It may be that this era of unmet expectations began when the Phillies signed Jim Thome to that monster contract between the 2002 and '03 seasons. The problem is that the era didn't end when Thome was traded to the Chicago White Sox to clear Ryan Howard's path to the big leagues.
With Thome in town for a three-game series, everyone was reminiscing about the excitement generated by Thome's signing, about the temporary goodwill it created between the Phillies and their oft-disappointed fans.
But the real story was the way another season of high expectations was disintegrating right in front of our eyes.
You don't have to peer back through the mists of time to Thome and Kevin Millwood and David Bell for an example of a big off-season that produced zero postseasons. Just look at the Phillies' 2007 pitching staff.
Two closers, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers, are on the disabled list. They were joined by starter Freddy Garcia, who got discouraging medical news yesterday. An MRI exam revealed what the Phillies called "pathology of the labrum and a fraying rotator cuff," which in layman's terms is an injured shoulder.
The Phillies announced before last night's game that Kyle Kendrick, a 22-year-old with a 4-7 record, will jump from double-A Reading to start against Thome and the White Sox tomorrow.
How could this be happening again?
A year ago (you may have suppressed the memory), the Phillies won nine and lost 18 during the month of June. It was the gaping hole through which their postseason hopes leaked away.
The starting rotation, for a stretch there, included Scott Mathieson, Eude Brito and Ryan Madson. Cole Hamels was called up to end Gavin Floyd's disastrous stint in the rotation. Adam Bernero started one game, Aaron Fultz another.
From that, the Phillies learned that pitching is everything. That's why they went out and traded for Garcia, re-signed Jamie Moyer and signed Adam Eaton. Remember March, when the big question from Clearwater, Fla., was what they would do with that excess starting pitching?
Let's just say that's no longer an issue.
"We know our problem," manager Charlie Manuel said. "You don't just pull pitchers or really good position players off a tree. They're hard to find."
