Hi everyone. It's great to see you all tracking my HRs here on Weplay and love the Homerun Club comments!

Here's some quick answers to your questions...

What's it been like this year, being the champs and teams gunning for you?

Like it or not winning the World Series means teams look at you a little differently. There's definitely a target on your back.  As far back as going into Spring Training everybody knew what we had accomplished, but right now it's about finishing strong so we're set up well to take a run at repeating. We know what we're capable of.

Hey Ryan! How has your game improved? And how have you done it?

I'm always trying to get better. For me, I went into the offseason with an eye on getting in better shape and my defense wasn't where I wanted it to be. I've always been capable it was just a matter of getting to a consistent basis. So cutting back on errors is one thing, and I think working with Sam (Perlozzo) we were able to get to that point.

Which first basemen's games do you admire?

Growing up it was Mark Grace. And Keith Hernandez didn't miss anything. In the present day one guy, Doug Mientkiewicz, stands out. He's all over the place getting the ball. It's like "How did he get over there?" Of course Albert (Pujols) and DLee (Derek Lee) for a taller guy. Tex (Mark Teixeira) throws that leather around. It's all
about putting in the work and getting to that same position every time. That's the key to first base.

You played in both new stadiums in NY. What did you think of them?

The new Yankee Stadium is huge. It's definitely loud in there. All the tradition the Yankees have and such it was fun to be a part of it. Each one of our games was pretty exciting coming down to the last AB or what not. So loved playing there.

It's always a good time to face the Mets. Both teams know what's at stake and the fans are into it to. It's a good fun rivalry where both bring their "A" game. It's definitely a bigger park that feels new and clean.  When I first go into new parks I try and take in the wholescene. Get a feel for it. Then get used to picking up the ball. After that everything goes back to normal.

I read where you lost some weight. What's your secret?

It all starts with being active. That and you have to want to do it, but the most important thing is what you eat. You can't expect to be an elite athlete. Some people are just blessed and not gain a pound, but I'm far from all of them.

I'd suggest putting some goals together and change up your diet with more fruits, vegetables and lean meats. That was my goal going into Spring Training -- to drop 25-30 pounds - and it feels great.

It's also showing up in the stats. Seven steals is earning me some respect with Jimmy (Rollins) and Shane (Victorino).

Hey everyone. I'm on the road, West coast - San Diego then the Dodgers. A lot of guys on the team are from CA so it's fun to have family, friends and that kind of stuff around.

We've all got an eye on the NBA Finals. No doubt it'll be big news up in LA. Definitely trying to catch as many of the games as I can. I'm happy that the games have been as good as they are throughout the postseason. Both of the semis were tough. I had Cavs and the Lakers in the finals with LA winning it all, but I don't really have a favorite team; basically I'm a fan of good games. And, of course, players ... Kobe, LeBron, Dwight, Dwade. It's all definitely been a topic - or I should say - been a debate in the locker room. Who's better? Kobe or LeBron? That's been going on for weeks. Guess we'll have to wait to see them head to head in a future Finals.

Also been checking you all out on Weplay. Next post I'll tackle a couple questions from the comments area here on my profile. So let me know what's on your mind!

So here we are, about to start the World Series. The WORLD SERIES! Are you kidding me? We now know that we'll be playing the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that everyone calls a great young team. Well forget young. They're just great.

I'd be lying if I said that we didn't expect to be here. We did, and that's why we play the game like we do. We've been the consummate team all year long, with different guys stepping up and delivering when needed. It's probably a combination of good talent and the chemistry that's developed out of us playing together for awhile now. So as long as we can have someone come in a step, we'll continue on this path that we're on.

And what a path it has been. We've got a max of 7 more games to go in the season, four wins away. That's the focus now. 4 wins. Nothing else matters... especially not the things we've accomplished this season or anything. To me, in my opinion, that's what the off-season is for. You know, if you have to stop and direct your attention to something else, that's not good for your game. Not while you're still playing.

What's also been great throughout this postseason is that my family has been here with me and will continue to go along for the ride. My parents have been to just about all of them. My twin brother has been to all of them while my older brother and sister got to a couple of games as well.

I don't know if the pressure is worse for me or for them... they just sit up there and watch, can't do anything about it, so that's probably nerve racking for them. But that's the way the game is. It's funny because no matter how hot or cold I'm swinging the bat, their advice is simple... something like "hit the ball better." I'm just glad they can experience this with me.

