2010 NLCS: 10 Things To Think About During Game 5

The San Francisco Giants are now one game away from winning the 2010 NLCS and advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2002.

Everyone in Philadelphia is thinking the same thing today: if we're going to come back from down 3-1, at least we've got Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels with whom to try to pull it off.

Here's some other thoughts as the Phillies face the brink of elimination, and perhaps the downside of a dynasty.

10. Hats Off to the San Francisco Giants

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20: Cody Ross #13 and Pat Burrell #9 of the San Francisco Giants celebrate after scoring on a double by Pablo Sandoval #48 in the sixth inning of Game Four of the NLCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at AT&T Park on October 20, 2010

The Giants are playing really great right now.

Can't take anything away from them.

Philadelphia sports fans tend to get down on the hometown team when they come up short in the post-season.  

Don't.  

The Giants are playing inspired baseball and it is doubtful that anyone could stop this team right now.

9. Are the 2010 Giants the 2008 Phillies?

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20: (R-L) Aubrey Huff #17 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with Cody Ross #13 after scoring against the Philadelphia Phillies on a double by Buster Posey in the third inning of Game Four of the NLCS during the 2010 MLB Playo

In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won a World Series with a smartly-built team, built on homegrown talent and small, crafty moves that built a great team.

In 2010, the Phillies are about to be escorted out of the playoffs by a smartly-built team.  

I'm sorry, they drafted that rotation? Are you kidding me?  

And Pat Burrell and Cody Ross were waiver-wire pickups? What?

8. L.O.B.

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20: Jimmy Rollins #11 of the Philadelphia Phillies stands at second base after being tagged out during Game Four of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 MLB Playoffs at AT&T Park on October 20, 2010 in San Francis

In September, I wish I'd made a bigger deal out of the Phillies men left on base.  

Even though we were scoring plenty, we were leaving lots of men on base. It didn't seem like a big deal because, well, we were scoring lots of runs.

Now the Phillies are just leaving men on base, and it is killing them.

7. Managers

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 18: Manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadephia Philles watches his team take batting practice during a workout session for the NLCS at AT&T Park on October 18, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

News alert: The Phils got out-coached last night.  

Simply out-coached.

6. The Umpires

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20: Manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies argues a call with umpire Jeff Nelson on the field in Game Four of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at AT&T Park on October 20, 2010 in

I try to think I am pretty objective about baseball, but I swear the home plate umpire was calling balls and strikes like Tim Donaghy trying to get the Los Angeles Lakers into the NBA Finals.

Very consistently against the Phillies and for the Giants.

You can't tell me that all of Madison Bumgarner's called strikes were over the plate, because many were not.

5. Empires

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 20: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees celebrates with his teammates after the Yankees won 7-2 against the Texas Rangers in Game Five of the ALCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 20, 2010 in the Bronx borou

As this Phillies team struggles to keep this run alive, I become more and more impressed with what the Yankees did from 1996 to 2000.

It really was before they started buying every player available. Going to four World Series in five years in this day and age, let alone winning four out of five, is simply amazing.

I really think we, and by we I mean the baseball world, need to stop diminishing the magnitude of that accomplishment simply because they were the Yankees.  

This Phillies team has developed great players, has bought great players, and has made good roster moves, and they're one game away from the downside of a dynasty.

4. The Annual One and Done

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 11: Manager Bobby Cox #6 of the Atlanta Braves waves to the crowd after the Braves were defeated by the San Francisco Giants 3-2 during Game Four of the NLDS of the 2010 MLB Playoffs on October 11, 2010 at Turner Field in Atlanta, Geor

At the same time, I become less and less impressed with what the Atlanta Braves did during their 15-year run.

For the first 70 years of AL/NL Major League Baseball as we know it, the battle for the league was fought during the season—the best team in the league went to the World Series, end of story.  

But since 1995, the battle for the league has taken place in the postseason.

That the Braves could win 14 straight division titles with three Hall of Fame starting pitchers, but only win the World Series once and only make one trip there in the last nine tries, suddenly seems underwhelming.

3. What It Takes to Win

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants talks with Buster Posey #28 in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Four of the NLCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at AT&T Park on October 20, 2010 in San

You know what the Giants have that the Phillies don't right now?

Overachievers.

Overachieving is how Shane Victorino hit a grand slam off of CC Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS after Brett Myers drew a full-count, two-out walk. And it is how the Phillies won one World Series and went to another.

Right now, the Phillies are one game from losing to Cody Ross, Juan Uribe, Aaron Rowand, Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff.

Overachievers.

2. Get Excited for Rangers-Giants

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 18: Cliff Lee #33 of the Texas Rangers stands on the mound for the performance of 'Gob Bless America' against the New York Yankees in Game Three of the ALCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 18, 2010 in New York

Anyone who thinks a World Series between the Texas Rangers and this San Francisco Giants team wouldn't be amazing either isn't paying attention or doesn't like baseball.  

There are two teams playing emotional, exciting, clutch baseball with good, young, talented players and plotlines, back-stories and themes galore. A rematch of the Phillies and Yankees would be comparatively boring and, frankly, more than a little ordinary.

I'm not entire sure which team I'll root for.

1. The Future

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20: (L-R) Shane Victorino #8, Chase Utley #26, and Ryan Howard #6 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after Victorino and Utley scored on a double by Placido Polanco #27 against the San Francisco Giants in Game Four of the NLCS

Hi Philadelphia.

You just committed $25 million dollars per year over the next five years to a dime-a-dozen left-handed, power-hitting first baseman.

Good luck keeping your team together around that. 

There is a chance—just a chance—that the Phillies really are the new Yankees.