Not With a Whimper,.....

But with a hearty pat on the back.

OK,..so the Phillies didn't make the NL wild card. Am I upset? Kinda,....when you consider where the Phightins were at the July trade deadline: sinking faster than the Titanic, the pain is eased somewhat. The much-derided "white flag" trades by Pat Gillick actually lead to some addition by subtraction and made this team a competitive force in the NL again. (And besides,...Atlanta didn't make it, for a change!)

So,..that said,..here a few thumbnails about next season:

• In 2007, I do NOT want to hear the following statement from Harry Kalas: "Well, last inning, the Phils had bases loaded and 1 out, and failed to get a run across, Wheels."
• In 2007, I also do NOT want to hear about Ryan Howard (2005 NL Rookie of the Year, 2006 All-Star Home Run Derby Champ, and 2006 NL MVP) leading the league in intentional walks!! Hey, Charlie, put someone behind Big Boy who can hit consistently, not stare at the plate, dreaming of his next photo op (cough,..cough,..Pat,..cough, Burrell)
• Yeah, OK,..so I said Ryan would hit 65 HRs this year. See the above rant!
• Back in August, I made a few glimpses into my crystal (meth) ball at the phuture of the Phils. Here's a revised look:

First Base - Ryan Howard. If Charlie Manuel learns to put a decent, consistent hitter behind Big Boy, hitting 61 HRs will be child's play.

Second Base - Chase Utley. Quietly becoming the team leader through deeds, not words.

Short Stop - Jimmy Rollins. Solid player, year after year.

Third Base - Abraham Nunez. He gets the start only be default. No questions about his defense, but needs to do better than .210 at the plate next year.

Catcher - Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz. Both came into their own right this season. Mike Leiberthal's already packing his bags, since Gillick's made it known where the future is going. Gillick wants a veteran catcher as back-up and Johnny Estrada wants to come back to Philly. I have no probems with that scenario.

Left Field/Right Field - Shane Victorino and David Dellucci. Both put up stellar numbers defensively. Both can play the corners with confidence. Dellucci needs Gillick to make him feel very welcome here in Philly (read $$$). Pat Burrell? Gone. The team's made him feel very uncomfortable in Philly this September. Yesterday's HR explosion was merely an audition for his next team.

Center Field - Aaron Rowand. Only time will tell if Rowand heals up from his broken ankle. May make him expendable for a starting pitcher with Victorino breathing down his neck, but otherwise, a lock in the position.

The starting rotation:

Brett Myers - beat the opposition, not your spouse, Brett!
Jamie Moyer - The lefty, change-up sensei of the rotation.
Cole Hamels - Moyer's kohai. Cool under pressure and an intense student of the game as a whole.
John Leiber - Consistency is the watch word. Came on strong in the second half.
Randy Wolf - No contract after this season. Can he keep his pitch count down and get his fast ball back over 90 mph? If not,..see the Aaron Rowand option.
Gavin Floyd - Take a page from Geoff Geary's book (well,..maybe a corner of a dog-eared page, but anyway): Don't let the game get into your head!
Scott Mathieson - I was right! Brought up too soon, tried too hard to bring it up to major-league speed, and now lost until 2008.
Gio Gonzalez - Watch out for him in Clearwater next March.

The bullpen:

Simply put - too much bull, not enough pen. Ditch Rhodes, Fultz and Sanches. Invite White, Smith, Castro and Segovia to Clearwater and keep fingers crossed. Give Gordon some f***ing Zoloft, for God's sake!

That is all. I'll see everyone in March! Until then: E-A-G-L-E-S! and W-I-N-G-S!