2008 PHILLIES WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!
Where to start?
No joke. I have just tried typing out an appropriate sentence six different times, six different ways and had to delete every one because I do not feel it does justice to the sheer pride I am filled with right now in my baseball team. Overcoming some odds and defying the naysayers, the Phillies have won the World Series!
The Phillies. Seriously. The Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Championship!
THE PHILLIES ARE WORLD CHAMPS!When game five was suspended in the middle of the sixth inning Monday night there were many Phillies supporters who grew a little nervous. With the Phillies leading the World Series 3-1, all eyes were on clinching as soon as possible and not having to return to Tampa for any more games until spring training. What if the Rays had won last night? What if the Phillies then lost game six? Who would pitch game seven? The beauty now is that all of those fears and questions are long forgotten. None of it matters.
Resuming game five where we last left off the Phillies stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ace Cole Hamels was due up but naturally he was out of the game for good. Pinch hitting for Hamels was Geoff Jenkins. All post season the Phillies' bench players and unsung heroes have stepped up in big situations. Carlos Ruiz, Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett, Joe Blanton, and now Geoff Jenkins. Jenkins got everything jumping when he hit a double into the gap in right field. Watching the excitement and happiness on Jenkins' face was priceless. Jimmy Rollins then put down the sacrifice bunt to move Jenkins to third. If not for last night's shortened game situation Rollins would probably be swinging. Jenkins then scored when Werth hit a bloop single that was just missed by Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Perhaps the Baseball Gods were watching over us last night.
Ryan Madson took the mound in relief of Hamels and started off well, getting the first out with a strike out, but Rocco Baldelli momentarily silenced the frenzied crowd with a home run to left field. No worries. J.C. Romero came in to finish off the inning after Madson recorded the second out. Then the play of the game happened.
With Jason Bartlett at second base after a sacrifice bunt Iwamura stepped to the plate. Iwamura got a good hit off of Romero and Chase Utley saved it from going in to the outfield, scoring a sure run. Utley faked a throw to first base, where he had no play, and Bartlett took the bait. Utley then threw home to Ruiz who made an easy tag out to save the potential go-ahead run and end the inning tied at four.
At the bottom of the seventh inning Pat Burrell got his final at-bat of the post season, and possibly his last as a Phillies player. Burrell did not have a very memorable World Series at the plate, but in his final at bat he recorded his first hit. A lead-off double that was just short of a home run to the deepest area of the park. Eric Bruntlett came in to pinch run for Burrell and take over duties in left field in the late innings. Shane Victorino grounded out in the next at bat but was able to move Bruntlett to third base. Pedro Feliz then stepped up and had the hit of the night. Feliz hit a grounder up the middle and in to center field, scoring Bruntlett. From there it was business as usual.
Romero pitched a great eighth inning. Carl Crawford started with a single but B.J. Upton grounded into a double play. Carlos Pena then lined out to left field. The Phillies didn't do anything in the bottom of the eighth but the damage was already done. Up 4-3 the Phillies were about to bring in the best closer in baseball in 2008. Brad "Lights Out" Lidge. This one is for Philadelphia.
Evan Longoria popped to second.
Dioner Navarro singled to right. Fernando Perez came in to pinch run and stole second base. A base hit ties the game.
Ben Zobrist lines out to right field, filing to advance the runner.
Then, this...
Fittingly enough Lidge finished the job with a perfect strike out.
Cole Hamels is your World Series MVP, Jamie Moyer stole the rubber from the mound, and Harry Kalas finally got to call a World Series clinching moment. The Philadelphia Phillies are the World Champions!!!
I will have much more on this for a week I am sure because it is just sinking in that I have witnessed a world championship.
As Shane Victorino says on his
blog today, "I guess the curse is gone. William Penn is happy, now."
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