One might say that the proverbial Philadelphia sports moment was realized this weekend. In one of our darkest moments in recent memory, Philly sports let you down. This hangover...well... will take a while to overcome. The figurative vomit taste that is still on your tongue after this weekend will not subside quickly and this one will sting. As Zach P. would say, "Put this in the heartbreak category." Indeed.
40 ounces to Phreedom
I should pour a 40 for my fallen homey, the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies. A great run. A great team. But overall, everyone knew that anything short of another World Series victory would be a huge disappointment. Remember, this year may have been the only time that a Philly sports team was the odds-on favorite for winning it all when entering the postseason.
As the dust begins to settle after this very tough loss, many will look at a particular person to blame. Well I can't answer that question directly, but I can tell you who not to blame. Don't blame rodeo clown and NLCS MVP Cody Ross. Don't blame Tim Lincecum or that bearded crazy person of a closer Brian Wilson. Don't blame offensive lineman Juan Uribe for the game winning blast in Game 6. And you can never blame anyone referred to as Panda because you know... Pandas are endangered or something. Don't blame Ryan Howard for taking the last pitch. You can't blame Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson and you can't fault H20 for this one. Cholly made some head-scratching moves this series but nope... can't blame him either.
In the end, baseball is a collective effort. When a team wins, the team wins collectively. All pieces must go together to create a product. The same can be said when they fail. And this failure, was a collective effort. Every single player on this club has partial blame. Every coach in the dugout and every suit in the office is somewhat to blame for the disappointing and premature end to the 2010 season.
With the World Series set to begin Wednesday night in San Fran, there will be a lot of familiar faces. Cliff Lee and Pat Burrell look to be major factors for their respective teams. Still, it will hurt to watch these games, thinking about what could have been and having arguably the two best teams in the league being ousted in their respective LCS.
And this is why I think that for just the 2010 season, the MLB should go all ECW. Let's give fans what they really wanted to see in a Yankees-Phillies rematch complete with loud intro music for each player and have Jayson Werth come out in a Yankees jersey only to rip it off and a have Phillies jersey underneath. Have Mike Schmidt parachute into the stadium and use a tire iron upside the head of Reggie Jackson or something. It would be great, but unfortunately, it was only in my dreams last night. And that's where the Phillies will reside until February 2011. Only in my dreams...
TKO
For those who don't know what a TKO is, it's tequila, Kahlua and Ouzo and a lot tastier than it sounds. But on Sunday it also meant what just potentially happened to the Eagles season. Yeah this one hurt. Heading into a bye and having a very difficult schedule after the said bye makes this loss tough to swallow, unlike the delicious TKO mentioned above. Ok, I need to remember that it's 8 am on a Monday before I start thinking about drinking. But the Eagles loss almost forces me to drink in complete despair.
TKO may also be wide receiver Kenny Britt's new nickname (Tennessee Knock Out) as Britt exploded against the Eagles and almost beat them single-handed. Britt caught three touchdowns and had 225 total receiving yards. And this was after not entering the game until a little before halftime. Why you might ask? Because he was being disciplined for having an altercation in a nightclub on Friday night.
Anyway, this is the second loss for this team in a game that should have been winnable. The game was all but won in the fourth quarter with 13 minutes left to go. The Eagles were up 19-10 and Chris Johnson looked more like Moose Johnston running the ball. Sure the offense looked shaky but the defense had done its job.
That's when Britt exploded. An 80-yard touchdown here. Another 16-yard touchdown snag there and just like that, it was 27-19 Titans with less than 5 minutes remaining. The rest of the game got even uglier as a Jorrick Calvin muffed punt put the nail in the coffin for the Eagles and lowered their record to 4-3 heading into the bye week.
The mistake filled game may have also cost Kevin Kolb the "starting" job (of course the definition of starter may change week to week), as Michael Vick is expected to start after bye against Indianapolis.
The Eagles have been tough to watch at times this year. Piling on points to Detroit only to have the Lions almost come back was nauseau-inducing. Tough losses against Green Bay, Washington and Tennessee have overshadowed the blow outs against Jacksonville and Atlanta. For three quarters of play, the Eagles put a little bit of hope into this city after the Phillies defeat the previous night. But no... the Eagles loss caused an even heavier Monday Hangover.
