world series game 5: the best team wins

The last 3.5 innings of game 5 lived up to the hype, starting on an odd tilt, with the home team taking the first at-bats. By then the crowd, a stunning (given the make-up circumstances) 44,000+, was in full cry. Geoff Jenkins, pinch hitting for Cole Hamels, led off. He slammed a hit to the right field wall off of Balfour and ran to 2nd with mighty fist pumps. After Jimmy bunted him over, Jayson Werth brought him in on a bloop single just out of the reach of 2nd baseman Iwamura. Hey, we can play small ball! And just like that, the Phillies had a 3-2 lead.

Madson came in for the 7th, got one out, then gave up a solo homer to Rocco Baldelli, the first home run Madson had surrendered at CBP since April. Jason Bartlett then reached on a single and Joe Maddon opted to keep the lefty Howell in the game to sacrifice him over. With two outs and a man on 2nd, Charlie went to J.C. Romero, who got Akinori Iwamura to hit a soft grounder to 2nd. Chase Utley, in a tremendous play, grabbed the ball, pumpfaked to 1st, then threw home on Bartlett. Ruiz made a great catch and tagged Bartlett out. Game tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the 7th.

Pat Burrell, who had been 0 for 13 in the series, led off with a booming double to left center. He just missed it and settled for a double. Buck and McCarver opined that he should have been on 3rd but given that piano on Pat's back 3rd might have been a stretch. It was a big hit for a guy who may have played his last game in a Phillies uniform. Eric Bruntlett came in to pinch run for Burrell. Victorino then tried to bunt him over and finally grounded out to 2nd. Mission accomplished. Next up, Pedro Feliz, who singled up the middle, allowing Bruntlett to waltz home. Phillies grabbed the 4-3 lead. J.C. Romero, who got the last out in the 7th, stayed in for the 8th. The Rays went with lefty phenom David Price.

With the score 4-3 going into the 9th, it was time for Lidge. He got Longoria to pop up. Then Dioner Navarro hit a broken-bat single to right and was replaced at 1st by speedster Fernando Perez. Zobrist, pinch hitting for some reason for Baldelli, laced a seed right to Werth. Perez then stole 2nd. But Lidge got Eric Hinske out swinging on three pitches.

This morning a 20-year-old guy who was at the game played back the video he took of the Rays' final at-bat. As Lidge got the strike-out, the roar of the crowd was just awesome. I had goosebumps just hearing it. As soon as the game ended, the customary fireworks went off all around the rim of the park. This guy said he never even heard them. The crowd was that loud.

The game lasted about an hour and 20 minutes and was packed with timely hits, clutch pitching, and sparkling defense, particularly by the two guys at 2nd. In the end, Charlie Manuel outmanaged Joe Torre and Joe Maddon, who both made odd moves with their bullpens. As in the regular season, everything Charlie did seem to work.

I had picked the Phillies to win in five and they did. But I have never been as nervous before a game as I was last night. Butterflies, palpitations, shallow breathing. As Brad Lidge replied once when asked about about coping with the stress of the postseason, "We just want to throw up all over ourselves." This from a fab guy who was a perfect 41 for 41 during the regular season and 7 for 7 in the postseason. As Jimmy Rollins says, "Do it afraid." Skill, determination, focus, and heart help. Not to mention good pitching. There was really little doubt about who would win the series.

2008 world champion philadelphia phillies!

Thanks, guys. You were great. You deserved it. It took a team to do it and top to bottom you are a real team. You are the best. And, as Pat Gillick said after the game, "Let's do it again next year!" Go, Phillies!

world series game 5 continued

Yesterday's heavy rains and strong winds have done a number on the leaves. Most of these are now gone.

Game 5 picks up tonight at 8:37 pm in the bottom of the 6th. It's bullpen vs. bullpen. Go, Phillies!

Gametime temperature will be around 39F,with a realfeel around 23F. It's now sleeting here in the Lehigh Valley. I've just put on John Coltrane's A Love Supreme to warm things up. We were without electricity from around 6 pm yesterday till almost noon today.

world series game 5: mlb screws up big-time

I'd hate to be stuck in a burning building with baseball commissioner Bud Selig as my only chance at rescue. The man's got no onions. He's a strictly nickels-and-cents kind of guy, with zero ability to think on the fly or to react decisively. He's done good things during his tenure but in the clutch he's got the instincts of a used car sales rep.

Last night's travesty recalled his inept response to the infamously tied All-Star game several years ago. Last night however was far worse. Selig suspended the game in the middle of the 6th inning, after the Rays had been able to tie the game thanks to horrendous field conditions. Worse, he then put the responsibility for the decision on everyone but himself.

I've got no problem with the game being suspended. There's no way a World Series should be decided by a suspended game. But it should either have been postponed in the first place or suspended in the 4th, when field conditions had already deteriorated to unplayable. Instead, the Rays got the opportunity to bat in the 6th with the Phillies fielders and pitcher at a distinct disadvantage. The Phillies never got the chance to come to bat in the bottom with the Rays pitcher and fielder forced to perform in the same dreadful conditions. That's what's not fair.

In his press conference afterwards, Selig stuttered and stumbled. First he threw the CBP groundskeeper under the bus, as if that guy were responsible for making the decision. The grounds crew did all that it could but there was water pooling at home plate, the outfield was slick, and the infield a sodden mess. Selig and his umpiring crew could see that as well as anyone. The field was not fit for a regular season game, much less a World Series game.

Next, Selig blamed the weather forecasters. Now, yesterday morning the forecasts had been for rain starting late and going into the night. By afternoon, Accuweather and the Weather Channel had changed their forecasts, and at least one Philadelphia forecaster was texting and blogging that the rain would build as the game went along, compromising it, and that it should be postponed. A couple of hours before game time, weather people were tracking how the rain would come and how steady it would be. Here it started raining late afternoon. It was raining in Philadelphia before game time. I listened to the game here with the wind howling outside and rain beating against the house. The Doppler showed the same band of rain blanketing all of eastern Pennsylvania. So what weather outfit does MLB use for its reports? And why was Bud Selig unable to process information that was right before his eyes? Muttering later about "the weather guy" was simply disingenuous.