It all starts Wednesday in FLA... GAME ONE

It's afternoon here on the west coast as we get ready for game 5 of the NLCS against the Dodgers and I'm only focused on one thing: tonight.

Having the day off yesterday was a good break for us, but as we were on the field practicing, I promise you we all wished we were playing the game then and there so we can close it out. Monday's win was a roller coaster of emotions, but as soon as it was over, we looked forward to this one.

It's crazy how the entire series can change with one or two swings. We're down late in the game, looking at a tied series, but then it all changes. As players, you try as much as possible to keep things on an even keel and not get wrapped up in the emotions of the game. Of course, there are moments in the games when you have to crank it up a little bit higher or lower, but I try to stay as calm as possible because you never know what can happen in a game. That's why you play all nine innings.

They say the last game is the hardest to win. For us tonight, it's just baseball. We need to go out there and go have a good pitching performance from Cole, play good defense, play good offense, keep our eye on the ball and try and score some runs.

This is all new to me, though. Not baseball, but playing for a championship. It means a lot. We know we're close, but as a team, we don't really talk about it that much. Everybody knows what the goal is. And right now, the hard part is just getting there.

But if you asked me if I feel more pressure now, one game away from the World Series, I'd have to say no, not really. I'm enjoying the moment and having fun.

See you all tonight on your television screens.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the playoffs are here and that you can catch all the games starting tomorrow. We drew the Brewers, the talented Wild Card winners from the Central.

We got a taste of the postseason last year, but this year we're ready for a long run. I feel like we're peaking at the right time and it's been great. You want to come through when your team needs it and provide a lift. But the main goal lies ahead.

First game is tomorrow (weds) at 3 pm on TBS. That's 3pm Eastern time.

Good morning from sunny Philadelphia, though I hear the rain is coming in. We're coming up on a month go in the season with two more roadtrips and two more homestands after this week. Just like last year, it's going to be a tight race down the stretch.

I'd say the keys are definitely going to be the normal, everyday things... getting good, quality starts from our pitchers, trying to have them go deep into games, have the bullpen come in and take over when need be, play good defense, offensively we have to go out there and get runs and try to put up as many as possible to make it easier on our pitchers.

We know what's on the line, though our team doesn't really talk about the approaching end of the season as much as you might think. As a collective group, we all know what we need to do and how we're going to need to play in order to get to where we need to be, and that means playing in the playoffs in October.

Over the last few weeks, we all know we were going through a little bit of an offensive lull, but we're all confident that we're getting out of it just at the right time. The key I'd say, and this applies to everyone reading this who plays the game, is not to get too worked up, high or low. One piece of advice that I got from Jim Thome when he was here was stay on an even keel. You can't get too low, you can't get too high. It's all a part of the game. It's a long season.

You have to go out there knowing that you'll have some good days and some off days, but it's how you come back and rebound from both that is what's most important. Last night was a great win for us, but now we have to follow it up with another one in the last game against the Dodgers, and then get ready for the Mets coming to town.

Big week ahead and good luck to everyone as they head back to school. Work hard and have fun.

Hey everyone, Definitely good to be home after a long trip out west on the road. We love playing in front of our fans and having the comforts of being able to sleep in our homes, but as athletes, I think our bodies do get into a rhythm with all the travel we have to do. It's a regimented routine that we get used to. It's a little bit different when you're going back from the west coast to the east coast like we just did Sunday night.

Around this time in the season, we've been flying all over the place, playing every day, night in and night out, and our bodies are used to it. Once a week or so, we do get that day off that we use recuperate a little bit, but they say the jetlag normally hits you like the second day back.

Which is today. Thankfully, I had the day off yesterday and got to spend it out in Williamsport, PA... a great time with the players and teams in the Little League World Series. I was invited by Powerade and Subway to promote healthiness, activeness and hydration, which are all important for kids and core to the messages we also promote here on weplay.

The games are also underway now, and I got to throw out the first pitch for the game between Hawaii and South Dakota. As a baseball player, that's a pretty rare opportunity to actually throw out a first pitch. Think about it... they typically bring in other people, musicians, community leaders, local heroes and celebrities to do that at our games. So that was pretty cool, though I was a little nervous since I'm not a pitcher. Good news is that I was able to stay cool under pressure and deliver the ball right to the catcher.