Of course it could have been worse this Monday. At least the Flyers won 5-2 on Saturday. Go Fly Boys!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Up Against It
The Phillies found themselves in an unenviable position Wednesday night after Juan Uribe, one of the starting offensive linemen for the San Francisco Giants, popped a game winning sac fly in the bottom of the ninth to win Game 4. Down 3-1 in the LCS, and looking like a team whose resolve had been zapped by the clutch performances of an energetic, confident Giants team, the Phillies looked all but done. However, just like the middle of the season when they fell to 7 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, I couldn't give up on them. I thought, why not? Why couldn't they beat the Giants 3 games in a row? All it would take was one win in San Fran, and they could bring it back to Philly with what will be an absolutely insane crowd for Game 6 (and hopefully 7). Sure enough, they did what they had to do. Roy Halladay, groin injury and all, gutted it out to lead the Phillies to a 4-2 victory in what was essentially the biggest start of his career with the season on the line.
The Giants had a chance to end it at home, but they didn't. Now, the Phillies have momentum. They still have Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. They still have a lineup who CAN heat it up at any moment and light up the scoreboard, even though they've struggled. But who says they can't turn it on at any moment? If the Phillies win Game 6, you can bet those Giants players will be sweating. They don't want this to come down to a Game 7 in Philadelphia. Watching the Phillies on the field after the game last night, I saw a team that's ticked off that this series has even gotten to this point, and is ready to take care of business at the Bank. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit in a series sounds like an extremely unlikely task, but something inside tells me the Phils might have what it takes to pull this one out.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Can't Let "That" Guy Beat Us!
Fear not, loyal blog followers, for I am back from my annual Galapagos Island Trip. As fellow contributor Zach P. pointed out, I make my annual journey down there to watch the monarch butterfly migrate. This trip unfortunately did not include my friend who got me hooked onto the migration: Austin Kearns. As you may know, Kearns is for the first and probably last time, playing in a League Championship Series for the New York Yankees.
I missed ya, buddy. Doesn't he just look like he likes monarch butterflies? Anyway, I'm back and after a lovely Monday Hangover post by Zach P., I have something to just complain about it. And it comes down to just one thing: Cody Ross. I hate him. I don't want Cody Ross to be the reason why the Phillies do not win the World Series. Just like Austin Kearns looks like a guy who enjoys a butterfly or two, Ross looks like a typical San Francisco hobo who collects change from a diaper. Trust me, I've been to San Francisco. And although it is a beautiful city, you will see more homeless people there than any other place on Earth. To top it off, most look like Ross:
I mean just look at him!
The straggly beard and bald/shaved head doesn't work for many people and I would prefer if a more beautiful person beat the Phillies. Like Pat Burrell. He really hasn't done too much to hurt the Phillies. Instead it's been Smurf Ross above. Seriously, paint him blue and he'll look less like a character from Avatar and more like Papa Smurf.
It's probably because I consider myself a terrible person, but sometimes I dislike people based on the way they look and that's it. I know, pretty awful. I'm not saying that when I see an ugly person, I immediately dislike them. But when they look like Ross and when Ross is absolutely just coming through with the clutchest hits that his face has no business making, I take offense.
For example, I'm in a large minority that just can't stand Peyton Manning. I mean he's a great quarterback and all, but I just hate him. Why? Because he looks like an idiot hillbilly and like he could be his own bobblehead doll. Google him and you'll see what I'm talking about. I don't think they changed the scale of his head for a Peyton Manning bobblehead.
Maybe I'm so hostile because I'm nervous about this series. It might stretch to seven games now which is going to be tough. Big Joe Blanton is on the mound tonight and it's essentially a must-win game. And I want "our" guys to succeed, even despite some of their looks. I want Jayson "I Look like a Goat Sometimes" Werth to jack another bomb. I want Chooch "Turtle" Ruiz to keep the clutch hits coming. And I'd much rather see the light goatee of Brad Lidge close out a game rather than the Just-For-Men beard madness of Giants closer Brian Wilson.
I still feel good about the series and maybe I'm just projecting my own insecurities on Mr. Ross. Because, even I, R. Scott, Mr. Heartbreak, was told that I resemble another baseball star recently:
Mark Teixeira "Tex"
And I just don't see it.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Hangover - October 18, 2010
Vince Lombardi recently summed up his take on the Philadelphia sports world:
Vince, I have no idea. Things are crazy right now, and it all starts with...what else...the Eagles quarterback situation. Also, as you may notice, I'm giving R. Scott the week off for the Monday Hangover while he takes part in his annual monarch butterfly-watching expedition in the Galapagos Islands. Don't worry, he will be back next week.