Selig also praised the umpires for doing an "extraordinary job." Was he freaking kidding?

Bud Selig has just announced that Game 5 will not be resumed tonight. Good decision, Bud. It's pouring and windy. Wind, cold, and snow showers are in the forecast for Wednesday; Thursday is supposed to be fine. The game is now scheduled for tomorrow night at 8:37. Meanwhile, MLB assures us that it will "monitor the weather on an hourly basis." Uh, wasn't that being done yesterday? And how did that work out?

After the suspension, Charlie Manuel refused to attend the mandatory media conference. Pat Burrell, asked for his opinion, said, "I only talk after games." As Matt Stairs put it, getting the game tied took the big boys off the hook. It was not a happy locker room. Nor should it have been.

After Saturday's 91-minute rain delay, it's inexcusable that MLB and FOX had no plan in place to deal with another possible weather delay. The Phillies meanwhile have now lost their ace, who was reduced to using one pitch by the third inning but was still dominating. If the series is extended and the Rays, a beaten team on Sunday but now with life and hope, end up winning, you, Mr. Selig, will have turned the 2008 World Series into a sideshow. And you will have done a great disservice to loyal fans of the game of baseball. All I can say is, that sucks, Mr. Selig.

Am I bummed? Damn right.

world series game 4: bats and balls

It was all about the pitching last night. Oh yes, and the bats. Joe Blanton, dissed bigtime by one and all, was again masterful, going six and giving up just two runs on four hits. Jimmy Rollins started off the first with a double, then the Phillies loaded the bases on another bungled call. This one, at third, went in favor of the Phillies. But with the bases loaded they were able only to push across one run on a Pat Burrell walk.

Rays' starter Andy Sonnanstine looked tentative from the get-go. Like Garza the night before he seemed a bit overwhelmed. So was the Rays' defense. And the Phillies' bats made them pay. In the 4th, Ryan Howard went to left with a three-run homer to the Phils up 5-1. Blanton gave up a solo shot to pinch-hitter Eric Hinske, activated that day to take the place of the injured Cliff Floyd. But in the bottom of the inning, Blanton laced a ball into the left field stands for the first home run of his major league career and only his second hit of the season. Way to go, Joe! If the crowd Saturday night was electric, last night's crowd, as seen on TV, was electrifying.

So was Ryan Madson, who dispatched the heart of the Rays order in the 8th. The hometown boys then again went to work. Jayson Werth hit a 2-run homer left and Ryan Howard, yes, he's hot, hit a mammoth shot to right to tack on two more runs. J.C. Romero finished things off in the 9th. Final score: Phillies 10, Rays 2. Manager Joe Maddon looked tired and perturbed from the first inning. Several Rays' players were shown shivering in the dugout---and it was only in the 50's. The Phillies by contrast were hot, are hot.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are now 0 for 29, with 15 strikeouts. Much has been made by the media about the Phillies' numbers with RISP, but less about the fact that the Rays have been hitting about .189 as a team. It has been the Phillies pitching that has showed up bigtime throughout the series and throughout the postseason. As they did throughout much of the season, the pitchers have carried the team. It's great too to hear each one credit Carlos Ruiz for his play behind the plate. And Joe Blanton is an instant hometown hero. When he hit that homer, I laughed for about two minutes. And laughed again this morning thinking about it.

It's all on Cole Hamels this evening in game 5. Tonight, on another night of iffy weather, it's Hamels vs. Kazmir.

world series game 3: yay, chooch!

Fans stood for much of the game. It was that kind of night. My view, a pretty good one, from left field.

One way or another, we all did a lot of standing during the game. This is a shot in the 9th from behind my season seats off the first base line.

After all that the doomsayers, especially on the national level, had to say about Jamie Moyer getting last night's start, it was Moyer who shined and Garza who fumbled. Moyer, who according to Ken Rosenthal had spent the previous two days in bed or in the bathroom with a severe stomach virus, was outstanding. In six innings he gave up one run and three hits.

Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the 1st with a welcome-home single. A walk and a wild pitch later he was on third. Chase Utley grounded out to first and Rollins scored to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The Rays tied it in the 2nd, but Carlos Ruiz untied in the bottom of the frame with solo homer to left, just one section over from me. And a great look it was. So was the ball hit by Evan Longoria in the 6th, which also looked destined for the left field seats but was caught by Pat Burrell up against the wall. Whew. Thank you, wind! Then in the bottom, Chase Utley led off with a solo blast to right and Ryan Howard followed with one of his own for some back-to-back action that gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Safe, huh? Well, no.

Things came unglued in the 7th thanks to 1st base ump Tom Hallion. Speedster Carl Crawford led off the inning with a bunt. Moyer sprinted off the mound, made a diving snare of the ball, and flipped it with his glove hand to 1st baseman Ryan Howard, who caught it barehanded. A spectacular play on both ends. And Crawford was out. But Hallion, not in position to see the play, called him safe. There have already been four egregiously bad calls in this series; three have been against the Phillies. Kerwin Danley, who was not at all on his game in Game 2, will not again be behind the plate. Hallion will be there tonight. What is with it with the ragged, bad umpiring?

In any case, the bungled call led to the Rays putting two on the board. Then in the 8th, B. J. Upton, who has some kind of speed, manufactured a run out of nothing to tie the game on an errant throw to third by catcher Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies had a chance to do something in the bottom there but Jayson Werth was picked off (ouch) on second. A usually savvy runner, Jayson has not had a good time on the base paths in the series.

