The team to beat in the NL East

Get used to seeing this logo at the top of the standings.

The piece of shit NY Post's headline yesterday read "Sillie Phillie" and had a picture of J-Roll, in response to J-Roll's comments saying the Phils were the team to beat. Apparently the Post thinks a starting rotation of Tom Glavine, the hurting Orlando Hernandez, Oliver Perez, John Maine, and one of a group that includes Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Sele, Chan Ho Park and Jorge Sosa, is a lock for the division. J-Roll seems to disagree:

"The Mets had a chance last year to go to the World Series. They made it to the playoffs. They won the division. Congratulations, but last year is over.

"Their staff is a little older. We've seen those guys. They can take that any way they want, but I'm just stating a fact. It's going to be a battle, but we have the edge. Youth. Our pitchers are more intimidating than their pitchers."

Manager Charlie Manuel doesn't mind J-Roll talking:

"If Jimmy's got something to say, let him say it," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's OK. I don't see anything wrong with having a little swagger, a little cockiness."

Manuel nodded slowly when apprised that the Mets' reaction went something like, "So what did the Phillies win last year?"

"Ah, I'm not touching that," Manuel said. "But St. Louis did win the [World] Series, right?"

Brett Myers added a little fuel to the fire in an Inquirer article today:

"Hey, a little trash talk never hurts," Myers said. "They think they're good. We think we're good. It will be fun."

So who is the team to beat?

"Obviously you'd have to say the Mets," Myers said, using the changeup to set up the fastball: "Until we get that 20-game lead on them and they have to catch up."