The Phillies are in first place.

They have the reigning National League MVP.

They have two other hitters tied for the league lead in RBIs.

They are third in the National League - and fifth in all of baseball - in average attendance.

All of that said, here's what I don't get:

- Ryan Howard, tied for 2nd in the league in HR and tied for the lead in RBIs, ranks fifth in the all-star voting among first baseman.

- Jimmy Rollins, who put the Phillies on his back with his mouth in the preseason a year ago and then helped carry them to a division title with MVP stats, ranks fourth among shortstops.

To be fair, Chase Utley is killing all comers at second base. He's the overal leading vote getter in the NL, regardless of position.

But Prince Fielder, among others, above Howard? Ryan Theriot ahead of Rollins?

A familiar trend I see in the ballot results is a member of the Cubs and Astros is in the top three in nearly every position.

Which means fans are coming out in droves and voting for their players in Houston and in Chicago. In Philly? They may be, root, rooting for the home team, but they're not voting for them.

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The (long-awaited) Archive Files

I had a wedding in New Orleans over the weekend, and the goings on along Bourbon Street can tend to derail one from upkeeping things such as blogs.

So here's a bunch of stuff you may have already read (or haven't been able to find) in the last 4-5 days:

From Monday at the Bank: Sports editor Rob Parent's column: Red Sox Nation takes hold of Philly, but Phils send the visitors and their trendy fans home with an "L."

In the game story, Cole Hamels' cold streak is history; Howard is beginning to heat up.

In the notes, J.C. Romero got a World Series ring from the Red Sox... who probably wouldn't mind having him back a year after releasing the left-hander.


From Sunday in St. Louis: Brett Myers gives up five runs in his first three innings en route to another, less-than-quality start.

In the notes, the Phillies literally throw away the finale of a nine-game road trip.

In your Sunday baseball column, Jimmy Rollins talks about the minor league trip his good friend Dontrelle Willis has had to take, a Delco native returns to Philly, and more.


From Saturday in St. Louis: Former teammates Adam Eaton and Kyle Lohse do battle, but a bad call trips up the Phillies in the final inning.

In the notes, Kyle Kendrick has avoided a sophomore slump.


From Friday in St. Louis: The Phillies unleash the bats in "baseball heaven."

In the notes, two seven-game winners, Kyle Lohse and Jamie Moyer, reflect on their early season successes.

From Thursday in Miami: Jamie Moyer baffles the Marlins. Again.

In the notes, Kyle Kendrick is celebrating an anniversary.