J.C. Romero, who got the final out in the 8th, kept the Rays off the board in the 9th to set up the weird 9th inning. Eric Bruntlett, who had come in for Pat Burrell in the 7th, led off and was hit by a pitch. Shane Victorino was next, ready to bunt. Balfour, now pitching for the Rays, uncorked a wild pitch. Bruntlett went to second, then advanced to third when catcher Dioner Navarro threw the ball into the outfield. So man on 3rd, nobody out. And the fans were in full cry. Manager Joe Maddon elected to walk Victorino, then to walk Gregg Dobbs, in to pinch hit for Pedro Feliz. He then brought in an outfielder to have five infielders. Carlos Ruiz was at the plate and, wouldn't you know, he hits a roller to third base. Bruntlett took off for home, Longoria fielded the slow ball and threw it over the catcher Navarro. Roar of the crowd. Game over. Phils take a 2-1 lead in the series. And Carlos Ruiz went from hero to goat to hero again.

Game 4 tonight: Sonnanstine vs. Blanton. Pena and Longoria, the Rays 3 and 4 hitters, are 0 for 22 in the series. Will Blanton keep it that way? Will the Phillies continue to build their offense? They are now 2 for 33 with RISP. The Rays meanwhile have scored most of their runs without benefit of a hit.

about that ambience

Fireworks fill the sky last night as the Phillies take the field for the first home game of the 2008 World Series.

Despite the long delay and ridiculous starting time, Citizens Bank Park was electric, starting with Jamie Moyer's first pitch. When it became clear that home plate ump Fieldin Culbreth had a pitcher's strike zone, which held for both Moyer and Tampa starter Matt Garza, the fans got even more revved. Cheers for Moyer and jeers for Garza. But the brunt of fan attention went to rookie phenom Evan Longoria. Each time he came to bat, the stands were rocked with full-throated chants of "Eva, Eva, Eva." Longoria must face that each time he plays on the road but poor kid. Still, it was very funny.

What impressed me: The out-of-town scoreboard was completely dark. In other play-off games, a dwindling number of games had been on the board. But last night there was nothing else. And, as in other play-off games but more so, everyone stays in his/her seat. That jostling murmur of the ballpark between innings is muted. Every time I looked around it was nothing but seats filled with people and aisles empty of all but vendors. It was remarkable. And given the time, we seemed to be in a bowl where this magical game was being played out just for those on the field and for those in the stands.

The game took three hours and 41 minutes to play. It ended about 1:47 a.m. At that point at least 90 percent of those present, some 45,900, were still in their seats. I left mine at the end of the 8th inning to take some photos during the 9th. I walked around to the 1st base side and got nothing but the backs of people standing and hanging on every pitch, every play. Photos seemed pretty superfluous. The moment was what counted.

I'm very glad that on Saturday morning I realized my tix were for game 3 not 5!

first there was rain....

What it was like driving to Philadelphia yesterday afternoon at three.

No way the game was going to start on time yet it behooved all fans to get there early enough to find parking. The fog and rain were such that it took me about half an hour longer to get to the park. Even so, at five o'clock, 'my' lot was packed with tailgaters. They started arriving at 11, said the woman at the gate. The really heavy rain was forecast for around game time, then was supposed to clear out by 9. I waited in the car till eight, then went into the park to dig the ambience. The concourse was packed, the seats were empty, tarp was on the field, and the rain just kept pouring down. I ended up standing under cover near a camera station; the guy on the camera kept us updated on possible start times. Finally, a cheer went up for the grounds crew, then another when starter Jamie Moyer plodded out to the bullpen to start warming up, then a louder one when he came back to the dugout with catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Country singer Tim McGraw delivered the first ball to the mound. Only after the game did it come out that while there he scattered some ashes from his late father Tug, one of the more beloved figures in Phillies' history. An awesome gesture. Steve Carlton, old Lefty himself, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The game was scheduled to start at 8:35. It began at 10:06, after a 91-minute rain delay. What was remarkable was that within 10 minutes of game time, almost every seat in the park was filled. It was some crazy time to start a World Series game.

game 3: weather pending

If anyone 'deserves' a World Series start, it's 22-year veteran Jamie Moyer. Not only has he been a stalwart since joining the Phillies mid-season in 2007, but also he and his wife do a great deal of good. Moyer has great respect for the game of baseball and always plays it right. Sure he's a local guy but that's only a bit of why he has won the hearts of Phillies' fans.

Game 3 tonight, weather pending. Garza vs. Moyer. Few give Moyer a chance against the Rays but no matter. Jamie will give it his best. Matt Garza, by the bye, has gone out of his way to dis the Phillies line-up.

I didn't watch the opening ceremonies for game 1 and am shocked to learn that FOX did not broadcast the 25-man rosters of the two teams. Instead, they introduced only the starting players. That is just awful. As Jimmy Rollins said, it took 25 players plus coaches to get to the World Series. It's not just about 9 guys.

world series game 2: 1 for 28

The only good thing about last night's loss to the Tampa Rays is that I now get to use my ticket for Game 5 of the World Series. After some early inning sloppiness behind him, Brett Myers pitched well enough to win. Instead, he left after 7, with the Rays up 4-0. Myers gave up three earned runs. The Rays scored their four on one hit.The Phillies had lots of chances at James Shields, but were unable to deliver. Shields lasted 5.2 innings, left with the lead, and got the 4-2 win. All you really need to know about this game, this series so far: The Phillies are now 1-28 with RISP. Gotta take the car out of the garage to get it running. Talking to you, Jimmy and you, Jayson, and you, Gregg, and you, Shane. Pat, too. The pitchers and Carlos Ruiz, meanwhile, are all doing their part. Mitch Williams was right about the much-maligned Ryan Howard, who yesterday had some good hits---but ended up stranded. The Phillies are outhitting the Rays but not when it counts. They've had plenty of opportunity to smack the Tampa pitchers around. So far I do not see that the Rays are at all superior. They're a good enough team but I rather wonder how they made it to where they are.

10/23 road

Leaves are already starting to fall.

Game 2 tonight in St. Petersburg. Myers vs. Shields. Which pitcher will show up?