Dos QBs
Andy Reid doesn't always bench starting quarterbacks when they get hurt and the backup plays well, but when he does, he drinks Dos Equis in large quantities. And sets a tricky precedent that he now has to deal with when said starter takes over for said backup and also plays well. Listening to Reid's postgame press conference after beating the Falcons Sunday, when asked if Michael Vick would still be his starting quarterback after a stellar performance by Kevin Kolb, his sputtering, meek "well...uh...yeah" response sounded more like someone had asked him if he REALLY wanted that garden salad instead of a double cheeseburger. Reid makes it sound like it's a good problem to have, and in some ways it is, but quarterback is the one position that needs to have stability, and so far there's been none. Vick took the job from Kolb because Kolb got hurt and Vick played well, and now that the reverse has happened, will Reid hold to the precedent he has set? We shall see next week against the Titans.
I also have to wonder what all the haters who dismissed Kolb as a bust after two quarters of play have to say now? As per usual, talk radio has been full of nothing but talk of how KK isn't what he was made out to be, playing scared, not able to throw the long ball, blah blah blah. In fact, I spoke with someone Sunday who informed me that Kolb "stinks. He's terrible." I proceeded to explain how I thought he was fine, and how he wasn't playing nearly as bad as people made him out to be. Well, I hate to say I told you so, but it looks like Kevin Kolb doesn't stink. Everyone was ready to anoint the Falcons as the class of the NFC, and he proceeded to tear their defense to shreds. Also, I think backup LT King Dunlap has something to say to everyone who said he would be abused by Falcons DE John Abraham Sunday, as Abraham finished with one tackle and zero sacks. I know King was getting some help from other blockers at times, but he was on an island on quite a few plays and did an excellent job keeping Kolb's jersey clean, as did the entire O-line.
Irish Favre Bomb
Brett Favre is famous for throwing bombs to wide receivers, but a bomb was dropped on him (and his junk) earlier this week. Now, I don't often write segments about another man's junk, but this is just too funny. Brett joins Chris Cooley and Greg Oden in the "Pictures of My Man Parts Ended Up Somewhere They Shouldn't Have" club when it was revealed that he had sent inappropriate pictures of his nether region to a Jets' sideline reporter named Jenn Sterger. When reached for comment, Sterger had this to say:
Who knew that Favre's "Pants on the Ground" rendition last year could be taken so literally? Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground indeed.
After becoming the center of the media's attention (his favorite hobby), Favre's junk took another hit - this time a physical one on the practice field:
Ouch. The funniest part about it might be the fact that no one seems concerned that the starting quarterback is writhing on the ground in pain, not even whoever threw the pass. The man code typically suggests that if you accidentally hit another dude in the nuts, you come over and see if he's okay (even though he's clearly not). Maybe this is a case of what goes around comes around.
Favre's week did end on a positive note as his Vikings beat the Cowboys Sunday, sending Dallas to a 1-4 record and planting them even deeper in the NFC East basement, much to the delight of us Philly fans.
Magic Pat Number 9
We all knew it. Pat the Bat, despite all his well-publicized shortcomings, would come back to haunt us, and he did in Game 1 of the NLCS with an RBI double off the left field wall to help the Giants to a victory. He may be slower than molasses, he may have the exact same swing plane on every swing, and he may still stick his rear end out on a called third strike right down the middle, but he's always ready to pop one and break some hearts.
Man or machine?
Pat wasn't the only one doing damage, however. Cody Ross, aka the bane of every Phillies fan's existence, hit three solo shots over the weekend. Two were off Halladay, one was off Oswalt, and all three were virtually the same exact pitch in the same exact location hit to the same exact section of the left field stands. Fortunately, Ross's homer was the only glitch in Oswalt's superb effort, as he helped the Phils tie the series at 1-1 after Doctober hit a rough patch on Saturday. The bats also finally came alive with runners in scoring position when Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run double with two outs in the seventh to help the team cruise to a 6-1 win. Hopefully King Cole, who seems to enjoy pitching in his home state of California, can continue his dominance tomorrow afternoon against Matt Cain.
That's all for this week. Stay thirsty, my friends.
Vince, I have no idea. Things are crazy right now, and it all starts with...what else...the Eagles quarterback situation. Also, as you may notice, I'm giving R. Scott the week off for the Monday Hangover while he takes part in his annual monarch butterfly-watching expedition in the Galapagos Islands. Don't worry, he will be back next week.
