5 Philadelphia Phillies with the Most Swagger

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With all of the success, accolades, and titles the Phillies have put together over the past few seasons, it's a given that the team as a whole has obtained a certain sense of swagger and confidence in the way they play the game.

It's not cockiness, per say, but an overall feeling and expectation of winning is most definitely a prevalent force in the clubhouse.

Here are the top five Phillies with the most swagger.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Howard

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Despite the frequent 'swing-and-a-miss' from Ryan Howard, he continually enters every game with swagger, knowing that at any moment he could knock one out of the park.

Howard has been successful since the very beginning of his career, when he earned the Rookie of the Year Award, and that success continues today. Howard has known nothing but fortune, fame, and triumph throughout his time in the bigs, and it shows in his elite style of play. 

5. Chase Utley

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Maybe it's due to skill, maybe it's due to work ethic, but regardless of the reasoning, Chase Utley enters every game with the idea that winning is the only thing that matters. His approach at the plate is full of intensity and swagger, and wholeheartedly lacking in any form of fear or hesitation.

He is, arguably, the best second baseman in the game, and he plays like it. When pitted against the golden franchise New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series, Utley put together one of the best postseason series performances in baseball history, hammering five home runs. If that team, that series, that situation cannot intimidate Utley, what could?  

4. Hunter Pence

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Hunter Pence has been on the team just over a month, and has already become a familiar, and likable face in the eyes of most Phillies fans. His .309 batting average is among the best in baseball and leads the entire Phillies roster. 

His "good game, let's go eat" slogan has become a common expression across the city, and has even spawned a t-shirt sold at Citizens Bank Park, which Pence himself was seen wearing in a recent interview.

Pence has quickly made himself comfortable with his new team, (don't believe me, check this out) and continues to show major elements of confidence in his game in Philadelphia.

3. Charlie Manuel

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As far as managers go, Charlie Manuel defines 'swagger.'

Earlier this year, at the same time in which the Phils had the best team in baseball, Manuel voiced disappointment in the Phils offensive production at the plate. Why was Manuel questioning his team when they were so incredibly dominant? More than any other skipper in the game, Manuel seems to always expect more from his team. It's not a bad thing. Not at all. But it's an element of his coaching that may in fact play a large role in the mindset and development of the team.

Another aspect of Manuel's swagger can be found in his recent comments regarding the Giants' starting rotation, when he called the staff "good, not great." Perhaps his words were misconstrued, but regardless, Manuel's statement show an obvious belief in the dominance of his team.

Whether it's true or not, for the past several seasons Manuel has coached like he's got the best team in the game. And deep down, he probably believes it. 

2. Cliff Lee

If his steadily declining ERA and steadily increasing batting average are not enough evidence of an instilled sense of swagger in Cliff Lee, one just has to look back at the above image. In what was, to that point, the biggest game of his life, Lee made a 'who cares' catch in which he barely moved a muscle.

This year, Lee is surely a candidate for the NL Cy Young-award, and at this point he just might get it. His choosing of the Phillies this offseason shows a deep sense of commitment and an expectation of winning.  

1. Jimmy Rollins

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Any player bold enough, confident enough, and brave enough to call his team 'the team to beat,' is worthy of a number one spot on this list. Jimmy Rollins is just that guy.

After experiencing not a single breath of postseason baseball during his tenure with the team, Rollins proclaimed that it was Philly's time to shine. Naturally, his critics hammered him. But, fortunately for J-Roll, his 2007 prediction proved true, and the Phillies took home the division crown for the first time since 1993.

Rollins may be viewed as 'cocky' by some. Ultimately, like the rest of the team, it's not really a form of cockiness, but a form of confidence spiked with swagger. Rollins, despite facing numerous injury hardships since his MVP season four years ago, continues to play with swagger. 

It may drive fans crazy sometimes, but in the end, it's why they love him.