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	Tuesday, July 18
	Midseason report: Philadelphia Phillies By Sherry Skalko ESPN.com
	The Philadelphia Phillies have been hot of late but will it be enough to turn around what to this point has been a dismal season? It's time to take a look back at the good, the mostly bad and everything in between from Philly's first half. First-half MVP: Mike Lieberthal and Scott Rolen . The Phillies lone representative on the All-Star team, Lieberthal has been the Phillies' most consistent two-way player. He's batting .301 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI. A Gold Glover, he's also thrown out 39 percent of runners trying to steal on him. We like third baseman Scott Rolen, too. He leads the team in homers (16), is second in RBI (52), and he's a solid all-around player who goes out there hurt, hates to lose and provides spark to an otherwise spark-less team. Biggest disappointment: Andy Ashby. In his defense, Ashby's season has been a perpetual tryout before scouts of pennant contenders. But it's Ashby's fault for requesting a trade in the first place. With the Padres two years ago Ashby was 17-9 with a 3.34 ERA. Last year he was 14-10 with a 3.80 ERA. So we know the guy can pitch. But a 4-7 record with a 5.68 ERA? Ten-year veterans should be able to climb out of slumps like this, and with a little more maturity as well. (Edior's Note: Ashby has since been traded to the Braves.) Biggest surprise: Pat Burrell. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian wrote in his season preview that if Burrell is recalled within a month (he was recalled is less than two on May 24) and becomes a big-time power man immediately (33 RBI and 13 doubles in his first 41 games), he'd bring more hope (which he has) to a franchise on the way up (which it isn't). Oh well, three out of four isn't bad. Second-half goals: With a .327 average, right fielder Bobby Abreu is the only player other than Lieberthal hitting above .300. At 3.17, Robert Person , who is on the DL, is the only starting pitcher with an era below 3.50. So, with improved pitching and improved hitting, the Phillies may just get out of the hole they've dug for themselves. Yeah, right. Grade: -- Rolen opened the newspaper the other day and thought that with the Phillies four-game winning streak, they must be sneaking up on someone. They weren't. Which led Rolen to realize the Phils had dug themselves a pretty huge hole. Finishing the season around .500 would have been a disappointment during spring training, now it looks pretty good. (Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best) We told you what we thought of the Phillies' first-half performance, now you've told us. Here is what you had to say about what the Phillies have to do in the second half.		ALSO SEE Midseason Feedback: Phillies MLB midseason reports ESPN.com's All-Star Game coverage Kurkjian: Stories of the first half Ten second-half questions for the AL Ten second-half questions for the NL