Dos QBs
Andy Reid doesn't always bench starting quarterbacks when they get hurt and the backup plays well, but when he does, he drinks Dos Equis in large quantities. And sets a tricky precedent that he now has to deal with when said starter takes over for said backup and also plays well. Listening to Reid's postgame press conference after beating the Falcons Sunday, when asked if Michael Vick would still be his starting quarterback after a stellar performance by Kevin Kolb, his sputtering, meek "well...uh...yeah" response sounded more like someone had asked him if he REALLY wanted that garden salad instead of a double cheeseburger. Reid makes it sound like it's a good problem to have, and in some ways it is, but quarterback is the one position that needs to have stability, and so far there's been none. Vick took the job from Kolb because Kolb got hurt and Vick played well, and now that the reverse has happened, will Reid hold to the precedent he has set? We shall see next week against the Titans.
I also have to wonder what all the haters who dismissed Kolb as a bust after two quarters of play have to say now? As per usual, talk radio has been full of nothing but talk of how KK isn't what he was made out to be, playing scared, not able to throw the long ball, blah blah blah. In fact, I spoke with someone Sunday who informed me that Kolb "stinks. He's terrible." I proceeded to explain how I thought he was fine, and how he wasn't playing nearly as bad as people made him out to be. Well, I hate to say I told you so, but it looks like Kevin Kolb doesn't stink. Everyone was ready to anoint the Falcons as the class of the NFC, and he proceeded to tear their defense to shreds. Also, I think backup LT King Dunlap has something to say to everyone who said he would be abused by Falcons DE John Abraham Sunday, as Abraham finished with one tackle and zero sacks. I know King was getting some help from other blockers at times, but he was on an island on quite a few plays and did an excellent job keeping Kolb's jersey clean, as did the entire O-line.
Irish Favre Bomb
Brett Favre is famous for throwing bombs to wide receivers, but a bomb was dropped on him (and his junk) earlier this week. Now, I don't often write segments about another man's junk, but this is just too funny. Brett joins Chris Cooley and Greg Oden in the "Pictures of My Man Parts Ended Up Somewhere They Shouldn't Have" club when it was revealed that he had sent inappropriate pictures of his nether region to a Jets' sideline reporter named Jenn Sterger. When reached for comment, Sterger had this to say:
Who knew that Favre's "Pants on the Ground" rendition last year could be taken so literally? Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground indeed.
After becoming the center of the media's attention (his favorite hobby), Favre's junk took another hit - this time a physical one on the practice field:
Ouch. The funniest part about it might be the fact that no one seems concerned that the starting quarterback is writhing on the ground in pain, not even whoever threw the pass. The man code typically suggests that if you accidentally hit another dude in the nuts, you come over and see if he's okay (even though he's clearly not). Maybe this is a case of what goes around comes around.
Favre's week did end on a positive note as his Vikings beat the Cowboys Sunday, sending Dallas to a 1-4 record and planting them even deeper in the NFC East basement, much to the delight of us Philly fans.
Magic Pat Number 9
We all knew it. Pat the Bat, despite all his well-publicized shortcomings, would come back to haunt us, and he did in Game 1 of the NLCS with an RBI double off the left field wall to help the Giants to a victory. He may be slower than molasses, he may have the exact same swing plane on every swing, and he may still stick his rear end out on a called third strike right down the middle, but he's always ready to pop one and break some hearts.
Man or machine?Pat wasn't the only one doing damage, however. Cody Ross, aka the bane of every Phillies fan's existence, hit three solo shots over the weekend. Two were off Halladay, one was off Oswalt, and all three were virtually the same exact pitch in the same exact location hit to the same exact section of the left field stands. Fortunately, Ross's homer was the only glitch in Oswalt's superb effort, as he helped the Phils tie the series at 1-1 after Doctober hit a rough patch on Saturday. The bats also finally came alive with runners in scoring position when Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run double with two outs in the seventh to help the team cruise to a 6-1 win. Hopefully King Cole, who seems to enjoy pitching in his home state of California, can continue his dominance tomorrow afternoon against Matt Cain.
That's all for this week. Stay thirsty, my friends.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
NLCS Preview
For the third year in a row, the Phillies are in the NLCS. And for the third year in a row, they will face an opponent from the NL West as they welcome Pat Burrell and the San Francisco Giants to the Bank Saturday night.
In a series that will feature some great pitching matchups, this NLCS might be the toughest for the Phillies compared to the recent history of beating the Dodgers. Let's face it, Brian Wilson is no Jonathan Broxton and that is not good news for Phillies fans who are used to seeing Matt Stairs or J-Roll just totally destroy any confidence Broxton could ever have.
