It is not the Mets or Yankees and their mounds of money, nor the Red Sox and their boisterous nation. It is not the Angels and their perfection of execution nor the Cubs and their abundance of talent. It is not the Dodgers and Manny-mania nor the Brewers and their C.C. Ride. It is not the Tampa Bay Rays and their worst to first very good young team. “We” are the 2008 champions of MLB Baseball, the “World” Champions of the game!! “We” are the Phillies which is not just purely defined as the core baseball team. “We” represents the players, coaches and front office, the ticket takers, concessionaires and announcers……….. the writers, sports talk hosts and security guards…….. the janitors, traffic cops and police. “We” are the fans both those who are life long die hards like myself and yes even those who have jumped onto the bandwagon with the success of a winner! “We”, baseball world, the Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 World Series Baseball Champions!!!!!

The players of this team will live forever in our area as being recognized for their championship efforts. Charlie Manuel will be forever the man who led us to our second “World” title in history, J-Roll, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Hamels, Lidge, Moyer and the other members of this team will be forever heroes in this city regardless of where they might go in their remaining careers! Pat Gillick will be forever remembered as the GM who put us over the top! By becoming champions these boys have become immortal and lodged in the memories of “Phillies” young and old forever in time!

Pedro Feliz is forever the guy who got the winning hit! Geoff Jenkins is forever the guy who led off the sixth with a double! Pat Burrell is forever the guy who got the key double to stage the winning run! Brad Lidge is forever perfect as was this team when leading after eight innings! God Bless the Phillies………all of us, we are the “Phreakin” Champions!!!!!

As a long standing Phillie fan I have seen my share of disappointment, comes with the territory when you cheer for the losingest franchise in pro sports history………..but for this year and this off-season there is no sadness in “Phillie-vile” because …………one more time baseball world……………… “We”, the Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 “World” Champions of baseball…………..sounds so sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh by the way if you didn’t figure it out…………. Phillies won game five by a four to three count!

Joe Blanton is a very unassuming young man. He stepped into a very assuming role however as he took the ball for game four of the 2008 World Series. Blanton stepped up big time by pitching six plus strong innings only allowing two runs and even belting a home run to earn his first world series win!

Jimmy Rollins got things started offensively for the Fightins as he usually does when they succeed with a lead off double in the first inning. Rollins advanced to third on a ground out and was actually out in a run down on a ball hit back to the mound by Ryan Howard but was called safe by the ump! Rollins scored on a bases loaded walk by Pat Burrell. The Phillies went up two to zero as Pedro Feliz stroked a two out single to plate a run. The Rays scored their first run on a Carl Crawford solo home run in the third inning.

Ryan Howard put the Phillies up by four with a three run home run in the fourth inning. The big man took a curve ball out to the left field seats! Pinch hitter Eric Hinske took a Blanton fastball out to center field in the fifth to make the score 5-2 but Joe Blanton the hitter got it back by turning a Edwin Jackson 95 mph fast ball into a left field tater in the Phillies fifth ! It was Blanton’s first ever major league home run!

The Rays threatened in the seventh putting two runners on but skipper Charlie Manuel played bullpen shuffle bringing in Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson in to get out of the inning with no damage. Madson pitched a perfect eighth striking out both Carlos Pena and Evan (Eva) Longoria in the midst.

Jimmy Rollins got his third hit of the game in the eighth as he doubled off the wall. He could have been credited with four but the official scorer gave the Rays second sacker an error on a ground ball in the hole earlier in the game. Pretty simple equation for the Fightins, J-Roll gets on they win!! Jayson Werth belted a home run to score Rollins and put the Fightins up by six! Ryan Howard belted another bomb after teammate Chase Utley reached to make it 10-2 Fightins. Howard ended up with five RBI’s in the game! J.C. Romero pitched the ninth to finish the game.

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Cole Hamels goes in game five in a rematch of game one as Scott Kazmir throws for the Rays. Jamie Moyer’s performance in game three was even more remarkable considering he was battling a three day stomach virus that had kept him up most of the prior night! The man is a real pro! One win away boys from being known as the best of 2008 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, kudos to the Phillies advance scouts in supplying the team with a great advance plan on these young Ray hitters. The game plan has been perfect thus far……….one more big one to go !

Jimmy Rollins started game three in a different way, he stroked a single to center! Rollins advanced to second on a walk to Jayson Werth, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Chase Utley to put the Fightins up by one. The Rays tied the score in the top of the second as Carl Crawford scored.

Carlos Ruiz hit a solo home run in the Phillies second to put the home team back ahead. That score held till the bottom of the sixth when Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hit back to back home runs to make the count 4 to 1.