Great back cover on today's Philadelphia Daily News: "The Good, the Brad, and the Utley".

world series game 1: take the cole train

Cole Hamels was strong through seven, holding the Rays to 2 runs on 5 hits. Ryan Madson was perfect in the 8th, Brad Lidge the same in the 9th. Chase Utley, ol' gritty blue-eyes, shook off the rust immediately with a 2-run homer in the first. Carlos Ruiz brought Shane Victorino in in the 4th on a ground-out. On the other hand, the Phillies were a mindboggling, and World Series record-setting, 0-13 with RISP. But that's been their frustrating m.o. much of the season. Hamels kept the Rays off balance and off the bases; they stranded three. Ryan Howard looked totally lost, Jimmy Rollins was chasing, and Chris Coste simply a fright at DH. Despite all that, the Phils take game one: 3-2.

The cool, dishy Hamels has now won game one of all three series this postseason. He is 4-0, with a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings. Amazing that the national media are now stumbling over themselves 'discovering' him. Gee, maybe they'll clue in to Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson next.

I got back from NY too energized to go to the IronPigs viewing party, which drew some 3,000 fans. Instead, I baked an apple pie, freaked out over a visiting mouse, screamed at the radio, and trekked up and down the stairs to get away from the LOB's. I'll be happy to do the same tonight if it means the Phillies win again.

Other bad things about last night: 1) the cowbells, which were pathetic. As Charlie Manuel said, In Philadelphia we ring the Liberty Bell. 'Nuff said. 2) the P.A. announcer at the Trop, who seemed to have wandered in from an NBA game. Minor league at its worst. 3) the Backstreet Boys singing the national anthem. Ouch. 4) the FOX pre- and postgame crew of Zolasko, Grace/less, and Kennedy. Talk about empty air time.

2008 world series: phillies vs. rays

Game 1 tonight. Hamels vs. Kazimir. I'm leaving for NY later this morning, hope to be back in time for first pitch. Go, Phillies!

three cheers for mrs. october!

Another postcard from Fan Appreciation Day, featuring the Flyin' Hawaiian. He's the kind of guy who would really dig Mrs. October.

Yesterday afternoon I got an excited phone call from Mrs. October. She'd just won two free tickets to the first home game of the World Series in Philadelphia, thanks to Modell's Sporting Goods. This afternoon she picked the tickets up. That means she'll keep her 44-year streak going and make it to this year's series. Too cool! This weekend or on Monday I'll be going to Philadelphia to take pictures of her in the latest version of her cape. Please stay tuned.

Meanwhile, read all about her WS tickets at http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20081021_Fan__93__keeps_44-year_Series_steak_alive.html.

10/21 road

Another view along the way home from the post office.

This morning I happened to catch Billy King, former (and very cool) general manager of the 76ers, calling in to a sports radio station. King still lives in the Philadelphia area and he and his wife, a huge Phillies fan, have had season tix since the new park opened. They were getting ready to leave with their two young kids for the games in Tampa. King related that when he got fired from the Sixers, one of the first things he said to his wife was that they'd now be able to go to spring training. And they did. I love cool stories like these and love how the sports fraternity in Philadelphia support each other. Ed Stefanski, the current GM, is actually from Philadelphia and he was at the games in LA.

it's the rays

The first hard frost and freeze of the season colored the morning.

So the Phillies will play the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. I would have preferred the Red Sox and don't much like this match-up at all. Forget all the drivel about destiny's darlings, worst-to-first, and scrappy young team. What I don't like is that Tampa plays in a dome and has home field advantage. Dome teams almost always win at home. Pure and simple. I don't like it all. I don't like dome teams, and that includes the Twinkies. Retractable roofs, yes; domes and carpets, no.

It's hard, too, to like teams without a fan base. The Rays were 26th in baseball attendance, drawing 1,780,791. The Phillies drew just about double that number. Now that the playoffs are here, Tampa frontrunners are filling the stadium---with cowbells. I really dislike fan bases with noisemakers.

Unless it goes long, a Phillies-Rays series will not excite much of the country, especially after the ridiculous amount of time the Phillies will have had off before Game 1. Shucks, I can't get too excited about watching baseball played indoors in October or any month. For FOX it's a worst-case scenario. Screw FOX. Yes, we understand that baseball is more about business and money than anything else. TV has already dictated the postseason schedule, with its artificial off-days in the middle of the championship series. Are we at the point where TV ratings are really supposed to determine World Series opponents? It's bad enough that we're stuck with the FOX broadcasters for the series.

What is it about national TV broadcasters, by the way? Last night I watched some of the TBS coverage of the ALCS. Pregame it was Cal Ripken, Jr. (boring), Harold Reynolds (awful), and Dennis Eckersley (totally vapid). During the game it was Chip Caray (ugh), Buck Martinez (good), and Ron Darling (mediocre). Radio coverage is much better.

big

More postcards from Fan Appreciation Day.

Homegrown talent abounds on the Phillies. Just see Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Ryan Madson. Also Phillie farmhands: prospect Lou Marson, catching in the bullpen for the postseason, and Kyle Kendrick, recalled to be with the team for the World Series. Carlos Ruiz was an amateur free agent who came up in the system; Shane Victorino a Rule 5 draft pick from the Dodgers, who declined to take him back.

Former GM Ed Wade resisted trading Ryan Howard even when the Phillies had acquired the immensely-popular Jim Thome to play 1st base, then refused to trade Chase Utley to the hungering A's. No need to ask how those non-moves worked out. Pat Gillick, despite some real clunkers, was responsible for trading Thome so that Howard could take over at 1st. And this offseason, he traded for closer Brad Lidge, he of the 41-consecutive regular season saves and 5 so far in postseason, then signed him midseason to a three-year deal. Then there are the in-season acquistions, last year of Jamie Moyer and this of Joe Blanton. All of these guys have come up big.

pieces of the puzzle

These two postcards are part of a set handed out on Fan Appreciation Day on September 28. Key pieces of the puzzle: Gregg Dobbs, pinch-hitter extraordinaire, and Jayson Werth, who came back from injury and blossomed into a full-time player. Got to give it big-time to general manager Pat Gillick, a genius with details. Building on the nucleus assembled by former GM Ed Wade, Gillick picked up an invaluable array of guys let go by other organizations: Dobbs, Werth, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, and the unlikely Matt Stairs. Pat Gillick is deservedly one of the top GM's in the game.

