The current 2012 Philadelphia Phillies campaign towards yet another run into the playoffs has not been as successful as other years, but the outlook is getting better.

One year ago, if the typical Philadelphia Phillies fan was told that with fourteen games remaining on the schedule, the Phillies were fighting for a wild card spot, they would be in utter disbelief. Coming off of a season, which contained 102 wins and a fifth consecutive division title, the expectations were high and it was taken for granted that his team would make it into post season play. The dreams for another World Series championship continued.

Those dreams, however, turned to nightmares as the Phillies approached the July 31st trade deadline a dismal fourteen games under .500. They began to do what many other subpar teams would do, and that is beginning to rebuild for the future. This became evident with the departures of Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino

Most teams that were neighboring the Phillies in the standings began to give up, but the Phillies began to play respectable baseball.

Fast forward to the middle of September, and the Phillies find themselves not far out in the wild card, which is quite the feat when taken into consideration how far out they were two months prior. The team has been playing stellar ball as of late, winning seven straight at one point.

Many believe that much of this worthy baseball has come as a result of the team’s best players from years prior coming back from injury. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley had both been out until July from injuries in the year before.

“When a team has their best players coming back, it can really rejuvenate the lineup and light a spark under the team,” says Tyler Strauss, 19-year-old biology major from Warminster. “The first half of the year, they did not have that one player who stepped up and took charge of the situation. I am very eager to see how the season finishes for them.”

Ahead of the Phillies in the wild card race are the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have been playing well recently compared to the dismal last couple of weeks for the Cardinals, Dodgers and Pirates.

It’s always said that the good teams play better when it counts, and over the last few years, the Phillies have indeed accomplished that. In 2007, the Phillies were seven games behind the New York Mets for the division with seventeen games to go in the season. The Phillies playing well, combined with the Mets poor play, caused them to go on and win the division.

One final reason this comeback is so unique is because the city of Philadelphia had given up on the Phillies in a way, and not many have noticed the superb play as of late. Philadelphia also has four sports teams, which had made key moves and the Phillies season unfolded, which in a way, distracted, the fans from recognizing the comeback.

Like all comebacks, it is not complete without finishing, which is the only thing left for the Phillies to do. If they maintain the high level of play that has got them this far, there’s no telling when this story will come to an end.