The Rays scored two in the seventh to chase Phililes starter Jamie Moyer. Moyer was outstanding and gave the young Rays a schooling by hitting spots consistently. He actually made a great play on a bunt by Carl Crawford in the seventh but the first base umpire blew the call. Crawford would score one of the runs.

Ryan Madson was touched for one run in the eighth as the speed of B.J. Upton scored the tieing run. Upton beat out an infield hit, stole second and third and scored on a errant throw to third by Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz.

The Phillies won the game in the bottom of the ninth as Eric Bruntlett was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Shane Victorino was attempting to bunt Bruntlett to second but a wild pitch did it for him as Bruntlett went to second and even advanced to third as the Rays catcher threw the ball into center field! Rays skipper Joe Maddon then elected to walk both Victorino and pinch hitter Greg Dobbs to load the bases. He brought his right fielder in behind second base and dared hitter Carlos Ruiz to be able to hit a fly ball! Ruiz hit a squibber down the third base line and Bruntlett scored the winning run!

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Jamie Moyer was outstanding in this game and showed how a true professional plays the game. The game did not start till after 10 pm EDT due to heavy rains in the Philadelphia area all day and early evening Saturday. The game concluded around 1:30 AM!! Philly fans stayed thru the whole thing though and showed their faith in the Fightins! Joe Blanton will go for the Fightins on the mound Sunday night. Give the Rays credit, they are a very good team and have alot of fight in them………sounds like our Phililes! All three games thus far could have went either way, these two teams are matched very well!

Chase Utley set the tone early as he belted a two run home run in his very first World Series at bat to plate Jayson Werth in front of him in the first inning. It would be a lead that young Phils ace Cole Hamels would not relinquish as the Fightins won game one of the 2008 World Series.

Carlos Ruiz plated the Phillies third run in the fourth inning as he grounded out to score Shane Victorino who had led off the inning with a single and had advanced to third base. Carl Crawford scored the Rays first run on a home run to right field off a hanging curve by Hamels, the only mistake pitch he made in the entire game! The Rays second run was scored on a double off the bat of Rays second baseman Akinora Iwamura. Iwamura had three of the five hits that Hamels allowed in his seven innings of work.

Ryan Madson pitched a perfect eighth for the Fightins flashing a couple 97 mph fastballs! Madson has really stepped it up in the playoffs and is throwing as hard as I have ever seen him! Super closer Brad Lidge was lights out in the ninth to earn the save. Lidge struck out two of the three batters he faced in a dominating appearance. He got the Rays 3-4-5 hitters out without even a loud foul ball!

Big win for the Fightins to get the first one on the road. Back at them tommorrow with Brett Myers taking the ball. Brett is a big game guy so I expect a huge effort from the right hander! Cole Hamels is earning that “Hollywood” nickname of his as he is indeed performing like a star!

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Jimmy Rollins said this past offseason that this team would win 100 or more games this season, with this win the Philies have won 100 games! They captured 92 in the regular season and 8 thus far in the post season! Rollins struggled at the plate going 0 for 5 and looked bad in his last two at bats swinging at high pitches above his head to strike out. J-Roll just needs to calm down a bit and lead our team! Ryan Howard was punked by Rays skipper Joe Maddon as Maddon intentionally walked Chase Utley in the top of the ninth with one out after Jayson Werth had doubled to get to Howard. The big guy had a poor at bat as he struck out looking against left hander Trevor Miller on two pitches down the heart of the plate. Howard and Rollins will make the Jays pay at some point in this series, mark my word! No worries so far as the Phillies found a way to win but we need these two big guns to step up at some point in this series before we have our parade!

Was it just me or did B.J. Upton dog it a bit on the two ground ball double plays he hit into to. I think if he had ran hard on the first one he may have beaten it out! The World Series stage is not the place to show lack of hustle!

When the Tampa Bay Rays recorded the last out against the Boston Red Sox to claim the ALCS title one could argue it set up a “Home and Home” world series for the Phillies! The Phillies train in Clearwater, Florida in the spring which is only a short distance from St. Petersburg and the home of the Rays. If they want the Fightins can use thier own facilities to work out for the games hosted by the Rays.

Lets take a look at how I think this series breaks out and who has the ultimate edge. The Rays starting pitchers Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, James Shields and Andy Sonnnastine are all young as is most of their team. Kazmir is the only lefty amongst the group. I believe this plays into the strength of the Phillies from the perspective that they are heavy on left handed bats and are a very good fastball hitting team. Kazmir and Garza are primary fastball pitchers. The Rays bullpen has been worked alot in the playoffs, folks like Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell, Chad Bradford, Dan Wheeler and David Price have logged many innings. I think that the Phillies offense can do damage against that crew. Look for Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard to have big series, in fact I predict one of those two will emerge as series MVP.