While I have extreme confidence that the Phillies will be heading to their third straight World Series, this NLCS is scary for a couple reasons.
How the Phillies Could Lose:
1. The Freak. Tim Lincecum's only start against the Phils was all the way back in April when the season was a lot different. Still, Lincecum dominated by going 8.1 innings and struck out 11 while only allowing 2 runs. The game ended in a wild 7-6 win for the Phillies as the typically-sure-handed aforementioned Wilson surrendered a bases clearing tying double to Jayson Werth and the Phils won in extra innings. Still, Lincecum has been nasty against the Phillies and is coming off a superb performance against the Braves (a two-hit, 14 strikeout masterpiece)
2. Pat Burrell. I wake up most nights in deep sweats. Not because of Pat Burrell's sexy eyebrows but because of the karma I'm used to experiencing in the city of Philadelphia. The Phillies have been the luckiest franchise in our cities history if you think about it. It feels like it's time to get completely blindsided. If Burrell has a big series and starts hitting homers, I'm going to feel sick to my stomach. I never had anything against Burrell, but I'm just nervous. I'm as nervous as women who happen to be at the same bar as Burrell after the games. Those women have no chance. (What's worse is possible karma in the World Series. If the Rangers make it through, you know we'll face Cliff Lee at the Bank. Eek!)
3. The offense. They just didn't get it done in the NLDS. They rode great pitching but only scored 6 earned runs and only had a team batting average of .212. We got some timely hits and some big at-bats that produced walks or hit batsmen but we'll need more against the likes of Lincecum, Sanchez, and Cain.
4. The X-factor. Madison Bumgarner? Who? Did you go to high school with him? Sounds like a character from Gossip Girl (not that I watch). But the projected Game 4 starter is a left-handed rookie who the Phillies have not seen yet. They will most likely see him in San Francisco. The ballpark combined with the unfamiliarity with Bumgarner's stuff usually spells trouble for this offense. If the Phillies are leading 2 games to 1 by the time we reach Game 4, a poor offensive output against Bumgarner could mean a shift in the momentum of the series.
Now, like I said, I have the utmost of confidence in the Phils that they can eclipse the Giants and win their third straight pennant. And I have some good reasons.
How the Phillies Could Win:
1. The Doc. The Oz. The Camel. I'm just making up new nicknames at this point but I like them. Otherwise known as H20, I think the combination of Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels might be too much for an already poor Giants lineup. These three guys will give the Phillies a chance to win any game and when that offense heats up, forget about it.
2. Mad-dog and Lights Out. The back of the bullpen was a question mark throughout 2009 and some of 2010. But lately, Madson and Lidge look, dare I say... 2008-esque. Only needed for Game 2 against the Reds, the entire bullpen is well rested and ready to close out some wins in this series. If the Phillies get a lead, they have to feel pretty confident going from a member of H20 to Madson to Lidge.
3. Clooch. Carlos Ruiz is amazing and is one of the most undervalued players in the league. He's our number 8 hitter and has an OBP of .400. He works the count, turns the lineup over, and gets on base. So many little things can add up to big wins in the playoffs. And the clutch-ness carries over to other players too. Unsung heroes like Ross Gload or Ben Francisco can factor into an NLCS too and the Phillies have been known for turning these role players into key figures in October. Just remember Matt Stairs and what he did for the city and you'll know what I'm talking about.
4. The team of destiny feeling. There is just that feeling. The feeling that nothing can stop the Phillies right now. Fresh off their first ever postseason sweep, the Phillies are the "team to beat" as J-Roll once so famously put it. I believe it too. I remember back to my little league days and taking a knee after a practice late in the season. I must have been 13. The coach gave us an impassioned speech about just making into the playoffs. Then anything can happen. We must have listened as we won our next four games and found ourselves in the championship. Unfortunately, my team, "The Orioles", lost to the Yankees in that Game, but it certainly wasn't "Richie the K's" fault. Oh... what were we talking about.
Oh right. Destiny. The Lower-South Orioles were the team of destiny that year and muscled our way to the championship. That's what this team looks capable of and I believe it will happen.
Although it will be tougher than most imagine, I believe the Phils have the guts, experience and talent to go to another World Series. My prediction: Say Goodbye to Burrell and the Giants in 6 games.
