NL Champion Phillies Have Their Fill of Heroes

Here's to the Phillies:

To the manager, Charlie Manuel. Ridiculed for his Appalachian drawl upon accepting the Phillies' job four years ago, Manuel is revered by his players and smart in ways that supposedly intelligent people will never understand.

To the ace, Cole Hamels. Some knuckleheads in Philadelphia question his toughness, but by handling him with care, the Phillies kept their prized left-hander healthy for the first time in his major-league career. Hamels has now thrown 249 1/3 innings this season, including the postseason. In three playoff starts, he's 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA.

To the center fielder, Shane Victorino. Only the "Flyin' Hawaiian" could go 4-for-18 in the League Championship Series and make it appear that he was the dominant player. The irrepressible Victorino is in the middle of everything, and his two-run, game-tying homer in the eighth inning of Game four was even bigger than his grand slam off CC Sabathia in the Division Series.

To the crusty veteran, Matt Stairs. His two-run, go-ahead homer in Game four will not soon be forgotten; the Phillies are still talking about the sheer beauty of Stairs' perfect swing, the stunning power. Only in baseball can a player change teams on Aug. 30, look like a beer-league warrior and emerge as a postseason hero.

To the shortstop, Jimmy Rollins. Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle remembers being questioned by his peers when the team selected Rollins in the second round of the 1996 draft; many considered Rollins, 5-foot-8 and 174 pounds, to be too small. Arbuckle, though, saw physical strength and inner toughness—a player who, 12 years later, would hit a leadoff homer in the Division Series clincher and another in the LCS clincher.

To the left fielder, Pat Burrell. Once cocky and immature, he grew into a mature leader. For the longest time, the Phillies talked about trading him, and they could lose him as a free agent this offseason. But Burrell, while streaky as a hitter and below-average defensively, has proven he can handle one of baseball's most demanding markets. Can't underestimate that.

To the closer, Brad Lidge. Few thought he would succeed in Philadelphia after he faded in Houston, but Lidge is 5-for-5 in save chances in the postseason after converting all 41 of his opportunities in the regular season. While a closer is always one homer away from humiliation, Lidge has done everything possible to erase the memory of Albert Pujols' mammoth homer off him in the 2005 NLCS.

To the second baseman, Chase Utley. Relentless offensively, underrated defensively. Utley rebounded from his 2-for-15 performance in the Division Series to go 6-for-17 in the LCS, including his game-tying, two-run homer in Game one—the first turning point of the series. Far more reserved than Rollins and Victorino, but a huge part of the Phillies' fiber.

To the first baseman, Ryan Howard. Flails at breaking balls, strikes out a ton and plays shoddy defense, but Howard awakened in September and could do the same in the World Series; he was 3-for-16 in the LCS before going 3-for-4 in Game five. Alas, he has gone 39 at-bats since his last home run, off the Nationals' Collin Balester on Sept. 26.

To the wacky No. 2 starter, Brett Myers. The Phillie Phanatic, pantomiming the team's lineup for a recent FOX broadcast, pointed to his head and twirled his finger when introducing Myers, relaying the universal sign for, "He's nuts." Myers doesn't dispute that assessment. Could pitch a no-hitter in Game two of the World Series. Could last an inning and a third.

To the old man, Jamie Moyer. OK, he was horrible in Game 3 of the NLCS, lasting only 1 1/3 innings, but Moyer, 45, figures to get another chance in the World Series. I remember covering Moyer when he was with the Orioles from 1993 to '95 and thinking he was about the most non-descript pitcher I had ever seen. Wrong, Of Moyer's 246 career wins, 212 have come since he turned 30.

To the right-handed setup man, Ryan Madson. His velocity has jumped from 92-94 mph earlier in the season to 96-97, making his changeup that much more effective. Madson is standing taller on the mound, giving him more angle, and the Phillies are mostly limiting him to one-inning appearances, keeping him strong. But Madson also says his adrenaline has increased, knowing that the stakes are high and the end of the season is near.

To the left-handed reliever, Scott Eyre. Cubs manager Lou Piniella called him "Stevie Ire," but Eyre is getting the last laugh—he's going to the World Series and Piniella is sitting home. The Cubs, by the way, should be embarrassed that they failed to win a game from Manny and the Miniatures, also known as the Dodgers.

To the previous general manager, Ed Wade. The Phillies drafted virtually all of their core players under Wade's watch, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Arbuckle, the team's scouting director. Wade resisted trading Howard when the Phillies had Jim Thome, refused to part with Utley for Barry Zito and selected Victorino in the Rule Five draft.

To the current general manager, Pat Gillick. He traded for Lidge, but his best work was on the margins—Stairs, Jayson Werth, and Greg Dobbs essentially were castoffs from other clubs, as were relievers J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin. Yes, Gillick erred by signing Adam Eaton and trading Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia, but the Phillies are the fourth different team he has led to the postseason. This is his last season with the Phillies, and he could retire happily if the team won its first World Series since 1980.

And, finally, to the forever beleaguered Phillies fans: Enjoy this a little bit, OK?

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

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