POLL: For Phillies fans – Which was the best Phillies team in the modern era?

[john4psu]

One may think that just teams that won the World Series should only be listed for consideration. In most cases, I would agree, however, that’s not always the case as sometimes extenuating circumstances come into play. For example, many feel that the ’76 Steelers were the best team ever, Art Rooney, Sr. agreed, but when they lost both of their 1,000-yard rushers, Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, to injury, they were rendered offense-less and defeated by the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game. Some might feel that the 2007 New England Patriots that went 18-1 was New England’s best team ever.

The ’75 Boston Red Sox that lost in that classic World Series to the Big Red Machine, were without their slugger Jim Rice in the Fall Classic. Rice hit. 309 that year with 102 RBI’s and finished third in MVP balloting.

The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2011 as a Wild Card team. They weren’t great all year, they just got hot at the right time. That is why I listed non-World Series winning teams below as well.

1980 91-71 A perfect example of a team that didn’t win as many games as some other Phillies teams, yet won the W.S.

2008 92-70 Another example of a team that didn’t win as many games as some other Phillies teams, yet won the W.S.

As always, feel free to write in a team that I did not list that you feel merits consideration. Thank you.

 

[BobPSU92]

Probably not the '83 team that lost to the Orioles in the World Series.

 

[harbest]

Coming from a Mets fan, I always thought the 1978 team was one of if not the best. They had no real divisional competition, breezed through the season and maybe because of that fell flat against the Dodgers in the LCS. I don't think that team had any real weaknesses.

 

[bmw199]

2011 was called by a number of analysts one of the best teams theyd ever seen. It obviously did not end well and it's ending percipitated the fall of their mini dynasty, but man were the good all year. 08 actually wasn't that great of a team, they just got really hot September through early November.

 

[mrtailgate]

The 1981 team was getting ready to kill people and was playing really well. The goofy playoff format that year when they returned from the stoppage hurt them. Then they got beat at home in deciding game by Expos even with a Lefty pitching. I thought the 81 team was better than the 80 team and would have won again.

The 11 team was like the great Braves teams. Unbeatable if you played and played but vulnerable in a short series.

 

[PSUcup1]

more than 1 person with an opinion i value has told me the Phillies best team was the 81 team, but as previously mentioned, the strike derailed that train. i was a bit young to remember them

IMO the 2010 team that lost to the Giants had the best combo of bats and pitching

the 2009 line up was insane, but Hamels having the off year killed them

 

[PSUriseANDfire]

I have a lot of thoughts that I would like to talk about but for now I will just 2011. I think that was one of the most loaded teams in baseball history.

Anything can happen in playoff baseball. Team was good enough during that run to win it every year.

That's not a knock on coaching or anything. Charlie Manuel is the greatest coach in Phils history and is one of the best baseball minds out there, especially when it comes to hitting instruction.

 

[PSUcup1]

Charlie ran a great clubhouse (which over a course of a season is probably the most important job of a manager). he is also a heck of a nice guy

but his game management skills were awful.

I mean, the guy admitted to not knowing how to double switch. i dont care if youve been in the AL all of your career, thats bad

batting Utley and Howard back to back for 5-6 years also made no sense at all ... oh well, like i said, he ran a good club house and the players respected him

 

[mrtailgate]

Charlie ran a great clubhouse (which over a course of a season is probably the most important job of a manager). he is also a heck of a nice guy

but his game management skills were awful.

I mean, the guy admitted to not knowing how to double switch. i dont care if youve been in the AL all of your career, thats bad

batting Utley and Howard back to back for 5-6 years also made no sense at all ... oh well, like i said, he ran a good club house and the players respected him

Part of that is the baseball tradition of hitting your best hitter third. Howard was not going to hit fifth because he was one of baseball's most feared cleanup hitters. Hard to put them elsewhere. There was no way that you were ever going to hit either Werth or Pence cleanup to break up Utley and Howard.