Phillies: Because I Had To Vent, Okay?

It was going to happen sooner or later. I was hopeful it wouldn't happen until next year or even 2014. Just one more year of meaningful fall baseball in South Philadelphia, I thought, was realistic. But the aging roster, injuries, questionable contracts and lack of major league-ready farm talent all finally caught up to the Phillies in 2012. Sadly, I'm not so sure this brutal season is really that much of an aberration, but more a sign of things to come.

Yes, bad luck and injuries have plenty to do with the type of free fall the Phils have experienced this year. But another item often overlooked by confident fans is the fact that the division has improved. Case in point: Washington. These aren't your older brother's Nationals. They've got a scary good pitching staff and a 20-year-old All-Star who might give Phillies fans Chipper Jones-esque nightmares for years to come. It wasn't that long ago (read: last year) when Philadelphia invaded Nationals Park and expected a sweep. Not so much anymore. 

How can the Phillies get back into contention soon? The next 24 hours or so could very well make or break the team's future, both long and short term. There will be plenty of holes to fill in 2013: third base, center field, possibly right field. Let's not forget about Chase, whose chronic knee condition will keep him from being one of the best second basemen ever. The bullpen is pretty awful, too. Ryan Madson can pitch better than all of them, with his left arm. It's true. There's a lot to do.

It seems so odd how quickly the sky has fallen, how the do-no-wrong franchise that has provided countless memories in just a few years is finally out of comebacks. I hope it's not the end of an awesome era of Philadelphia baseball. Maybe it is just a one year slump. Maybe it can get better just as fast as it went downhill. In the meantime, I picked a great summer to cancel my cable subscription. Here's to a better 2013.