2011 Philadelphia Phillies season
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Phillies
2011 season
was the 129th season in the history of the franchise
. The Phillies won their fifth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball for the second straight year. The Phillies, at 3-1 odds, were the heavy-favorite to win the World Series. However, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs
in five games to the eventual World Series
champion St. Louis Cardinals
.
. Although all coaches were invited to return for the 2011 season, first base coach Davey Lopes
informed the team that he would be leaving because of a salary dispute. To replace him, third-base coach Sam Perlozzo
was moved to first base, and former Phillies second baseman and Orioles' third-base coach and interim manager Juan Samuel
was hired to take over at third base.
On November 16, the Phillies signed reliever José Contreras
to a two-year contract after he posted a 3.34 ERA in 2010. On December 6, right fielder Jayson Werth
signed a seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals
. On December 15, the Phillies re-signed Cliff Lee
, the starting pitcher whom they had traded to the Seattle Mariners during the previous offseason in order to acquire Roy Halladay
.
on May 1 was an unforgettable one, although they lost 2–1 in 14 innings. Mets' Daniel Murphy was batting as a pinch-hitter against Phillies' reliever Ryan Madson
when the fans started chanting "U-S-A
!" Later, it was determined that the chants were in response to the news that al-Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden
, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, had been killed
by United States special operations forces
in Abbottabad
, Pakistan
. Mike Lopresti of USA Today
said that the Phillies' rivals "was a perfect fit" when the news broke.
Because of Hurricane Irene, the Phillies had to end up playing 33 games in 31 days, from August 29 to September 28. Along the way, they played three doubleheaders, the last of which came as a result of a rainout the day before. On August 31, the Phillies reached 40 games over .500—for the first time since their back-to-back 100+ win seasons in 1976
and 1977
, in which they went 101–61—with a 3–0 win in Cincinnati against the Reds
and improved to 86–46. Wins during the next two days got them to 42 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history.
On September 14, the Phillies became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 1–0 win in Houston
, against Hunter Pence
's former team, after acquiring him at the trade deadline. Three days later, they clinched the NL East title for the fifth consecutive season. With 102 wins, the Phillies had the best record in baseball for the second year in a row and broke the franchise record for most regular-season wins. By winning the final game of the regular season, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel also became the manager with the most wins in Phillies history.
The Phillies also led the major leagues in attendance
for the first time, with 3,680,718 fans (a franchise record), an average of 45,440 per game.
, and in doing so, allowed the St. Louis Cardinals
to clinch the National League wild-card on the last day of the regular season. Having finished with the best record for the second year in a row, the Phillies had home-field advantage for the series. Game 1 saw the Cardinals jump out to an early lead, with a three run homer by Lance Berkman
in the top of the 1st, off Phillies ace Roy Halladay
. The Phillies bats woke up in the 6th inning, with home runs by Ryan Howard
and Raul Ibanez
. In addition to the offense waking up, Halladay tamed the Cardinals, retiring 21 straight batters, and the Phillies took game 1, 11-6. Game 2 featured another Philadelphia ace, Cliff Lee
, facing the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter
, who would make his first start on three days rest of his career. The Phillies jumped out to a 4 run lead, however, Cliff Lee surrendered 5 runs, as the Cardinals came back, and took game 2, 5-4. The series then went to Busch Stadium
in St. Louis for games 3 and 4. Game 3 featured Cole Hamels
taking on Jaime Garcia
, both of whom pitched a scoreless game through 6 innings. In the 7th inning, the Phillies' pinch-hitter Ben Francisco
fired a three-run homer to give the Phillies the lead. The Cardinals were able to fight back and get 2 runs, but Ryan Madson shut the door, with a 5-out save, to give the Phillies a 2-1 series lead. In Game 4, a matchup between Roy Oswalt
and Edwin Jackson
, the Phillies again jumped out to an early 2 run lead. The Cardinals cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first. David Freese
was the hero of game 4, with a two run double in the fourth, which gave the Cardinals the lead, and a two run homer in the sixth. The Phillies were not able to come back, and that sent the series back to Philadelphia tied at two games. Game 5 featured a marquee pitching matchup, with former Toronto
teammates, Roy Halladay
and Chris Carpenter
facing off. Again, the Cardinals took an early lead, with Rafael Furcal
scoring off a Skip Schumaker
double. It turned out that was all the Cardinals needed, as they went on to win 1-0. For the Cardinals, it added to their thus-far improbable season, and advanced to the NLCS
for the first time since winning the 2006 World Series
. For the Phillies, the season ended in huge disappointment, as they were heavy favorites to win the World Series from day one.
was named by Baseball America as one of the five starting pitchers on its All-Rookie Team.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
2011 season
2011 Major League Baseball season
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since , and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since...
was the 129th season in the history of the franchise
History of the Philadelphia Phillies
The history of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League is a long and varied one. The Phillies are based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are a member of the National League East division. Since , the team's home has been Citizens Bank Park in the South Philadelphia...