Uh-oh, here come the Red Sox. Josh Beckett gutted it out last night to keep his team in the game for an eventual 4-2 win. Last chance for the Rays tonight in Tampa. Lester vs. Garza.

"manny and the miniatures"

These apples need to be turned into apple pies or muffins or maybe applesauce.

Ken Rosenthal, Seth Everett, and Jayson Stark are my favorite national guys on baseball, not that I see their work on a regular basis. Following the Phillies' winning the NL championship, Rosenthal wrote a funny, eloquent piece for his Fox blog. In it he wrote that the Cubs should be embarrassed for not winning even one game against "Manny and the Miniatures", aka the Dodgers. That phrase does pretty much sum up how the softy Dodgers played. I knew in game 1 that the Phillies were virtually assured of winning the series: After Utley hit his 2-run homer in the 6th to tie the game, the Dodgers just wilted. I mean, the Phillies had only tied the game but the Dodgers looked totally undone. Then of course in game 5, of the two 24-year-olds starting against each other, one again crumbled and was driven from the game in the 3rd. (His manager later said he was "sensitive.") The other went on to become MVP of the series. Guess who got most of the national hype before the game? Yep, the loser.

10/17 road

Driving home on a side road in Wassergass.

Thanks to the amazing comeback started in the 7th last night by the Red Sox, the AL series now shifts to Tampa Bay. Unless the Rays overcome that loss Saturday night, the series will go to Sunday. The Phillies meanwhile are getting iced. Will they be rested or rusty? In recent World Series, the rested team has rusted. Either way, the Phillies are the underdogs.

Levi Stubbs, lead singer for the dynamic group the Four Tops, died today at age 72. Sugar pie, honey bunch....

nlcs game 5: phillies win the pennant!

So nice I had to post this twice. It again says it all.

As he did in the clinching game of the NLDS, Jimmy Rollins set the tone with a lead-off solo homer. That was enough for Cole Hamels, who was in control through seven, allowing just 5 hits and 1 run, a solo homer by Manny Ramirez. By that time the Phillies had again chased Chad Billingsley in the 3rd, scoring 3 off him. Thanks in part to three errors by shortstop Rafael Furcal (all in the 5th) and some heady baserunning by Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, they put another two on the board. Final score: 5-1. Rollins, Utley, and Howard provided the timely hits. The defense by Rollins, Utley, and Victorino was stellar. So was the bullpen. Brad Lidge got Garciaparra to pop up to Carlos Ruiz to end the game. Fitting. Their tandem has been excellent.

Everyone chipped in, with a different cast of heroes almost every night. In the end (and the beginning), the Phillies were the better team top to bottom. They outplayed the Dodgers in all phases of the game. They deserved to win and they did. Cole Hamels, who went 2-0 in the series, was the MVP. In three postseason games, his ERA is .123.

After the dramatic win in game 4, Jimmy Rollins was quoted as saying, with no bravado at all, about the Dodgers, "They have to win four games, and I don't think there's anyone in this locker room who will allow that to happen."

Clinching in front of the stinky Dodger fans means, too, that Charlie Manuel will be able to head home today to his mother's funeral in Virginia and maybe Shane Victorino will have time to go back for his grandmother's funeral in Hawaii. I'm sure that was part of the team's motivation to finish it off last night.

I also loved how Pat Gillick, being interviewed after the game, immediately gave kudos to former GM Ed Wade for his role in assembling the core of homegrown talent for the team. Very classy. Gillick's part in putting the finishing touches to this team, however, are inestimable.

To top everything off, Geoff Jenkins' wife, who had driven from their home in Arizona for the series, unexpectedly went into labor yesterday afternoon and had a baby boy---three and a half weeks early. Congratulations to all!

The Phillies win the pennant, the Phillies win the pennant, the Phillies win the pennant!

10/15 road

Along what used to be a dirt road here in Wassergass but is now a busy side road.

We've learned a lot about Matt Stairs since Monday night. A native of New Brunswick, Canada, he now lives in Bangor, Maine, where he coaches hockey, his first love, but a knee injury ended his hockey dreams. He still says he'd trade his baseball career to play one game with the Montreal Canadiens but is preparing himself meanwhile to coach or manage baseball, which is now in his blood. His unabashed goal as a hitter has always been to hit the ball out of the park, as far as he can. As the burly masher quipped on Monday night, "I'm not likely to hit a single and steal second." His wife and two daughters are along for the trip to LA. He says, too, that he has not seen a TV clip or a newspaper story about his dramatic home run. That kind of thing doesn't interest him, he doesn't live in the past.

I'm sticking to Shane Victorino's blog. One comment on his latest entry cracked me up. A self-described "senior citizen" and lifelong Phillies fan wrote that after Monday's game she had decided to trade her husband in for Victorino. Another fan wrote, "You're adorable no matter what."

Tickets for tonight's game in LA are said to be selling this morning on Stubhub for $10. Shocking.

nlcs game 4: s-s-sweet rally time!

S is for Shane Victorino! S is for Matt Stairs! Sweet is for the two-run homers each had in the 8th of last night's game. The first, Shane's, tied it at 5; the second, Stairs', gave the Phillies the 7-5 lead. Brad Lidge came in in the 8th for his first 4-out appearance of the season, got the needed out, then finished off the Dodgers and their crass fans in the 9th. When leading after eight, the Phillies are 85-0. They took a crucial game on the road and now lead the series 3-1.