The Phillies starters will be Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton. I think the inexperience of the young Ray hitters will play into the hands of both Hamels and Moyer. I also think that Myers is a big game guy and on the biggest baseball stage there is will excel. The Phillies bullpen has proven itself over the stretch run and the playoffs to be this years best. Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin have all excelled in setting up premier closer Brad Lidge. Any lead the offense turns over to that crew should be safe!

Defensively I think the Phillies are much better than the Rays, in fact the Rays defense has hurt them in the playoffs thus far. Offensively I think the Phillies are much more balanced but Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino must set the table for core sluggers Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. With the DH in play in Tampa look for Matt Stairs, Greg Dobbs and perhaps Chris Coste to have impact as well.

The managers are equals in my opinion. Charlie Manuel provides the calm stablility that has enabled the Phillies to get this far while Joe Maddon has built into the young Rays the confidence they needed to excel.

This series matches two franchises that have had minimal success in thier history, the Fightins are the losingest team in history while the Rays first winning season ever was this year! Someone has to succeed in 2008!

When the Rays beat the Red Sox for the AL title I get a sense that they feel they have succeeded already and that anything beyond is gravy. I saw that in thier eyes as they celebrated thier victory. I do not think the Phillies have that same feeling, I think they are the hungrier crew and have more urgency to win it all! With that in mind I think that the Phillies will prevail in this series by winning in five games, six max. I think a parade is in the midst for Philadelphia and that the 2008 Fightins will join the ranks of the 1980 world series champs forever in Philly baseball lore! Just a feeling.

The Philadelphia Phillies are headed back to the World Series for the first time since 1993 as they clinched the National League pennant on Wednesday night! Cole Hamels led the Phillies past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 as the Phillies took four of the five games against the Dodgers.

Hamels picked up his second win of th series after tossing seven strong innings where he allowed just five hits and one run. The one run came in the sixth inning when Manny Ramirez hit a high fastball for a solo home run. When Hamels got into jams, he was able to get double plays turned without allowing any runs to score.

Jimmy Rollings got the game started off with a bang with a solo home run in the first inning off of Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley. Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell both added rbi singles in the third inning as the Phillies jumped out to a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, it was Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz both scoring on an errors by Rafael Furcal. That was enough offense for the Phillies as the pitching staff was great!

Now the Phillies will come back home to Philly and see who they will play in the World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays need one more win against the Boston Red Sox to seal their World Series bid and the two teams will be playing Thursday night.

So now the question is this. Who would you rather play? The Red Sox or the Rays?

What a great comeback by the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night! Trailing 5-3 heading into the eighth inning, things did not look good for the Phillies. However, Shane Victorino stepped up bigtime and hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 5-5. It was then pitch hitter Matt Stairs turn to go yard as he delivered the game winning moonshot off of Jonathan Broxton and the Phillies beat the Dodgers 7-5.

Besides the four runs in the eighth inning, the Phillies jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning with two runs. Chase Utley had a rbi double while Jason Werth scored on a rbi ground out by Ryan Howard. Howard would end up scoring the Phillies third run in the fifth inning on a wild pitch as well.

Starting pitcher Joe Blanton tossed five innings as he gave up three runs on seven hits. He did strike out four batters but also walked four batters. It would have nice to see him pitch a little deeper into the game but luckily for the Phillies their bullpen pitched well enough to get the victory.

Chad Durbin was the only relief pitcher to give up any runs as he allowed two in the sixth inning and was quickly pulled. Ryan Madson threw 1 2/3 innings to get the victory in the game. Brad Lidge threw 1 1/3 innings to get the save. Scott Eyre also got into the game as he recorded one out.

Now the Phillies are up 3-1 in the series and will be looking to close things out in L.A. on Wednesday. They will be sending Cole Hamels to the mound and he will be facing off against Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers. I like the Phillies chances of closing out the series with Hamels on the mound that is for sure!

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Hey everyone, I’m filling in for Spotter as he is 12 hours ahead of us over in China for the week. Hopefully he is able to catch the games over there. He sure didn’t miss much in game three however as the Phillies were blown out 7-2.

Jamie Moyer only lasted one and a third innings as the Dodgers scored five runs in the first inning to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Old man Moyer simply didn’t have his pitches working for him and he was hit hard. He was taken out of the game in the second inning after he gave up his sixth run of the game on a Rafael Furcal solo home run.

The only offense for the Phillies was two rbi singles. Pedro Feliz scored Ryan Howard in the second inning on a single to shallow left field and then in the seventh inning, Pat Burrell singled in Chase Utley.

