Philly Sports Today

After nearly 50 hours, Game 5 ended just the way it was supposed to on Monday night–with the Philadelphia Phillies as World Series Champions. I cannot even put into words how excited I am. I never thought that I would see a Philadelphia team win a championship. Now that I have, I don’t know what to do with myself. Well, except go to the parade tomorrow with 3 million of my closest friends.

Game 5 was an exciting 3 1/2 inning sprint as opposed to a typical 9 inning marathon. With the score locked up at 2-2, Joe Maddon started the game by leaving reliever Grant Balfour on the mound to start the “game.” A total bonehead move in my estimation when you have stud lefty starter David Price sitting in the bullpen. Geoff Jenkins led off the bottom of the sixth with a pinch hit double that missed going out by only a few feet. Jimmy Rollins sacrificed Jenkins to third and Jayson Werth hit a bloop single to shallow center that was dropped by Akinori Iwamura to brink Jenkins home. 3-2 Phillies. The Bank was going crazy.

The lead didn’t last for long as Ryan Madson gave up a solo shot to Rocco “100 total at bats this season, counting the playoffs” Baldelli in the top of the seventh to tie it up at 3-3. During the World Series, Madson seemed to revert back to the normal inconsistent Ryan Madson that wore a Phillies uniform for every other year of his career. However, without his late season contribution as a set-up man, the Phillies may not have been able to get this far. Luckily, J.C. Romero has been a stud in the playoffs and closed out the inning without further damage. The game-changing play of the inning was when Iwamura hit a single up the middle that Chase Utley fielded deep in the hole. Utley faked the throw to Howard at first and threw home to nail Jason Bartlett trying to score the go-ahead run. I think that play alone swung the game. Utley’s play was probably one of the most heads-up defensive plays that I’ve seen in a long time. Mad props.

In what most likely is his last at-bat in a Phillies uniform, Pat Burrell led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double that just missed being a home run. In almost any other part of the ballpark, that ball is gone. Burrell was lifted for pinch runner and defensive replacement Eric Bruntlett hoping that the Phils would take the lead. Shane Victorino followed with a fantastic at-bat that moved Bruntlett to third with one out. Then, like he has so many times this season, Pedro “Peter Happy” Feliz slapped a single up the middle. The Bank exploded. 4-3 Phillies. 6 outs away.

It looked like Romero was going to struggle in the eighth after Carl Crawford led off with a single, but B.J. Upton grounded into a double play on the next pitch and you could just sense that the Phillies were going to pull it off. With the wind out of their sails, Romero forced Carlos Pena to fly out to end the inning. David Price came on in the eighth inning and did what he was expected to do–dominate. Rollins flew out, Werth struck out, Utley walked, and Ryan Howard struck out.

The game was set up exactly the way every Phillies fan would have wanted it–the Phils have a one run lead and Brad “Lights Out” Lidge is coming in to close it out. Lidge started off the inning by getting Evan Longoria to pop out, but Dioner Navarro followed with a solid at bat that led to a single. He was lifted for pinch runner Fernando Perez, who subsequently swiped second to put the tying run in scoring position. Ben Zobrist gave Lidge a tough battle, but Zobrist ultimately lined out to Werth for the second out in the inning. Eric Hinske came off of the bench to pinch hit for Jason Bartlett with hopes of at least tying the game. Luckily, Lidge, who’s uniform number is the reverse of 1980 Phillies closer Tug McGraw, buckled down. Three pitches later, Hinske whiffed at a slider to give the Phillies their first World Series title since 1980. It’s kind of eerie that Lidge’s number is 54 when McGraw, who also ended the World Series with a strikeout, wore number 45. Oh yeah, there’s also that whole ‘80 to ‘08 thing. The Phillies definitely had the numerology working last night.

Cole Hamels was named World Series MVP, mainly because none of the hitters did anything that spectacular to take it away from him. One thing is certain; Cole definitely earned a monstrous raise this month.

Who would’ve thought that the Phillies would actually win the World Series? Clearly not me if you read my articles dating back to late August. The team just came together down the stretch and flat out got a ton of breaks. It was the perfect end to a perfect season. I really don’t know what else I could say about them that hasn’t already been written. This win was something that I have literally waited my entire life for. Now that it’s here, it’s just an amazing feeling. I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of hearing the phrase “2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.” This team is probably immune from criticism for a decent amount of time. Or until they lose a series to the Mets. Whichever one comes first.

Go Phillies.