Just win, baby!
Overall, the Phils had a great first half. (Jimmy) Rollins exceeded all expectations, as did Omar Daal. The rest of the team was somewhat inconsistent, but the Phillies always seem to find ways to win games, which is obviously a very good quality for a team to have.

Bowa set the tone
The Phils' first half of the season has truly been a great story. Larry Bowa is proof that sometimes all a team needs, especially a young team, is a leader who is both focused and demanding. That said, I believe the Phils should focus on playing aggressive, team ball for the rest of the year. If a deal for a quality No. 1 or No. 2 starting pitcher and/or -- sorry Mr. Glanville -- a young leadoff hitting, high-on-base-percentage CF emerges without losing any other everyday starters, then Ed Wade should go for it.

Play hard, produce victories
I like what the Phillies have done. They aren't the most talented team, but they play hard. I love the bullpen. I think that whole group is the 1st half MVP. I also like Jimmy Rollins. He plays hard, is exciting and will be a great player in the near future.

Where's the fan support
The Phillies have been a pleasent suprise. No one expected them to compete this year and they have done that and more. I just wish the fans would realize how good this team is and come out to support them. They will be in the race for the playoffs and win.

Too good to be true
Look for the Phils to falter in the second half. With lackluster talent they can't hold on to the one-game lead forever. They need to make some moves to get a pure hitter into Philly.

Big bats need to come through
I am really excited that the Phillies are in first place at the break, but they need more production from (Scott) Rolen and (Pat) Burrell to hold off the Braves. I am disappointed that both (Randy) Wolf and (Bruce) Chen have struggled as much as they have, and I am a little leary of going into a stretch run with two rookies: (Nelson) Figueroa and (Dave) Coggin in the rotation. I hope that Bowa's fire and passion can get them over the hump.

Don't overlook Lee
I don't see how you can have a midseason report on the Phillies without mentioning Travis Lee. He has rebounded after a couple horrible seasons and is putting together a very solid year. I don't think there is a player in the Phillies lineup who has gotten more timely hits in key situations this season then Lee. Just look to the weekend before the break where he hit two game winning HRs against Baltimore. He also had a walkoff HR in a big comeback win vs. Montreal earlier this year. I think with a solid second half he could be a candidate for come back player of the year.

Abreu and Lee are the keys
How can Doug Glanville be mentioned among the "surprises" on the team? The only thing surprising to me about Doug Glanville is that he continues to lead off when his .300 OBP (the lowest out of all Phillies with more than 30 at-bats) is not even respectable for a No. 8 hitter. Jimmy Rollins, whom you name as one of the first-half MVPs, bats second and has an OBP of just .309. Rollins and Glanville are the weak spots on this offense, not the strong spots. Bobby Abreu is this team's MVP and Travis Lee, who increased his slugging percentage more than 100 points, is the biggest surprise.

Phillies in World Series?
Something magical is happening in Philly this year. First the Sixers, now the the Phillies. They will make the playoffs. Watch for the Eagles ths year.

Doom is around the corner
If my memory serves me correctly, the Phillies were in the heat of the wild-card race in both the 1998 and 1999 campaigns into July and August only to completely collapse. The Phillies relievers are overacheiving, the Phillies starters have come back to earth and are starting to unravel (Wolf, Chen, etc.), and neither Pat Burrell or Scott Rolen have reached double figures in home runs yet. I predict the pitching will decline even more dramatically in the late summer heat, Pat Burrell will continue to hit more like Gorman Thomas than Frank Thomas, and grumblings of the disenchantment of Scott Rolen will grow louder. Hey, I just watched a replay of Game 6 of the 1993 World Series last night on ESPN Classic, so I'm in a negative mood today.

Schilling deal paying off
When the Phillies traded Curt Schilling, I was disappointed. But looking back, it was a great improvement for them. Maybe what the Phillies need to do next is trade Rolen or Wolf for younger and more talented players.

Braves are in trouble
The Phillies are going to win the East now that (Atlanta's Rafael) Furcal is out for the year. Figueroa is going to step up and become a star and (Omar) Daal is going to win 20 games.