Wow.
The Phillies have won their 7th NL pennant in team history and they have back-to-back pennants for the first time ever in the team’s 127 seasons in the majors.
When we started the season, I set an expectation for myself and a goal for the team that they would win the division for the 3rd straight year. Anything else would be gravy. It is hard enough to make the playoffs two years in a row, let alone win a series, let alone win two. Since the inception of the Wild Card, only the Braves (‘94-’95) and Yankees (‘98-’01) have won back-to-back pennants in either league. Prior to that, the back-to-back NL pennant winners in the NLCS era (since 1969) are…
- Atlanta Braves (‘91-’92)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (‘77-’78)
- Cincinnati Reds (‘75-’76)
Bottom Line? The Phillies just entered a very elite group. Both the Braves and Dodgers lost in their two World Series appearances so that leaves only the ‘75-’76 Reds, ‘94-’95 Braves and ‘08-’09 Phillies as teams that have won back-to-back NL Pennants while winning at least one World Series (in the NLCS era). In case you were wondering, that Reds team had 3 HOFers (4 if Rose ever gets in) and the Braves team had 4 (5 if McGriff ever gets in).
I honestly never imagined we would get back to the World Series this year. As you can see above, it is so hard to do, and I thought that one World Series was just too good for us to possibly to get another. We paid our penance for 25 years, got our reward, and that was that. Right? I guess not.
Not only that, but the ease that they did it in (7-2 record) is flat out shocking. We showed 36 predictions from the experts before this series, and only one (Nick Cafardo from the Boston Globe) picked the Phillies in 5.
Well, we are back, and looking for the 3rd title in team history. This year, it isn’t a group of young guns awaiting us, but likely a group highly paid all-stars and future hall of famers. I’m sure J-Roll and Ry-Ho are just shaking in their boots.
Pop the champagne Philly, you are watching the best baseball team this franchise has ever seen.
The Champs vs. the Bombers. Game 1, a full week from tonight. Bring it on.
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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Well said Pete. This is a special time to be a phan. Let’s enjoy the moment!
lots more revenues coming in in the off-season!
Congrats to Ry-Ho!
Charlie Manuel: “We got one more step and we gonna get it.”
first man to the champagne? Brett Myers!
Dodgers bullpen? Please. Really something to see all the walks, hit batters, and wild pitches they surrendered, not to mention the long balls. Whooda thunk that our pen would outpitch theirs?
And the offenses? No comparison.
Congratulations, Phillies! What they’ve accomplished is worthy of praise, win or lose in the next round. To follow up on bski’s points, the Dodger bullpen was very shaky, but the Phillies’ offense definitely had something to do with it. And who would have thought that Durbin would be literally unhittable in this series (4 innings, 0 baserunners)? Or that Lidge would look better and better (he ended the series having retired 5 in a row)? Lots of stuff to discuss for the next round, but for now, I’ll share another youtube video I found after watching the one that Pete found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3xbw1OnSA4 … kind of summarizes the series for me.
Whoops, I don’t think the link came out right. Search in youtube for “PGL Crew Reacts” and you’ll see it.
The saddest fans right now? Indians fans…they are soon going to witness opposing Game 1 starters (aces) of the World Series as Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia (obviously if the Yanks win tonight) for two other teams.
And they are stuck with Fausto Carmona.
Saddest fans are the mets fans. Taken from another board:
“Great, the World Series match-up no Mets fan wanted. Yankees/Phillies… hmm, do you pull for the big brother who gets mom’s adoration, or the bully down the block who steals your lunch money? ”
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/shysterball/article/and-that-happened-nlcs102209/
Trillo Fan,
Our offense definitely had more than a little something to do with the struggles of the Dodgers’ pitchers. Lots of good ABs up and down the lineup led to lots of damage being done. Much different from last year when the pitching carried us and we were hoping to scratch out enough runs to pick up the win on most nights.
Stu,
Found this on Andy Martino’s blog:
Marc Narducci in Anaheim learned an interesting tidbit from CC Sabathia, and Cliff Lee confirmed it today. The two lefties, former longtime teammates and still good friends from their days together with the Cleveland Indians, have been texting back and forth in anticipation of a potential Game 1 matchup.
