But what do you do when the present turns out to be much worse than you had expected?
While it was clear from the beginning that the 2012 season wasn't going to go as smoothly as 2011's "Season of No Angst" I certainly didn't forsee the team falling apart. Coming off of a 102 win season, there was no reason to expect the team to look so bad.
While the Phillies are far from eliminated, I think I've lost hope for them. The team, as currently constructed, just does not look like a playoff team.
Is there anything about the current Phillies roster that should make me believe otherwise?
While they still have two ace pitchers in the rotation, neither has been performing at a top level over the past few weeks. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have both been victimized by poor defense and poor run support, but they also haven't gone out and delivered the type of dominating gems that we saw so often in 2011.
Maybe those guys are feeling too much pressure, especially without Roy Halladay. But if the team has a strength, it is the top of the rotation. Those two have to perform accordingly, and start lifting the team rather than getting dragged down by it.
Aside from the aces, the rotation has one mediocre starter (Joe Blanton), one fringe starter (Kyle Kendrick), and one wild card who is working his way back from an injury. (Vance Worley) While they all would be nice complements to a rotation headlined by three aces, none of them are the type of pitcher who will help carry a team to the playoffs.
Of course, the struggles of the rotation are nothing compared to what we've seen from the bullpen. The relief corps currently consists of Jonathan Papelbon, Antonio Bastardo, and a whole lot of hopes and prayers. Aside from the closer and setup man, they don't have any pitchers who can be brought into a tough situation and expect success.
The lineup is full of supporting players who look like they're either pressing too hard...or aren't that good to begin with. Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino are great guys to have in a lineup, if they're your third and fourth best hitters. They certainly don't seem to be capable of carrying the offense.
Even Carlos Ruiz, who had been the team's best hitter so far in 2012 seems to be coming back down to Earth lately.
And the bench would look pretty good...if most of the guys they had projected for reserve roles weren't being used in every day roles.
With the returns of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Roy Halladay still weeks away, the team might be too buried in the standings by the time they rejoin the team. And that's assuming that they can come back and play anywhere near their old levels.
So yeah, there's not much reason to hope.
While the past week was mostly horrific, there was one positive that emerged: One player who many (including myself) thought was finished experienced a bit of a resurgence.
Featured Phillie of the Week: Jim Thome
In the past, Jim Thome has struggled when used as a pinch hitter. The general rule was that if he wasn't getting regular at bats or playing time, he would struggle.
The Phillies hoped that he might be able to change that this year. They also hoped that he might be able to play a game or two at first base each week.
Neither of those happened. Thome's back didn't hold up well enough to play first, and he's looked awful in his pinch hitting appearances.
But in this weekend's series against the Orioles, he got to serve as the designated hitter, and he looked rejuvenated.
On Friday, his three hits helped fuel a nine-run outburst by the Phillies offense. He followed that up with his first homer of the season on Saturday, as well as a late game-tying RBI. On Sunday, he added another RBI double.
With more interleague play coming up, Thome should have plenty more opportunities to continue his hot hitting.
Ghost of Phillies Past: Eric Valent
After the Phillies drafted and were unable to sign J.D. Drew in the 1997 amateur draft, they were awarded a compensation pick in the 1998 draft. They used the pick to select UCLA outfielder Eric Valent.
Valent steadily rose through the Phillies minor league system. In 2001, with the team in need of a designated hitter in American League parks, the team called up Valent to serve in the role.
Valent failed to make much of an impression. In 41 at bats throughout the 2001 season, he batted a measly .098 with no home runs.
In 2002, he made another cameo appearance on the Phillies roster, and once again, he was unimpressive. By the middle of the 2003 season, the team gave up on him and traded him to the Reds.
He eventually rejoined the major leagues as a member of the Mets, and actually hit for the cycle in one game. Despite that brief flash of ability, Valent's career never amounted to much, and he soon retired and began a career in coaching.
Pennant Year Song of the Week
The Phillies keep slipping further behind the pace in the National League East. And to reflect that position, this week's song comes from 1993. It is Deeper and Deeper by Madonna.In theory, Madonna has produced a lot of hit songs since the 80's. But I could probably only name one of two of them. I'll give her credit for somehow managing to stay relevant as a musician.
Random Phillies Tweet of the Week
From Matt Gelb (@magelb):Right now, Phillies are worst situational hitting team in at least 64 years. This will blow your mind: http://bit.ly/JX82PB
Final Analysis
This was a bad week for the Phillies. They're falling further and further behind in the standings, and the rallying cry of "Wait for Howard and Utley" is starting to ring hollow.Even the resurgence of Thome doesn't provide much hope. Even with him hitting well, the team still lost two out of three in Baltimore. And he won't have too many more opportunities to serve as the designated hitter going forward.
Unless something changes dramatically, 2012 is looking more and more like a lost season.
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