Getting to meet the players was also really cool for me. I got to play in some important games as a kid, but only to an extent. Nothing like this. I remember being their age - 11, 12, 13 years old--not playing on a big stage like they are. I never really played in front of crowds as large as what they have there, and definitely not on television. But the crowds is just people, that's all. When you're out there on the field, your friends are out there with you and it's a fun game no matter what happens, so just focus on the play and don't worry about who's watching you.

Big homestand begins tonight against Washington, then L.A. and then New York next week.

Six weeks to go in the regular season and every game matters.

Hey everyone, just a quick howdy from the City of Brotherly Love... last weekend of games before the All-Star Break. Things are definitely going well for the team at this point, the home runs are coming and I'm loving every day here in Philadelphia.

Playing in Philadelphia, playing with Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins and all of my teammate... just the overall team chemistry that we have, that is definitely the best part about being a member of the Phillies roster. And it's been great all season long.

I remember back to a prank we played on Kyle Kendrick early in spring training, telling him he was traded to Japan... that's just the type of chemistry we have as a team. We're like a family, which is important because you're together so much.

That's not to say I don't see my regular family - My parents are both retired, so they do a lot of traveling. They'll come up to Philly and check out some games, and normally when we go to the Midwest, like Chicago, Milwaukee or Cincinnati, they usually make the drive up and come check it out. And of course when we play (and weplay) in St. Louis.

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled day...

Another day, another blog, and why not? I'm enjoying a relaxing morning here in Philly as we're back at home for a couple of Interleague series. I know the fans enjoy seeing teams from the American League come in, but it's also a lot of fun for the players, too.

Right now we're playing the defending world champions, which is always a good way to see how good we really are. You hear guys say that they always get up to play the best, but it's true. There's no better measuring stick. Of course, it's still the first half of the season and there's a long way to go, but there's no question that we have real work to do. After a pretty hot end of May, we've hit a few road bumps here and there. We'll win a few and lose a few, But when we're hitting like I know we can, we're a really good team.

I myself am feeling good now at the plate. A few multi-home run games will do that, I guess, but things are going well. I was reading Jennie Finch's blog here where she was writing about how she focuses on the mound as a pitcher and it got me thinking too.

How I approach at-bats really depends on what the situation is. If there's a runner on third base with less than 2 outs, what you want to do is get out there and put something in play, maybe a deep fly ball to the outfield or something on the ground up the middle. With a man on base and no outs, I am looking to move the runner and get a run in.

I've learned a lot in my four seasons in Philly, though I don't usually reflect on what's been going on during the season. As far as accomplishments go, I stop and think about it during the offseason when I'm able to take time to look at what I've done the year before or that season. So home runs are nice and all, but right now my main focus is trying to do what I can to help my team win a championship.

Happy Friday, everyone, though in the case of baseball players, we don't really ever get the weekend off. We're coming up to the end of a good couple of weeks here at home and will be back on the road in a few hours.

Before I go, let's answer some questions.

"My son loves baseball but I think he is too young to start training as a player. How old were you when you started playing baseball? Ernie"

I started playing baseball I was probably in 2nd grade, somewhere between 5 and 7 years old. You want your son to go out there and just learn and have fun with the game. You don't want to put too much pressure on him too early and try to train him. You can have him go and try and learn how to hit from a structure, but make sure to keep it fun, otherwise if there's too much pressure early on he might want to quit.
"Ryan, At what age did you decide that being a pro baseball player? Chris"

My first thought about it ever was probably when I was 15 when I was watching professional games on television. The potential reality of that coming true, though, was not until college when there was talk of being drafted. As a kid I was playing for the love of the game.
"hey ryan i am a big fan of you i play baseball and i was wondering who is the pitcher you like to face the most Vince"

Of course, the one I can get the most hits off of! No, I don't know, because that's just the thing about baseball, you could be hot one day and then the next day, have absolutely no clue what you're doing. It's the same way for a pitcher on the mound, you could have a dominating pitcher, but then that day his stuff might not be as good as it was the week before. On any given day, anyone could dominate anyone.

"if you weren't playing baseball, what would you rather be doing? Ross"

I went to school for communications and mass media, so I would probably be trying to do something in communications, maybe television and broadcasting. Or hosting my own talk show.

What else you guys got for me? The more you ask, the more I'll answer. Though not now... time to hit the road. Take it easy.