“We have texted back and forth, but we haven’t talked,” Sabathia said before yesterday’s workout at Angel Stadium.
“It’s never anything super important; I don’t even remember exactly what we said,” Lee said. “We texted when I got traded. We joked about hitting [in the National League] a little bit.”
Said Lee: “I’ve stayed pretty close with him since he left Cleveland,” Lee said. “But that might have to change next week.”
Pete and Company -
Congrats – Real domination in so many ways in this last series (I thought even more so than against the Rockies – but I’m pretty biased)
I’m looking forward to seeing if this sqaud can single-handlely dispel the AL superiority complex that is so pervasive right now. I’m thinking as long as the Yanks finish things tonight – there will be 80-90 percent of the “experts” picking the Yanks in 6 or less?
Burke, you are correct in your prediction, which will make 6 series in a row where the consensus pick was the team the Phillies were playing. I’m not kidding, I’ve been keeping track.
Found some good stuff in an article by Dylan Hernandez in today’s LA Times:
Never in this series did the Dodgers look like the team that withstood Manny Ramirez’s a 50-game suspension, compiled a league-best 95-67 record and swept the St. Louis Cardinals in three games in the NL Division Series.
“We weren’t clicking on all cylinders,” Casey Blake said. “It would have been interesting if we were.”
There is a reason for that: The Phils shut the Dodgers down. Or, as Manny said in the article:
“We were playing against a team that was better than us,” Ramirez said.
Also, from Jon Weisman’s LA Times blog, Dodger Thoughts:
For the second year in a row, Philadelphia turned an exciting matchup into a series of bad memories for Los Angeles. You have to hand it to the Phillies – they’re the real deal, and they showed why.
Finally, T.J. Simers is still at it, hammering away at the “choking” Dodgers and everything Philadelphia.
Does anyone think Charlie will consider the idea of pitching Cliff Lee in 1,4,7? Twice on 3-days rest? I doubt he does, but the way Hamels is throwing might put the thought in his mind
Bigger question, is Hamels even the Game 2 starter?
I was thinking about that last night after watching Hamels struggle again, Pete. I’d start Lee in games 1, 4, and 7 in a heartbeat if we need him to. Hamels continues to spin his wheels. I’d much rather limit him to 1 start in the world series and give the other one to Lee.
A lot of things would factor in the decision of course, such as how many pitches and how hard Lee worked in game 1, what the status of the series is entering game 4 (are we up 2-1 or down 1-2), and who is pitching game 4 for the Yanks (gotta figure CC will be taking the mound, and almost definitely in a game 7 as well), for starters. How much Happ and Blanton are used out of the pen in the first couple games in the series as well as how well our game 2 starter pitches (like if Pedro gets the nod and gives us a start like he did in game 2 against the Dodgers) will also go a long way in determining who will be available to start and how much confidence Charlie has in them to either make a start or to possibly even give them another one.
I checked on baseball-reference.com and Cliff Lee has never made a start, at least not in the majors, on only 3 days rest, so it could be a bit dicey. However, it is the end of the season, Cliff Lee at even 80% is probably going to be better than most alternatives, and it is the world series after all, so I’d want him pitching as many inning as he could give me.
Just thinking about how fantastic it would be to see Lee and CC go head-to-head in games 1, 4, and 7.
Mind you, I’d rather see the Phils win it all with a dominating sweep, but from a pure fan of the game standpoint, how great would that be to watch?
Highlight of the night was watching Chan Ho go wild with champagne
Question….how much of Hamels’ issues last night attributed to the fact that the Dodgers have seen him a lot in the past two years. At times he looked really sharp, and he was finally throwing his curve for some strikes. But he seemed to run into more trouble finishing hitters off, and I wonder how much of that is due how many pitches so many of those batters and scouts have seen. Like you said yesterday, bski, he will need to make some serious adjustments this off season. If there is some truth to this, then if the Yankees do advance – do we have any hope that because most of those hitters have seen him sparingly and are relying almost exclusively on scouting? One of the reasons Hamels was so good last year was due to the timing he was able to dsirupt with the change up. Hitters new it was coming, but just could not time it right – and the Rays hitters had really never seen it. It seemed like the Dodgers weren’t swing and missing as much and then keying in on his fastball (an obvious exception was Manny in game 2). I don’t know, honestly.
