The Lion’s Eye ER AS RR EN IR oR UR te SL he CL March 31, 2010 Eve Spring Training Coming to a Close By Karlo Radolovic - Lion's Eve Staff Writer - kar5165@psu.edu Opening day is right around the corner and the Phillies are looking sharp. This spring training has proved to be an effective one for the whole team. The Phillies have played some quality games and have beaten some quality teams during spring training. Some of the teams that they have beaten during the train- ing are the defending champs New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Tampa Bay Rays. Hopefully, these wins will help boost the Phillies heading into the season, where they hope to make it to their third consecutive World Series, becoming the first team in the NL to do that since the St. Louis Cardinals. The team is hitting the ball very well and they are also pitching well. The Phillies newcomer Placido Polanco, who is taking over 3rd base for Pedro Feliz, is having an Another note, there is a battle for the 5th starting pitching spot in the rotation. ‘It comes down to the veteran Jamie Moyer or the much improving Kyle Kendrick. They are both having pretty solid spring trainings and their numbers are almost identical. Although Moyer has the spot now due to experience, look for this to be resolved just before the start of the regular season. impressive hitting spring training. He is bat- We d March 31] ting.410, with a slugging percentage of .538. \ He brings a much better bat then Sat April 3 Feliz had and he hopes and so do Mon April 5 the Phils that he will help them Tues April 6 big this season. Roy Halladay the Sun April 11 Phils new pitching has put up some | Wed April 14 impressive numbers himself. He Sun April 18 has 14 strikeouts in only 3 games, Mon April 19 but he only played in 10 innings, so | gat April 24 when the regular season starts look for the strikeouts to be a lot higher. Sun April 25 Lion’s Eye Special: Writers Review the Top Five Best Athletes for Philadelphia over the Past Decade | David Hoffer’s Top Five Athletes 5. Ryan Howard: Imagine the numbers he could have posted had he started his career earlier in the decade. In ~ his five full time seasons in the majors, he has won Rook- -1e of the Year and NL MVP in consecutive years (along with only Cal Ripken Jr.). While I did want to emphasize players that played throughout the decade, his numbers and achievements are simply too great to ignore. 4. Allen Iverson: His resume includes 11 All-star games (twice named MVP of game), Rookie of the year, 4 scor- ing titles and an MVP award in 2001, the memorable season in which the 76ers fell to the Lakers in 5 games. In all his years with the 76ers, A.I. only managed one memorable playoff run. An NBA championship would . have resulted in a higher placement. (“We talkin ‘bout practice?”) 3. Jimmy Rollins: 3 time All-star, 3 time Gold Glove win- ner, Silver Slugger award winner, NL MVP and World Series Champion. The emergence of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels had gone a long way in lifting both the Phillies and Jimmy's game. 2. Brain Dawkins: He was “Weapon-X,” the leader of the defense on the field, and the heart and soul of the Eagles. Despite Dawkins play and leadership, as a safety, there is only so much you can do to lead a team to the ultimate prize. Yes the Eagles did not win the Super Bowl but thanks to #1, they nearly did. 1. Donovan McNabb: Love him or hate him, he is the greatest quarterback in the history of this storied fran- chise. He has thrown for 32, 873 yards, 216 Touchdowns and only 100 interceptions. While the future of #5 may be hazy, his play in the past decade has been second to no one. He may not have the ring in which all is measured, but his play has more warranted his placement as top Philly athlete of the decade. Sean O’Connor’s Top Five Athletes 5. Ryan Howard: Howard comes in at number five due to his excellent production and commitment to improving himself as a player. He already averages 45 HR and 140 RBI’s a year and each spring training shows up in better . shape with some improved quality. Also, he was a driving force in the Phillies last two World Series appearances, including the 08 championship. 4. Donovan McNabb: McNabb has become the most successful quarterback, statistically, in franchise history. He would be higher on this list if he had a championship to his name instead of a history of choking in the biggest situations. 3. Allen Iverson: The only reason Philadelphia basketball has been relevant over the last 15 years is due to Iverson. He consistently led the league in scoring, was top 20 in assists, and played his heart out every game. Led an under-talented squad to the 2001 Finals and even stole a game with a jaw-dropping Game 1 performance. Only problem? “We talkin’ about practice?” 