In a series that will feature some great pitching matchups, this NLCS might be the toughest for the Phillies compared to the recent history of beating the Dodgers. Let's face it, Brian Wilson is no Jonathan Broxton and that is not good news for Phillies fans who are used to seeing Matt Stairs or J-Roll just totally destroy any confidence Broxton could ever have.
While I have extreme confidence that the Phillies will be heading to their third straight World Series, this NLCS is scary for a couple reasons.
How the Phillies Could Lose:
1. The Freak. Tim Lincecum's only start against the Phils was all the way back in April when the season was a lot different. Still, Lincecum dominated by going 8.1 innings and struck out 11 while only allowing 2 runs. The game ended in a wild 7-6 win for the Phillies as the typically-sure-handed aforementioned Wilson surrendered a bases clearing tying double to Jayson Werth and the Phils won in extra innings. Still, Lincecum has been nasty against the Phillies and is coming off a superb performance against the Braves (a two-hit, 14 strikeout masterpiece)
2. Pat Burrell. I wake up most nights in deep sweats. Not because of Pat Burrell's sexy eyebrows but because of the karma I'm used to experiencing in the city of Philadelphia. The Phillies have been the luckiest franchise in our cities history if you think about it. It feels like it's time to get completely blindsided. If Burrell has a big series and starts hitting homers, I'm going to feel sick to my stomach. I never had anything against Burrell, but I'm just nervous. I'm as nervous as women who happen to be at the same bar as Burrell after the games. Those women have no chance. (What's worse is possible karma in the World Series. If the Rangers make it through, you know we'll face Cliff Lee at the Bank. Eek!)
3. The offense. They just didn't get it done in the NLDS. They rode great pitching but only scored 6 earned runs and only had a team batting average of .212. We got some timely hits and some big at-bats that produced walks or hit batsmen but we'll need more against the likes of Lincecum, Sanchez, and Cain.
4. The X-factor. Madison Bumgarner? Who? Did you go to high school with him? Sounds like a character from Gossip Girl (not that I watch). But the projected Game 4 starter is a left-handed rookie who the Phillies have not seen yet. They will most likely see him in San Francisco. The ballpark combined with the unfamiliarity with Bumgarner's stuff usually spells trouble for this offense. If the Phillies are leading 2 games to 1 by the time we reach Game 4, a poor offensive output against Bumgarner could mean a shift in the momentum of the series.
Now, like I said, I have the utmost of confidence in the Phils that they can eclipse the Giants and win their third straight pennant. And I have some good reasons.
How the Phillies Could Win:
1. The Doc. The Oz. The Camel. I'm just making up new nicknames at this point but I like them. Otherwise known as H20, I think the combination of Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels might be too much for an already poor Giants lineup. These three guys will give the Phillies a chance to win any game and when that offense heats up, forget about it.
2. Mad-dog and Lights Out. The back of the bullpen was a question mark throughout 2009 and some of 2010. But lately, Madson and Lidge look, dare I say... 2008-esque. Only needed for Game 2 against the Reds, the entire bullpen is well rested and ready to close out some wins in this series. If the Phillies get a lead, they have to feel pretty confident going from a member of H20 to Madson to Lidge.
3. Clooch. Carlos Ruiz is amazing and is one of the most undervalued players in the league. He's our number 8 hitter and has an OBP of .400. He works the count, turns the lineup over, and gets on base. So many little things can add up to big wins in the playoffs. And the clutch-ness carries over to other players too. Unsung heroes like Ross Gload or Ben Francisco can factor into an NLCS too and the Phillies have been known for turning these role players into key figures in October. Just remember Matt Stairs and what he did for the city and you'll know what I'm talking about.
4. The team of destiny feeling. There is just that feeling. The feeling that nothing can stop the Phillies right now. Fresh off their first ever postseason sweep, the Phillies are the "team to beat" as J-Roll once so famously put it. I believe it too. I remember back to my little league days and taking a knee after a practice late in the season. I must have been 13. The coach gave us an impassioned speech about just making into the playoffs. Then anything can happen. We must have listened as we won our next four games and found ourselves in the championship. Unfortunately, my team, "The Orioles", lost to the Yankees in that Game, but it certainly wasn't "Richie the K's" fault. Oh... what were we talking about.
Oh right. Destiny. The Lower-South Orioles were the team of destiny that year and muscled our way to the championship. That's what this team looks capable of and I believe it will happen.
Although it will be tougher than most imagine, I believe the Phils have the guts, experience and talent to go to another World Series. My prediction: Say Goodbye to Burrell and the Giants in 6 games.
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