After years of waiting through tumultuous times that rarely produced a winner, Phillies fans finally have something to smile about. So many terrible teams later and 15 years removed from their last trip to the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies are back.
Drink it down again Philly, it always goes down smooth.
There is now hope for the championship-starved town that fills the pot with emotion 365 days a year but rarely is rewarded with a positive outcome. Those days might finally be over.
In Wednesday night’s 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Fightin’s faithful didn’t have to wait long to get pumped. Jimmy Rollins, the “table setter” for this Phillies lineup, led off the game with a home run, only seven pitches into Game Five of the NLCS.
He started the party early, and the Phils never looked back. Whenever you can shake the nerves and stress of a clinching game right off the bat, it makes everything that much easier. Credit J-Roll with an incredible opening at-bat that really helped loosen the team up from the get go.
In my keys to Game Five, Rollins was the driving force to a win. He needed to come out early and make his mark, and he did just that.
As for the rest of the team, everyone seemed to come up big in their own way. Cole Hamels pitched a beauty once again, proving to all that he IS the big-game pitcher that the Phillies believed he was when they drafted him in 2002. He went seven innings, giving up just one run on a long ball to Manny Ramirez, while striking out five.
Hamels, the NLCS MVP, shut down the Dodgers in both games, and by doing so will now get to pitch in Game One of the World Series.
The lineup also came through in a big way. Another key to the victory was Ryan Howard, who showed his presence by smacking three hits and knocking in a big run in the two-run third inning. Howard had been MIA for the better part of the playoffs, and while struggling with the stick, he continued to stink with the leather as well.
Last night was different, as he put together a strong outing that will silence the critics and hopefully give him some confidence going into the World Series. A home run in the next round would be nice, too.
Pat Burrell had an RBI in the third and Shane Victorino reached base three times Wednesday night. Chase Utley didn’t have success with the bat, but reached base twice and scored two runs. He also continued to play the field well, turning two double plays and making another great diving catch. The big players stepped in and took control when they needed to, showing their veteran leadership.
Brad Lidge took his place on the mound in the ninth where he has been lights out, and he didn’t disappoint. Lidge closed the door on the Dodgers, and as the team emptied the dugout after the final out, all of the Phillies demons were erased. All of the futility, the losing, the horror of so many missed opportunities will be put away for a few more days.
The man who kept the ship sailing throughout a crazy up and down season was Charlie Manuel. Even with some tumult of his own, Manuel kept his head held high and led the team to the Promised Land.
As a player’s manager, Manuel meshed with the team and treated each like a son, something that can’t be said about many other major-league managers. By taking a personal approach to each man on that roster, Manuel made it feel like the Phillies were a family. His importance cannot be overlooked.
The Phillies have a very strong team, the key word being team. They genuinely care about each other and play as a team. Perhaps later today we will find out the Phillies opponent for the World Series, which starts on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
So forget about the 10,000 losses, the futility, and the downright garbage teams that have been part of our town for 125 years.
It’s time to enjoy the World Series.
And win or lose, the Phillies have given this city something to feel good about.
And that doesn’t happen very often.
Go Phils.
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