Team To Beat

The Team To Beat is a term -- part self-applied nickname, part rallying cry -- which became associated with the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team of 2007.

Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins proclaimed the Phillies as the "team to beat" in the National League East during a January interview with the Associated Press, just months after his team's distant second-place finish behind the Mets. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2740529|title=ESPN.com|accessdate=2007-01-23] The remark was received with much disdain in New York, where the media and supporters of the defending division champions perceived the proclamation as a slight. [cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02212007/sports/rollins__phillies_team_to_beat_sports_kevin_kernan.htm|title=New York Post|accessdate=2007-02-21] [cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02222007/sports/mets/rollins_remarks_dont_rankle_mets_mets_mark_hale.htm|title=New York Post|accessdate=2007-02-22] In a March interview with the AP just days before the start of the 2007 regular season, the eight-year veteran stood by his words. "It was the truth. It's the way I felt," Rollins said. "People don't expect you to express yourself. They think you sound cocky. It depends on how you say it. If you say it straightforward, you say it straightforward. People can take your words and try to twist them in any form they want." [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2007/news/story?id=2816444|title=ESPN.com|accessdate=2007-03-28]

But after stumbling out of the gate with 11 losses in their first 15 games, the Rollins quote became a point of derision in baseball circles. When Philadelphia's record sunk to 1-6 after a lackluster loss to the Mets at Shea Stadium -- a defeat punctuated by a critical Rollins fielding error -- chants needling the Philadelphia shortstop rang throughout the building and a series of mocking articles appeared in the local tabloids the following morning. [cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/04/10/2007-04-10_yapping_phillie_is_looking_silly-1.html|title=New York Daily News|accessdate=2007-04-10] In spite of their languid start, however, the Phillies would rebound from their early turbulence and have amassed the best record in the league since April 18 -- offering the division-leading Mets a spirited challenge for the NL East title down the stretch.

Rollins, a constant target of acrimony in New York throughout the season as a result of the remark, has backed up his words against the Mets. In 18 games against New York, Rollins batted 28-for-81 (a .346 average) with four doubles, two triples, six homers and 15 RBIs. [cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20070917_Jim_Salisbury___The_MVP_candidate__Rollins_may_not_speak_softly__but_he_carries_a_big_stick_.html|title=Philadelphia Inquirer|accessdate=2007-09-17] The Phillies won the final eight meetings between the teams to take the season series, 12 games to six. Philadelphia's three series sweeps of the Mets -- including a memorable four-game whitewash in late August -- represented a franchise best.

Over time, the defiant nature of the Rollins quote has been embraced by the city of Philadelphia while assuming its place in the town's colorful sports folklore. The plucky shortstop's words have been constantly referenced in headlines and articles throughout the season. Furthermore, the quote has emboldened the team's young roster along with the its wounded, long-suffering fan base. In a blue-collar sports town which doesn't mind a little audacity in its underdogs, the previously well-liked shortstop has seemingly achieved cult-hero status -- with no small credit to his MVP-caliber play at the plate and in the field. While playing under his self-imposed microscope throughout the 2007 regular season, Rollins has become the only player in baseball history to surpass 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a single season. [cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20070922_Phillies_Notes___Rollins_makes_history_as_hitter.html|title=Philadelphia Inquirer|accessdate=2007-09-22]

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