This weekend saw my parents' 33rd anniversary, John Lennon's birthday, and binary day (10/10/10). Oh and the Phillies clinched the NLDS and the Eagles pulled off a mini-upset. I was going to write the whole Monday Hangover post in binary code but I didn't want to reduce our readership from 6 down to, well.... 0.
Cole Hamels: Stud
The Phillies wrapped up yet another NLDS. Now three straight years have the Phillies made the first round postseason opponent just look silly. The Brewers had no chance in '08, the Rockies put a little scare in '09, and the Reds looked just plain miserable in '10.
Many are saying that the 2010 Phillies might just be the best iteration we've had. The starting pitching and bullpen help basically won the series for us. Even with Oswalt's game 2 bumpiness, the big 3 have lived up to their billing so far.
Halladay chucks a no-hitter in his postseason debut, Oswalt goes 5.0 innings and settles himself down giving the Phils a chance in game 2, and Hamels scatters just five hits over his complete game shut out masterpiece to clinch. With these three on the hill for us, it's a very good chance to win the first three games of any series we play. Then of course, you have Joe Blanton as a Game 4 starter, who is no slouch and has postseason experience. It's hard to imagine that the 2008 WFC Phillies went with a rotation of Hamels, Brett Myers, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer. The studly 2010 rotation makes the 2008 squad look like the guy who tries to pick up chicks at a bar by talking about his Star Wars figurine collection. There is just no comparison.
The Phillies have won this series on pitching and defense alone as their bats have been relatively silent. They have only hit one home run, have just 4 extra-base hits, and only 7 out of their 13 runs have technically been earned. This is definitely a team that no longer always has to rely on the strength of the lineup and can be carried in other ways.
One of those ways is the resurgence of Cole Hamels. What more can you say about this guy? As the number 3 on this team, Hamels actually has the most postseason experience and is the most decorated as he won the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP awards. After the lackluster 2009 season, Hamels has been dominant all year for the Phils and he continues to shine in the postseason. Essentially, Hamels has been the X-factor as expectations for Halladay and Oswalt have already been set. Hamels may be the key to winning another World Championship. And if he does, then the question of this team becoming a dynasty has to be asked. Which is very exciting as I don't think I've ever heard of a Philadelphia team being referred to as a dynasty.
Kolb-a-Roni: The San Francisco Treat
Oh and this weekend, the Eagles won much to the surprise and delight of several Eagles fans. With their backs against the wall, playing at home, I thought the 49ers would win this game. They had to. Their entire season depended on it. But no, Kevin Kolb and the Eagles defense beat the 49ers and they looked pretty good doing it.
Let's start with Kolb. The Eagles quarterback carousel this season has already been crazy. Kolb gets injured, Vick plays well, Vick earns starting job, Vick gets injured, Kolb plays well. I guess it is a luxury to have two pretty capable quarterbacks on the team. For most of the game, especially early on, Kolb looked pretty comfortable. He utilized several bootlegs and play action passes to get some time to throw down field. He didn't look as hesitant as he was last week against the Redskins. However, the offensive line is so porous and the 49ers were able to sack Kolb 4 times. Each of those 4 times, Kolb had little chance to get rid of the ball and the rushers always seemed to come from his blind side.
Either way, I liked what Kolb did and I've been a big supporter of him. I think he's going to be a solid quarterback in the NFL and I hope it's for the Eagles. I think he is our best long-term solution. I don't think he should have lost his job one quarter into the season and I hope his performance during this opportunity makes Andy Reid question what is best for this team.
The Eagles defense also looked resurgent this week as they capitalized off of mistakes made by Alex Smith and the 49ers. Two picks and three fumble recoveries, one leading to a score, allowed the Eagles to gain some momentum in this game. Still, the defense gave up over 350 yards of offense and that is not that good.
What I'm truly impressed with is the play of LeSean "Shady" McCoy. Playing with broken ribs, McCoy 92 yards on the ground and another 46 through the air. A 29-yard scamper for a score showed McCoy's elusiveness and power. I think that McCoy is quickly showing he's close to being a top five running back in this league and can create many headaches for defenses.
So all in all, another successful weekend for Philly sports and here's looking forward to next weekend and the start of the NLCS and another big test for the Eagles as they will face the Falcons.
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