. The Phillies won their fifth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball for the second straight year. The Phillies, at 3-1 odds, were the heavy-favorite to win the World Series. However, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs
2011 National League Division Series
The 2011 National League Division Series were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a fourth team—a wild card—played...
in five games to the eventual World Series
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
champion St. Louis Cardinals
2011 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
.
Offseason
The offseason for the Phillies began on October 23, 2010 when they lost the National League Championship Series to the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Although all coaches were invited to return for the 2011 season, first base coach Davey Lopes
Davey Lopes
David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...
informed the team that he would be leaving because of a salary dispute. To replace him, third-base coach Sam Perlozzo
Sam Perlozzo
Samuel Benedict Perlozzo is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, most recently with the Baltimore Orioles...
was moved to first base, and former Phillies second baseman and Orioles' third-base coach and interim manager Juan Samuel
Juan Samuel
Juan Milton Samuel is a retired second baseman who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Kansas City Royals , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays...
was hired to take over at third base.
On November 16, the Phillies signed reliever José Contreras
José Contreras
José Ariel Contreras Camejo is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently with the Philadelphia Phillies...
to a two-year contract after he posted a 3.34 ERA in 2010. On December 6, right fielder Jayson Werth
Jayson Werth
Jayson Richard Gowan Werth is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right-handed.-Background:Werth was born in...
signed a seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. On December 15, the Phillies re-signed Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, the starting pitcher whom they had traded to the Seattle Mariners during the previous offseason in order to acquire Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
.
Regular season
The Phillies game against rival New York Mets2011 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 2011 season was the franchise's 50th season and its third at Citi Field. Following a poor 2010 season, the Mets attempted seek their first postseason appearance since 2006...
on May 1 was an unforgettable one, although they lost 2–1 in 14 innings. Mets' Daniel Murphy was batting as a pinch-hitter against Phillies' reliever Ryan Madson
Ryan Madson
Ryan Michael Madson , nicknamed "Mad Dog", is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a currently a free agent...
when the fans started chanting "U-S-A
U-S-A! cheer
U-S-A! is a chant that was first popularized after being yelled by fans during the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York, USA, where the US men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in what became known as the "Miracle on Ice", later moving on to beat Finland for the gold...
!" Later, it was determined that the chants were in response to the news that al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
leader Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, had been killed
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
by United States special operations forces
United States Special Operations Forces
United States Special Operations Forces under United States Special Operations Command are active and reserve component forces of U.S. Military...
in Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Mike Lopresti of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said that the Phillies' rivals "was a perfect fit" when the news broke.
Because of Hurricane Irene, the Phillies had to end up playing 33 games in 31 days, from August 29 to September 28. Along the way, they played three doubleheaders, the last of which came as a result of a rainout the day before. On August 31, the Phillies reached 40 games over .500—for the first time since their back-to-back 100+ win seasons in 1976
1976 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 94th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their first National League East title, as they compiled a record of 101-61, nine games ahead of the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates....
and 1977
1977 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1977 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 95th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their second consecutive National League East division title with a record of 101-61, five games over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies lost the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, three...
, in which they went 101–61—with a 3–0 win in Cincinnati against the Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and improved to 86–46. Wins during the next two days got them to 42 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history.
On September 14, the Phillies became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 1–0 win in Houston
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
, against Hunter Pence
Hunter Pence
Hunter Andrew Pence is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies. Pence stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life:...
's former team, after acquiring him at the trade deadline. Three days later, they clinched the NL East title for the fifth consecutive season. With 102 wins, the Phillies had the best record in baseball for the second year in a row and broke the franchise record for most regular-season wins. By winning the final game of the regular season, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel also became the manager with the most wins in Phillies history.
The Phillies also led the major leagues in attendance
Major League Baseball attendance records
-Highest season home totals, by team:-4 million or more home attendance totals:Toronto Blue Jays became the first team in baseball history to draw 4 million mark in attendance in 1991 season. -Progression of the home field attendance record:...
for the first time, with 3,680,718 fans (a franchise record), an average of 45,440 per game.
