Larry Bowa Picks Weird Year to ‘Expect Big Things’ from Phillies

The 2013 predictions are rolling in, as obnoxiously contrarian as they are.

But as long as we remember that predictions are based on how a team looks on paper and personal hunches about teams getting lucky, then we can also note that predictions, while fun, are also completely worthless.

Larry Bowa, however, expects ‘big things’ from the Phillies this season; a dark secret he revealed during an interview on NBC 10.

Larry likes:

• Ben Revere leading off
• Jimmy Rollins hitting second
• Michael Young hitting fifth
• After Young, Domonic Brown
• Ben Revere’s “different look”

As a former Phillies manager and hater of Jimmy Rollins, Bowa has come around on J-Roll, having ranked him third on his list of top 10 shortstops on MLB Network.  Calling him a “run producer,” Bowa has clearly somehow not seen every time Jimmy takes one of his classic first-pitch Jimmy-swings when the ball goes high, high in the air and then no runs are scored.

Some further highlights:

• “This team is going to be in it all the way.”
• “To me, the sixth inning is the hardest inning to get out of.”
• “Doc, and Cole, and Lee… they can’t go on the disabled list. And Utley and Howard have to play 140+ ballgames.”
• “I like the Phillies, if they’re healthy, better than the Braves.”

As long as Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, don’t get hurt, at all, then we should be fine.  Nobody touch them.  Just leave them alone.  HEY!  Over there, with the dangle hat, about to ask Ryan Howard for an autograph with that childlike sense of awe in your eyes.

BACK THE HELL OFF.

So, if we need uplifted spirits today, we turn to historically cheerful Phillies advocate, Larry Bowa.