Another goal the Phils could shoot for is to have a better record than last year. In 1998, the Phils ended the year with a 75-87 record. Back in early August, when they were 13 games over .500, beating that mark seemed a sure thing. Now, they have to win at least 6 of the games played in the last two weeks to finish with a better record. They have a shot at reaching this goal, but it's no longer a sure thing.
Players can motivate themselves by shooting for personal goals.
But aside from padding numbers, not much is left there, either. Bobby Abreu is still second in the batting race, but he's fallen more than 40 points behind leader Larry Walker. That kind of gap is nearly impossible to make up in two weeks. Curt Schilling's quest for 20 wins ended when his shoulder failed to improve, and he was scratched for the year. Mike Leiberthal already has the most homers by any catcher in team history, and now he has to split playing time with three other backstops.