COLUMN: Young guns have Phillies looking good

Rick Haggerty, Commentary For the first time since the summer of 1993, people in this town actually seem to care about the national pastime. The reason for this is the resurgence of the Phillies. In 1993, the Phils had one of the most memorable seasons in Philadelphia sports history, reaching the World Series before falling to the Toronto Blue Jays. This magical season, however, followed a last place 1992 finish. The next year -- the strike-shortened '94 campaign -- the Phils returned to their usual position near the bottom of the National League East. And they remained there for the next three seasons. Until this year. In '93, the Phils reached the Fall Classic by relying on career years from seasoned veterans. Guys like Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra and John Kruk -- all good players but by no means superstars -- led them to their success. But a short-lived success it was. The Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series that year. While the Braves have reached the postseason nearly every year in the 1990s, the Phillies have one National League Championship and a bunch of cellar-dwelling seasons to show for themselves. The reason for this is the route taken by the two clubs. While Atlanta continued to build on what was already a solid baseball team, the Phillies just tried to get by with what they had. Until this year. The '93 season will live on in the memories of Philadelphians for years to come. But it will live on for what it was -- a bunch of scraggly, blue-collar guys with no right to be playing in October living out a dream. Men better suited to a local bar softball team having the ride of their lives. In 1998, the situation has changed. Just one member of the '93 Phils, staff ace Curt Schilling, remains. Only a few are even on Major League rosters. The Phillies will probably not be playing in the World Series this year, but the '98 season is more promising than '93. Look at this team, and you will see the exact opposite of the '93 squad. You will not see a bunch of experienced veterans who are schooling the rest of the National League. Instead, you will see a young, athletic team that may not win the World Series this year, but has the potential to be one of the best teams in baseball for the next ten years. This team does resemble a former Phillies team -- not the '93 team, but rather the team of the 1970s, a team that consistently finished near the top of the division and won the 1980 World Series. Like the Phils of the '70s, the current Phillies are building with youth, and the cornerstone of that building is their third baseman. While comparisons to Mike Schmidt -- probably the greatest third baseman in history -- are unfair burdens to place on his 23-year old shoulders, Scott Rolen is the leader of this team. Last year's NL Rookie of the Year, Rolen is showing no signs of a sophomore slump. His numbers just continue to get better. He is currently on pace to crush his rookie year stats of 21 homers and 92 RBIs. He moves with incredible speed for a man who is 6'4" and 223 pounds. Rolen never makes a mistake on the basepaths and seems to grab any ball hit to the hot corner. In fact, he may be an even better fielder than ten-time Gold Glove winner Schmidt. Rolen is the man on this team right now and his success will accompany any success the Phillies have. Now add the rest of the lineup to Rolen, and it looks like a dangerous squad. Penn's Doug Glanville gives the Phillies an excellent outfield leader and a bat out of the leadoff spot. Mike Leiberthal is a good Major League catcher, although Bobby Estalella may be the Phils' catcher of the future. Bobby Abreu and Desi Relaford are having good years, but it still remains to be seen what they can do. If they can continue to improve, though, they will be staples in the Phils' lineup. And if he signs a contract, top draft pick Pat Burrell could be a powerful addition to the order. It is true that the Phillies are not ready to step into baseball's limelight just yet. The pitching staff needs definite work. Schilling is the most over-powering and one of the best pitchers in the game, but the potential of the rest of the staff is unclear. Carlton Loewer and Matt Beech look good, but have not yet faced enough competition to be considered answers to the Phillies' pitching woes. And the bullpen is still incomplete. But the overall picture looks good. Terry Francona, unlike former manager Jim Fregosi, is willing to give these young players a chance. The Phillies need pitching help, and a top-notch slugger in the middle of the order wouldn't hurt either. But for the first time in a long time, things are looking up for the Philadelphia baseball squad. Keep an eye on this team. It could be fun for the next few years.