The Phillies took a 2-0 lead off Derek Lowe in the 1st. The Dodgers tied it, then went ahead in the 5th. The Phillies tied it in the top of the 6th and the Dodgers came back to take the lead 5-3 in the bottom. It was the 8th that did in the Dodgers and their vaunted pitching (keep tellling us about it). Victorino's homer was a bullet that just sailed over the bullpen gate, almost nailing bullpen catcher Lou Marson. (And how much fun must that kid, a double-A prospect, be having?) Stairs' pinch-hit homer left no room for doubt, sailing high and deep into the seats in right. Cricket time at Chavez Ravine.

The 40-year-old Stairs, picked up by the Phillies from Toronto on 8/30, provided one of the best quotes of the baseball season. Speaking about what his homer, only the second postseason hit of his career, meant to him, Stairs said "but when you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you're getting your ass hammered by the guys, it's no better feeling than to have done that."

Dodger fans can now second-guess Joe Torre for his handling of his bullpen. Phillies fans can focus on Pat Burrell's ill-advised throw to home and Ryan Howard's error. I'd rather think about how Joe Blanton was pretty much solid for five, giving up three runs and giving his team a chance to win. Or about the three doubleplays the Phillies induced, including the lunging unassisted one turned by Chase Utley. Most of all, three rousing cheers for Shane Victorino! "Play as a team, win as a team." Ain't it the truth.

10/13 road

No mail today so I drove to the post office to post some things in the box out front. This was the view along the way.

Tonight it's Joe Blanton vs. Derek Lowe. Blanton has never fared well against the Dodgers (gee, where have I heard that before) and Lowe is going on three-days rest. For me, it's still pretty much about the offense. Let's get it going!

nlcs game 3: a touch of crass

Cyclamens blooming under the boxwood out front.

Jamie Moyer had nothing last night in his second shaky outing of the postseason. Moyer gave up five runs in the 1st, then a solo homer to Rafael Furcal to lead off the 2nd. And that was it for Jamie. He had a sterling season, going 16-7 at age 45, and is a large part of why the Phillies are where they are. But he seems to have run out of gas. Hiroki Kuroda, despite looking hittable, again held the Phillies in thrall, to the tune of 2 runs. The final score: 7-2, Dodgers.

In the 3rd, with 2 outs, nobody on base, and Shane Victorino at the plate, Kuroda threw at Victorino's head. Victorino was not happy and gestured ribs, not head. The retaliation was expected, in response to Brett Myers' coming in tight on Ramirez and Martin in the 1st inning of Game 2. But Kuroda delivered the message in a punk way. And in front of the home crowd, not on the road. When Victorino then grounded out to 1st to end the inning, the two exchanged more pleasantries, the benches emptied, and eventually the bullpens did too.

An animated Manny Ramirez came running in from the outfield. Why? To prove that he's a team guy? Do the fans in la-la land buy that? It was the coaches, though, who really got into it, from Mariano Duncan, who had been yapping since Friday, to Larry Bowa and Davy Lopes. Bowa, the ex-Phillie now a Dodger coach, and Lopes, the ex-Dodger now a Phillie coach, were the most spirited. Still rehashing that infamous play from Black Friday? But in the end it was one of those baseball near-brawls, with lots of milling and posturing. No one, of course, wanted to risk a suspension. Davy Lopes pretty much summed it up later. "Did anything happen? I didn't see anything happen. Nothing happened." J. C. Romero later said that he and Manny were probably going out to dinner together. But when questioned about the incident in his postgame press conference, Victorino cut off the questions and left.

Back to the offense. If it doesn't show up soon. like tonight, the Phillies will finish on a sour note. One tinsel lining in yesterday's game, Ryan Howard had 2 hits. Jimmy Rollins, however, is 1 for 13, with a shocking 6 K's, in the series.

country road

Faint hints of the season on this road on the way home.

It's Jamie Moyer vs. Hiroki Kuroda tonight in LA. Moyer has not fared well against the Dodgers during his career. Kuroda on the other hand has stymied the Phillies the few times they have faced him. Forget the numbers! If only I could. Nervous as a cat, I'm in one-game-at-a-time mode. Let's go, Phillies!

shane and his grandma

Shane Victorino posted this old photo of himself and his late grandmother Irene Victorino on his postseason blog. The eyes and smiles say it all.

Thanks, Shane, for sharing this photo and some of your feelings at a bittersweet time in your life. You--and Charlie--already seem to understand that life is a bridge.

Columnist Bill Lyon had an excellent piece on Charlie and his late mother June Manuel in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer.

http://shanevictorino.mlblogs.com

short takes

The leaves were just starting to turn yesterday going north on Rt. 80.

1. Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park the joint was literally rocking. After Utley and Burrell homered in the 6th to, respectively, tie the game and give the Phils the lead, you could feel the stands bouncing. Can't remember that happening before.

2. I wondered at Game 1 how long it would take for the "Beat LA" chants to start. Answer: No time at all. Most of the players probably had no idea what that chant references but it was cool nonetheless.

3. So far Shane Victorino has pretty much been the MVP of the postseason. He's been big-time clutch at the plate and in the field. To all the doubters, I told you so!

4. Phillies broadcaster and ex-player Gary Matthews said with some asperity after game 1, "Any time you can beat Los Angeles and their 'bleed Dodgers blue", it's fine with me."

5. And at last some love for Carlos Ruiz, who has been a sterling defensive catcher. It's wonderful to watch his face as he greets Brad Lidge at the game end. He's also had a couple of key at-bats postseason.

6. Speaking of sterling, Ryan Madson has been terrific.

7. This postseason so far: Brett Myers is 4 for 5 and Ryan Howard 2 for 17. It's all about wins, says Howard, who must be frustrated. In truth, Howard has seen nothing but a steady diet of offspeed stuff.

8. Yesterday was Pat Burrell's 32nd birthday. No surprise that he's a Libra.

9. The Phanatic did a routine in front of the Dodgers' dugout, smashing a Dodger batting helmet, with dreadlocks attached, into smithereens. Manny probably didn't even notice but somewhere in the house, Tommy Lasorda was having a hissy fit.