Standings
Record vs. opponents
| § | National League East National League East The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles... |
| † | National League Central National League Central The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League... |
| * | National League West National League West The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other... |
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... * |
3–3 |
| Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997.... § |
12–6 |
| Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... † |
5–2 |
| Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890.... † |
7–1 |
| Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains... * |
4–1 |
| Florida Marlins Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at... § |
12–6 |
| Houston Astros Houston Astros The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field... † |
4–2 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... * |
5–1 |
| Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... † |
4–3 |
| New York Mets New York Mets The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... § |
11–7 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... † |
4–2 |
| San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... * |
7–1 |
| San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... * |
4–3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... † |
3-6 |
| Washington Nationals Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium... § |
8–10 |
| Interleague play Interleague play Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season... |
9–6 |
Game log
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Phillies win | |
| Phillies loss | |
| Postponement | |
| Bold | Phillies team member |
| 2011 Game Log | |
|---|---|
Roster
All players who made an appearance for the Phillies during 2011 are included.| † | Indicates players who started on Opening Day in 2011 |
| 2011 Philadelphia Phillies | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers† | Catchers† Infielders†††† |
Outfielders††† | Manager Coaches (bullpen) (pitching) (hitting) (bench) (1B) (1B) (bullpen catcher) |
||||||
2011 N.L. Division Series vs. St. Louis Cardinals
The Phillies finished out the season with a sweep of the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, and in doing so, allowed the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
to clinch the National League wild-card on the last day of the regular season. Having finished with the best record for the second year in a row, the Phillies had home-field advantage for the series. Game 1 saw the Cardinals jump out to an early lead, with a three run homer by Lance Berkman
Lance Berkman
William Lance Berkman is an American professional baseball outfielder and right fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball....
in the top of the 1st, off Phillies ace Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
. The Phillies bats woke up in the 6th inning, with home runs by Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
and Raul Ibanez
Raúl Ibáñez
Raúl Javier Ibáñez is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.Over his career, Ibáñez, who did not make 500 plate appearances until the age of thirty, has batted .280 with 377 doubles, 252 home runs and 1054 runs batted in over sixteen Major League seasons...
. In addition to the offense waking up, Halladay tamed the Cardinals, retiring 21 straight batters, and the Phillies took game 1, 11-6. Game 2 featured another Philadelphia ace, Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, facing the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
, who would make his first start on three days rest of his career. The Phillies jumped out to a 4 run lead, however, Cliff Lee surrendered 5 runs, as the Cardinals came back, and took game 2, 5-4. The series then went to Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in St. Louis for games 3 and 4. Game 3 featured Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
taking on Jaime Garcia
Jaime García
Jaime García Cruz was a Spanish horse rider who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics and in the 1952 Summer Olympics....
, both of whom pitched a scoreless game through 6 innings. In the 7th inning, the Phillies' pinch-hitter Ben Francisco
Ben Francisco
Louis Ben Francisco is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right handed.-Early life:...
fired a three-run homer to give the Phillies the lead. The Cardinals were able to fight back and get 2 runs, but Ryan Madson shut the door, with a 5-out save, to give the Phillies a 2-1 series lead. In Game 4, a matchup between Roy Oswalt
Roy Oswalt
Roy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
and Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Early life:Jackson's father, Edwin Jackson, Sr., a military cook, was stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. Jackson is one of 27 major league players who were born in Germany...
, the Phillies again jumped out to an early 2 run lead. The Cardinals cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first. David Freese
David Freese
David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
was the hero of game 4, with a two run double in the fourth, which gave the Cardinals the lead, and a two run homer in the sixth. The Phillies were not able to come back, and that sent the series back to Philadelphia tied at two games. Game 5 featured a marquee pitching matchup, with former Toronto
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
teammates, Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
and Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
facing off. Again, the Cardinals took an early lead, with Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
scoring off a Skip Schumaker
Skip Schumaker
Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
double. It turned out that was all the Cardinals needed, as they went on to win 1-0. For the Cardinals, it added to their thus-far improbable season, and advanced to the NLCS
2011 National League Championship Series
The 2011 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, against each other for the National League championship and the right to be the league's representative in the...
for the first time since winning the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
. For the Phillies, the season ended in huge disappointment, as they were heavy favorites to win the World Series from day one.
Awards
Vance WorleyVance Worley
Vance Richard Worley , nicknamed "The Vanimal", is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.-Early career:...
was named by Baseball America as one of the five starting pitchers on its All-Rookie Team.