2. Brian Dawkins: The heart and soul of the Phil- adelphia Eagle’s since the late 90°s and through the 00’s. He has been a top tier safety in the league since he was drafted from Clemson and is still starting for Denver even at an advanced age. He led the Eagles to the playoffs year after year and was the backbone of a defense that was annu- ally near the top of the league. 1. Chase Utley: The leader of a Philadelphia Phil- lies team that won the World Series champion- ship in 2008, Utley has been a rock for the last few years and a rising star in the league since 2005. While he only counts for half of the 2000’s, he provided the city, along with Howard and Jimmy Rollins, its first championship i in 25 years. Steven Scoleri’s Top Five Athletes 5. Jimmy Rollins: Jimmy Rollins gets the team fired up both verbally and by his play on the field. He is a huge factor in the Phillies success over the past few seasons. Jimmy is the captain of the team. He is ranked number 5 because of his tender and success with t he Phillies. 4. Chase Utley: The work ethic of Chase Utley is one of a kind. He is constantly working hard every play and - Philadelphia fans enjoy watching that. He is a huge factor in the Phillies success over the past few seasons. He is ranked number 4 because of how hard he plays the game. 3. Ryan Howard: What is there not to olive about the big man crushing the ball out of the park? He helped us win the World Series in 2008 and bring us back in 2009. He is a huge factor in the Phillies success over the past few seasons. He is ranked number 3 because he is the best home run hitter on the team. 2. Allen Iverson: One of the greatest Tours of all time. He was a little guy who played big every night and put it all on the floor. He is ranked number 2 simply because Brian Dawkins is ranked number 1. I feel that Iverson and Dawkins are the best athletes the city ever had. 1. Brain Dawkins: One of the greatest Philadelphia Eagles of all time. He played hard every game and would do anything to win. He is number 1 in my book followed because he brought so much passion to the game. Justin Park’s Top Five Athletes 5. Allen Iverson: Although his work ethic and attitude will always be questioned (Practice?), Allen Iverson deserves to be on this list. Iverson has been an All-Star eleven times and led the Sixers to the NBA Champion- ship Series in 2001, losing to one of the greatest NBA teams of all time in the L.A. Lakers. That same year, Iverson was MVP and had an outstanding playoffs. Most on Sports Remaining Penn State Brandywine Baseball Schedule A Neumann College 3:30 PM H Fayette * 2PM H Briarcliffe 4 PM A Wilkes Barre * .2 PM A Beaver * 12 PM -H Hazleton * 2 PM H York * 12 PM A Delaware Valley 3:30 PM H Greater Allegheny * 2 PM A Penn College * 12 PM . Congialulations “aa Penn State Brandywine Athletes Coach of the Year importantly, Allen Iverson has provided the 76ers with “their only shred of respectability over the past ten years. 4. Simon Gagne: NHL players always seem to get over- looked on these kind of lists and I’m not really sure why. Gagne has been here since his rookie season in 1999, and since then the Flyers have only missed the playoffs one time (in a season in which Gagne managed to still score 41 goals). During seasons in which Gagne played over fifty games, he has at least 24 goals and broke the forty goal barrier twice since the NHL lockout. Gagne is the only current player on the team that played against the Tampa Bay Lightening in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. That meaning he is the only player the Flyers kept during their rebuilding period, which is saying some- thing. 3. Jimmy Rollins: Jimmy has been there through the good and the bad, and has played pretty consistent along the way. A great leadoff hitter, Jimmy Rollins is one of the leaders and veterans of the current Phillies team and argueably the greatest shortstop in franchise history. As a three time Gold Glove winner, and 2007 NL MVP, it is fair to say that as Jimmy goes, the Phillies go. And with . the Phillies going to back to back World Series, Jimmy is clearly doing something right. 2. Donovan McNabb: Although I am pro change on his current situation, there is no denying that McNabb is worthy of the second best athlete in the city. He has tre- mendous stats along with great success with the Eagles, leading them to four NFC championships games and one Super Bowl appearance. Although he has never one “the big one” for us here in Philadelphia, McNabb has given everything he has for this city and always kept the fans entertained. 1. Ryan Howard: 1 know what you’re thinking; he has only been playing for half of the decade and should not be number one on this list. But consider this, after just five complete seasons with the Phillies, Howard has quite the resume. Rookie of the Year, Home Run Derby win- ner, Silver Slugger award, NL MVP, two time All-Star, two time National League Champion, and World Series Champion. With all that said, I no longer feel the need to explain why Howard is number one in my book.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers