Winning 102 games was awesome. Watching the NLDS was as frustrating as watching our franchise-record setting season unfold.  The postseason was especially frustrating because the writing was on the wall all season, but smacked us full in the face in October: the Phillies offensive strategy contained several major, fundamental flaws.

The 2011 line up had the talent to support the pitching staff, but they did not fully use it. A team batting average of less than .200 in the post season rests on the shoulders of the batting coach and Charlie Manuel. I’m still a fan of Charlie, but wonder what happened to his renowned knowledge as a hitting coach?  They lack plate discipline, too often swinging at the first pitch or with a 3-0 count.  They rely too much on power hitting at the expense of base hits. We can't have the 3 and 4 hitters strike out 250+ times, as Pence and Howard did. I want to see a better base running strategy focused on advancing runners through sacrifice bunts and stealing bases. With runners on base, slap hits can be extremely effective.  

I’d also like to see a couple of minor line up tweaks.  Jimmy Rollins should not be our leadoff hitter (I’m fairly ambivalent about his return in general. If he does return, put him in the 6 spot).  Victorino has the speed and on base percentage for the number 1 spot. I'm not a particular fan of Victorino protecting Howard. Howard strikes out too often to need protecting – he damages himself. Replacing Ibanez has been discussed at length in the Good Phight, and I agree.

These offensive adjustments will go a long way in supporting our pitching staff. Replacing Roy Oswalt with Vance Worley also wouldn’t hurt, as he is on the rise, while Oswalt is on the decline. We all know that they need to score more than 0 runs when Halliday pitches in order to win, but hopefully the Phillies will learn from 2011.