The Phils will now send Joe Blanton to the mound in game four of the series. If the Phillies can pull out a win, I like their chances of winning the series and moving onto the World Series. The Dodgers will be countering back with their ace as Derek Lowe will get the start.

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Cole Hamels pitched like an ace in game one of the NLCS going seven strong innings and holding the Dodgers to only two runs. With the exception of Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez the Dodgers could have been blanked. Chase Utley came thru with a two run home run in the sixth off Dodger starter Derrick Lowe and Pat Burrell blasted a solo home run in the same inning to end Lowe’s day and put the Fightins ahead.

Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge closed the game out without incident and the Phillies earned a big win. Philly fans were loud and strong in this one and indeed had an impact.

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Charlie Manuel pinch hit for Hamels in the seventh frame with So Taguchi hoping that Taguchi could get a sacrifice bunt down to advance Carlos Ruiz who had reached on a single. Taguchi popped the bunt up and heard the wrath of the Philly fans! Manuel had Gregg Dobbs available but chose to go for the sacrifice. I think Charlie outfoxed himself on that move, it did not cost the game but not so sure Dobbs wasn’t the better move as Greg Maddux was on the hill for the Dodgers. The Phillies have not been a small ball team all year and I see no reason to start now.
Manuel did make a very good mound visit in the top of the eighth when he came out to see Ryan Madson and reinforce to not give Manny nothing to hit in his at bat….. Manny swung at the first pitch, an outside change up that he pulled as a soft line drive to third baseman Pedro Feliz to record the out.

Sitting in LAX right now preparing to board for trip to China, Fightins will begin game two soon with Brett Myers on the hill. Hope that Brett controls the adrenalin and he should do fine.

The NLCS kicks off tommorrow with Cole Hamels taking the hill for the Fightins against the Dodgers Derek Lowe. The NLCS is a seven game series and the format is 2-3-2 in regards to home field advantage. If the series goes seven games the Phillies will have four games in their home ball park. The way the schedule lays out it would appear that Hamels would only be enabled to pitch two games since doing otherwise would require pitching on three days rest and he has never done that before. That being the case the depth of the Phillies staff will come into play.

The two teams split this season in the eight games played but Dodger shortstop and leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal did not play in any of the games. Furcal brings added punch to the Dodger offense as he is the ignitor much in the manner Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are for the Phillies. I doubt that either team will allow either Manny Ramirez or Ryan Howard to beat them, that is, it is highly doubtful either slugger will be given any pitches within the zone therefore both must be very patient and hit the mistakes!

I like the auxiliary bats to the core slugger in the Phillies lineup more than those of the Dodger blue. Rollins, Victorino, Greg Dobbs, and Chase Utley all will swing left handed against a predominantly right handed Dodger staff, L.A. has only two lefties in the bullpen so left on left matchups against Howard and the like will be very limited by Joe Torre. Right handed hitters Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth have had big roles this season and must also come thru. Offense from Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz is a bonus as they provide most impact by defensive play. Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs could have big impacts as left handed pinch hitters since the Dodgers are limited from the southpaw side on the mound.

 The Dodgers counter with Casey Blake, Matt Kemp, Jeff Kent, Furcal, Russell Martin and Nomar all swinging right handed and are lighter on lefthanded hitters with first baseman James Loney and Andre Ethier being the lone core starters swinging from the left side. Juan Pierre is available as well.
like the depth of the Phillies starting pitching when compared to the Dodgers. Brett Myers is a key to the series as he needs to pitch late into games for the team to succeed. Joe Blanton will get a start in the series and must pitch like he did in the NLDS. Jamie Moyer and Hamels will need to continue to excel. The bullpen is an advantage to the Phillies, the Dodgers have a good pen but the Phils have a closer who is perfect thus far in Brad Lidge and he shows no account of not continuing that streak.

 Dodger Manager Joe Torre has many rings to his credit and is an advantage to the Dodgers but Phils skipper Charlie Manuel knows his personnel very well and was very good in strategic moves against the Brewers in the NLDS.

 Overall my heart tells me Phillies in Four! My baseball mind tells me a slightly different story with the key to the series not being any player on the field. I truly feel that Phillie fans in the home park can sway ballgames with their perception and reactions to the game. That being said I see this series going at least six games, more likely seven but a win for the Fightins on the home turf and the fans having an impact on the deciding game.

Unfortunately I will not be able to see most of the series as I have a work assignment in China for the week! I will check as much as I can on the internet and be pulling for the Fightins from afar, sure hope my prediction comes true and we advance to the big show, the 2008 World Series!