shows no sign of slowing down at age 39. His 2.68 ERA last year was the best of his career. One year younger, Schoolboy Rowe did not have the ERA of Leonard, but he still found success with his second 14-win effort in his last three seasons. Rowe's best days as an ace on the Tigers dynasty in the mid '30's are long gone, but Rowe can still be counted on for at least 25 starts where his team has a chance to win. Older than both at 40, Oscar Judd may be in his final season and will only see limited starts after a 4-15 season as the outlier. Blix Donnelly is young by this group's standards at 34 and will be a regular starter. Dubiel will also join the rotation. On the other end of the spectrum, 18-year-old Curt Simmons has earned a spot and begins what looks to be a promising career. Simmons threw a complete game five-hitter in the final game of the season last September after a 13-5 record in Wilmington in the minors.Bullpen: By using Donnelly as a starter, the Phillies have no returning reliever with an ERA below 4.00 with at least 20 innings pitched. Ken Heintzelman will also get some starts but has been relegated to relief work to start the year. Veteran Heusser will also be in the mix. The Phillies will also throw plenty of rookies out on the mound, including Charlie Bicknell, who has been called up at the age of 19.Outlook: The Phillies are a team finding its new identity after a long period of struggle. They have not won 70 games in a year since 1932, and that streak does not look it will end this year. However, with its veteran players still around mentoring its plethora of young talent, Philadelphia's future may look brighter by the start of the next decade. They will have to fight to avoid last place this year but the lessons learned could proved handy for the 1950's.