The Los Angeles Dodgers (84-78, NL West Champions )were a mediocre, underachieving team until a Christmas present arrived early in the form of one LF, Manny Ramirez. The trade-deadline deal gave L.A. arguably the best-right handed hitter in MLB and a dominant force in the middle of their lineup.
Fresh off a sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the division series, Manny and Co. head east to Philadelphia to square off against the N.L. East Champion Phillies (92-70), led by MVP candidate 1B Ryan Howard.
Philly defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in four games, relying on strong starting pitching and timely situational hitting to advance one step closer to the World Series.
LINEUP
Ramirez's presence was immediately felt from the moment he put on Dodger Blue. In 53 games for L.A., Manny batted .396 with 17 HR and 53 RBI, showing a renewed energy and level of commitment that left people in Boston scratching their heads.
The Red Sox's loss has been the Dodger's gain, and he has continued his onslaught against N.L. pitching, batting .500 with two home runs in the NLDS, as well as providing much needed protection for up-and-coming stars 1B James Loney, RF Andre Ethier, and CF Matt Kemp.
Loney led the team with 90 RBI and provided a big grand slam in the NLDS Game One, setting the tempo for the series, while Ethier really came into his own in the second half of the season, making teams pay for pitching around Manny. He posted a team-high .305 batting average and 20 home runs in 2008.
Kemp, possibly the most physically gifted of the three, added 18 HR and 78 RBI to go with 35 SB during the season and is finally showing signs of realizing his enormous potential.
Ex-Cleveland Indian 3B Casey Blake, acquired during the season under the radar, has allowed 3B/2B Blake DeWitt to shift to the right side, where he seems more natural. SS Rafael Furcal returns from a back injury just in time for the playoff run and made his presence felt against the Cubs, collecting four hits and scoring four runs in the sweep.
Russell Martin remains steady as ever behind the plate, as well as a presence at it, batting .280 with 13 HR and 69 RBI. Veterans Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent provide quality depth on the bench.
1B Howard had another monster season for the Phillies, in terms of home runs and RBI, leading the league with 48 HR and 146 RBI. Even though he batted only .251, with nearly 200 strikeouts, the 2006 N.L. MVP continues to be one of baseball's most dangerous hitters, especially in Citizens Bank Park.
Reigning N.L. MVP SS Jimmy Rollins struggled with nagging injuries all season long but is still as clutch as they come and provides a speed/power threat whenever he comes to the plate.
2B Chase Utley completes one of the most talented offensive infields in the majors, leading all second basemen with 33 HR and 104 RBI.
The emergence of CF Shane Victorino this season made the popular Aaron Rowand expendable, and he rewarded the Phillies brass with big plays all season, whether with his bat, feet, glove, or arm. Victorino's grand-slam against Brewers ace CC Sabathia proved to be the biggest hit of the series and a major reason why they are playing in the NLCS.
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