10. Speaking of old Dodgers, Sandy Koufax, who lives down the road from me, was at the game last night. He no doubt missed Thursday's game because of Yom Kippur.

11. This morning's papers had a touching photo of Manny Ramirez with Charlie Manuel before yesterday's game. The two were standing shoulder to shoulder with their arms around each other.

nlcs game 2: bizarro world

Chad Billingsley, the staff "horse", started for the Dodgers this afternoon and Brett Myers for the Phillies. Billingsley was tagged for 8 runs in 2.1 innings. Myers made it through five to get the win, while being effective at the plate and erratic on the mound. Truly a bad hitter (despite his classic at-bats against CC Sabathia), Myers went 3 for 3, driving in three and scoring one. That's baseball. I guess. Myers singled in the 2nd for his first RBI, then got two more on another single in the 3rd. He had four hits all season long; he now has four hits in postseason. Go figure. By the end of the 3rd inning, the Dodgers had already used four pitchers. In the 4th Myers gave up a 3-run homer that just cleared the left field fence to Manny Ramirez, to make it 8-5. Till then Manny was hitting .193 off Myers. The Dodgers threatened a couple of times but the Phillies' bullpen was excellent. So for that matter was the 'pen for the Dodgers. In the 7th Shane Victorino, who tripled and had 4 RBI, made an outstanding catch on a Casey Blake deep fly that would have scored two. Brad Lidge got Nomar Garciaparra flailing to end the game. The Phillies scored four in the 2nd and four in the 3rd, all without the help of the long ball.

The Phillies lead the series 2-0. Will home court rule? The Phillies are the better, and tougher, team, have been the better, tougher team all season long, and they should win the series. But who could foresee a 3-RBI night for Brett Myers? Anything can yet happen. Winning a game in LA is imperative. Taking two would be bliss.

I watched the first inning on TV. FOX did a very funny starting lineup using caricatures for each Phillies player. The Phillie Phanatic mimed hilarious impressions of each player. For pitcher Brett Myers, batting 9th, the Phanatic just made the sign for wacko next to his head and nodded.

condolences to charlie and to shane

Condolences to Charlie Manuel. His mother June died early this morning of a heart attack. She was 87. Charlie will manage today's game but whether he will go with the team to Los Angeles is uncertain. At least he is today with his baseball family.

Condolences too to Shane Victorino. He learned after the game that his grandmother Irene, 82, had died in Hawaii. In the midst of victory, sadness and loss. Our hearts are with you both.

nlcs game 1: red trumps blue

Dodgers wait for Derek Lowe's replacement after the starter gave up two dramatic homers and the lead in the 6th inning of last night's game 1 in the National League Championship Series.

It was an amazingly crisp, well-played game till an error led to the Dodgers' undoing. Through four, Derek Lowe was doing his sinkerball thing and the Phillies were getting little off him. Then in the 5th, Ruiz singled and Hamels singled, but Rollins flied out to left to end the inning. That fly-out was a portent. Shane Victorino led off the 6th with an easy ground-out to shortstop Rafael Furcal, who threw the ball past his first baseman. Victorino, busting it all the way, alertly took 2nd on the error. Chase Utley, next in the order, hit Lowe's first offering into the right field seats to tie the score at 2-2. One out later, Pat Burrell drove another Lowe offering into the left field seats. And that was it for Lowe and for the Dodgers. It was weird how they folded after Utley's home run, but the guys on the field almost turned into puddles. The Phillies meanwhile did what they often do: they mounted a thrilling comeback win.

Cole Hamels gave up one run in the first on an RBI double by Manny Ramirez, then another run later on a sacrifice fly. For seven solid innings he was pretty much in bulldog mode, striking out 8. An impressive outing by Hamels, for sure. Ryan Madson pitched the 8th, getting Ramirez to line out to 3rd, and Brad Lidge came in for a 13-pitch save in the 9th. The crowd was 45, 849 and just about everyone was on their feet and cheering till the last out. The atmosphere was, again, electric. And the game took only 2 hours and 37 minutes.

game time

The Phillies walking off the field after batting practice on September 27.

Game 1 of the NLCS starts tonight at 8:22 at Citizens Bank Park. Yesterday I heard a TV commentator say breathlessly that the Dodgers were hot and had gone 17-8 in September. Uh, so did the Phillies. Whatever. For some informative stats on the hometeam, see David Cohen's yesterday on www.thegoodphight.com. Cohen points out, among many other things, that both Dodgers and Phillies went 17-8 but the Phillies finished the month 13-3 while the Dodgers went 9-7. As for who will win the series, I'll take it one at a time. Let's go, Charlie! Let's go, Phillies!

go, go, go!

Jessie F., aka Mrs. October, is my 93-year-old baseball buddy. She's firmly looking forward to seeing the Phillies in the World Series this year. Will her dream come true?

Another day with no baseball. Instead, we've got media coverage of baseball, most of it pretty crappy. Many in the media are doing heavy-duty shoveling of manure for Manny Ramirez. Then the Dodgers. It's pathetic. Predictable. And so lazy. There's just too much media coverage and much of it is not very good.

I've given up on listening to any of it, looking at any of it, reading any of it---except for Shane Victorino's blog. Let's get on with the games.

dumpling house

I'd drive 200 miles to eat at this restaurant in Wellsboro, PA, on Rt. 6, and today I did. It still has good vegetarian dumplings and a wonderful atmosphere. It's been there for years, run by the same family. I don't know their story but maybe I'll try to get it if I make another run out that way. The 400-mile day trip was mellow thanks to the gorgeous autumn weather and the fall foliage along Rt. 6 going, then Rt. 15 on the way back.

No baseball today. No baseball tomorrow. That's dreary. Thank heavens for gorgeous weather, autumn leaves, Chinese dumplings and road trips!

