Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Factors That Cost the Franchise a World Series
October 20, 2011 by Robert Parsons
Filed under Fan News
The Philadelphia Phillies‘ entered the 2011 MLB season as the favorites to win it all. Throughout the regular season, despite suffering a large amount of injuries, the team plugged away and won 102 games, setting a new franchise record.
Without resting players down the stretch, this team easily could have won 106-108 games. They were the best team in baseball, with the best rotation in baseball.
The talk of the city was who we would play in the World Series, as the NLDS and NLCS were afterthoughts and sure things. The Phillies’ had locked up home field advantage through every round of the playoffs. Teams would have to come through Philadelphia, where the Phillies’ were 52-29 during the regular season.
Five games later, after a draining emotional 1-0 loss, the Philadelphia Phillies’ were out of the playoffs in the first round. How could everything go from a lock to make it the World Series, to a 102-win team knocked out in the first round of the playoffs?
Lets review five of the factors that cost the franchise another shot at the World Series…