Yesterday the Rays beat the White Sox, who were hoist by their own petard. A homer-hitting team, they were unable to score in any other way. The Angels too were undone by their strength. A team built on executing fundamental baseball was mostly fundamentally-flawed in its series with the Red Sox. Same thing, of course, may happen to the Phillies when they face the Dodgers. It's curious how the (very) so-called experts talk up the Dodgers as the hottest team in baseball. Their winning record in September seems a bit like CC Sabathia's, with lots of those wins being against suspect teams. In the case of the Dodgers, it was the weak NL West. As for that sweep of the choking Cubs, don't you think anyone could have done that? I'm just hoping I get to use my ticket for Game 6! Of course, it would be even sweeter if the Phillies finished the Blue Crew off in 5!

nice and easy does it for bluegrass joe

The view from the left field stands in a super-charged moment last Thursday night in Philadelphia.

Joe Blanton made his biggest start today as a Phillie and was wonderful, going six strong and giving up only one run on five hits in a 6-2 win that clinched the NLDS series. He kept the Brewer hitters off-balance throughout. The Phillies starting pitching has been pretty much spectacular in this series. Hey, the bullpen too! Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a solo homer, hit into the right field seats on a 3-2 pitch. Pat Burrell provided much of the rest of the firepower, with a single, a three-run homer, and a solo shot. Jayson Werth also had a solo homer. Ryan Madson was great out of the 'pen and Brad Lidge was Brad Lidge. The Phillies took the series 3-1. Congratulations! Next up, the National League Championship Series vs. the Dodgers. It starts Thursday night in Philadelphia. Kudos to Joe Blanton, who was a stud!

ya gotta score some runs

That was Lou Piniella's epitaph for his Cubs, swept last night out of the NLDS by the Dodgers. It may well be the epitaph for the Phillies, whose bats stayed largely ineffective in a 4-1 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee. Once again the vaunted strength of the team looks to be a weakness. The Brewers now have life and the Phillies are starting to run out of time. The Phils won on Wednesday and Thursday because of pitching and defense but at some point the offense has got to show up. Will it happen in this short series? Baseball is, after all, a cruel sport.

baseball buddies

The two guys at top were seated next to me at Game 2 on Thursday night. All decked out in their Phillies gear, they were the sweetest. I never found out if they were buddies or brothers, but they were great. The mother and son (entry below) at bottom were on my other side. Grizzled veterans filled the row in front. Everyone was totally into the game. It was the same on Wednesday up in the heavenly seats. Then I had two women next to me, threatening to lose their voices screaming, and two intense but affable young men on the other side. In front was a guy with his six-year-old granddaughter, who was game but a bit overwhelmed by the fanatical adults around her.

Game 3 today in Milwaukee pits Jamie Moyer against Dave Bush. Once again: Just win, baby! And if anybody "deserves" to win it is the wonderful Mr. Moyer.

myers vs. sabathia

CC Sabathia and Brett Myers throw warm-up tosses before yesterday's Game 2 of the NLDS.

Myers started the game by loading the bases in the first and walking in a run to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. With Corey Hart at the plate, one of the sweet guys next to me sang out, "C'mon, Brett, one, two, three." And just like that Hart grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning and effectively put the Brewers to sleep for the rest of the game. Myers was solid for seven, giving up just 2 runs on 2 hits. The Brewers had one hit in the 1st, their second (and second run) came in the 7th.

With one out in the 2nd, Jayson Werth doubled and Pedro Feliz then doubled him in. Game tied. Ruiz grounded out to move Feliz to third. It was the pitcher next and Myers, on an 0-2 count, hunkered down and took Sabathia to nine pitches to work a walk. With each pitch, the crowd went wilder and wilder, towels flying. Sabathia then walked Rollins on four pitches to load the bases. Then, on a 1-2 count, Shane Victorino, back to batting in his customary 2-spot, sent a Sabathia slider into the left field seats for the first grand slam of his career. (More about that below.) The Phillies were up 5-1. At 98 pitches, Sabathia was gone before the end of the 4th. In two at-bats, Myers, who is not a good-hitter, worked him for 19 pitches. Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero worked a scoreless 8th and Brad Lidge came in for a quick, clean 9th. Shane Victorino (who else?) caught the Craig Counsell fly ball that ended the game.

On the downside, the Phillies stranded 10 and the big guys (Utley, Howard, and Burrell) again did not hit. Yes, two exciting games in the win column but we still need the offense to show up.

Last night's attendance set a record at Citizens Bank Park: 46,208. Some Milwaukee fans were across the aisle, watching their team do what the Phillies did last year and suffering through it all. One of the guys in the group was a total hunk with a truly amiable aura.

shane is simply grand

Sometimes high-fives just aren't enough. This mother and son were seated next to me last night. After Shane Victorino's 2nd-inning grand slam ball went into the left field stands, just two sections over from ours, she first high-fived her son, then flung herself into his arms. Victorino's father was also in the stands watching his son's dramatic moment. It was the first grand slam of Vic's career and the first post-season grand slam in Phillies' history. And it came off CC Sabathia. Victorino also doubled twice and stole two bases.

cruising to a nailbiter

The Phillies take the field this afternoon for the start of game 1 of the National League Division Series with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Cole Hamels was spectacular for eight innings, giving up 2 hits and no runs and striking out nine. The Phillies scored all their runs (unearned) in the 3rd on some walks, an error, and a couple of hits. Brad Lidge came on in the 9th to preserve the 3-0 lead but after Mike Cameron struck out to lead off the inning, it turned into a nailbiter. Pinch-hitter Ray Durham singled, Ryan Braun doubled, and Durham scored on an error. Lidge got Fielder to strike out, and at last, with men on second and third, he got Corey Hart swinging to end the game. Whew! The Phillies won 3-1 thanks in part to some sparkling defensive plays. The offense barely showed up. What else is new when Hamels pitches. And, again, he was just spectacular. My seat was in the topmost row of the park right behind home plate. The seat was awesome. The crowd was awesome. Rain fell steadily starting in the second but was never heavy enough to stop the game.