I do have trouble seeing them continue to to succeed without pitching him. I just don’t see bringing Happ/Blanton out of the pen and pitching Pedro working against an AL lineup especially the Yanks. Maybe you pitch Hamels game 3 or 4 instead of 2. I am curious as to what people think the rotation should look like. I might consider replacing Happ with Blanton. Blanton pitched in the AL a while, and Happ pitched pretty well against the Yanks over Memorial Day Weekend (I think that is the only time). As for order your guess at this point is as good as mine. Think about the theater of a game 2 with Pedro in the Bronx. I am not sure Pedro can think of a better way to go out on top. I have a feeling though that Charlie will throw Hamels in a game 2. He rides his horses.
Also, does Francisco start in LF and Ibanez DH while on the road?
stu-
certainly against Sabathia or Pettitte. I personally would leave him in for Burnett too…
Can you guys believe it, baseball in November? I sure hope Ryan Howard can be Mr. November, as he is Mr. October!
I think the Phils will face the Yankees, but at the same time, us Phillies fans do pray their series goes longer so that way our opponent’s starting pitching rotation will be altered greatly.
Anyway, GO PHILLIES!!
Dobbs fares much better in lineup than when pinch hitting (.300 plus avg. in starts, i think) I’d sit Francisco against Burnett and DH Dobbs. its not ideal defensively but it may pay off.
I would startr Lee, Pedro, Hamels, then Game 4. i think Charlie manuel will want to start Hamels at home since he tends to babysit his struggling pitchers. Pedro would welcome the challenge and might not get deep but then he’d probably give up very few runs. thats all you can ask for some times.
Tale of 2 Johns…kudos to Harper, of the NYDN, who, like Phillyfan on this board, picked the Phils in 5 over LA, and number 2, Heyman, of SI, who wrote the Dodgers obit today. Included in the column were things they need to do to improve next year. Contains some classic stuff, if you consider classic stuff to include Larry Bows telling anyone to be less aggressive in any part of the game.
1. Time to toughen up. It won’t be easy to match the Phillies in this area. “We’ve got a bunch of nice guys in here,” one Dodger said. “Those guys over there, they are tough. (Shane) Victorino is a tough SOB. And (Chase) Utley, he drops a knee whenever the runner comes in at second. When Larry Bowa managed those guys he warned (Utley) that guys would get mad if he drops a knee on (baserunners), and Utley told him, “I don’t give a —-.’ ‘
Good stuff, Ken.
It was mentioned several times in articles in the LA Times that the Dodgers cost-conscious, penny-pinching ways———-i.e. picking up a cheap castoff like Padilla and taking a chance that he could fill a hole in their rotation instead of bringing in a more dependable option that would have cost more———-really hurt the team this year and that they need to step up and get themselves a #1 starter (or a #2 if Kershaw can be a #1). Andre Ethier was even quoted as saying that the only thing we have that they don’t is a #1 starter.
“Just thinking about how fantastic it would be to see Lee and CC go head-to-head in games 1, 4, and 7. ”
bski, a quick hit from Colin Cowherd’s radio show this morning - if the Angels win again tonight, the Yankees will have to pitch Sabathia for game 7, making him unavailable for game 1 of the World Series, assuming the Yankees win game 7. I really wanna face the Yankees at their best, so I hope they win tonight.
I’ve watched a ton of sports playoffs (no hockey though), and I watched even when Philly teams weren’t playing, and the Phillies’ run through the NL playoffs, for me, ranks right up there with the funnest playoff stretches by a team I’ve ever watched. Not the most dominating, but very,very, very glued-to-the-TV-set entertaining. I hope they continue it with an exciting World Series that goes to 6 or 7 games, a la the D-Backs/Yanks or the Marlins/Indians series. I thought the Marlins/Yanks WS was a little boring, though - not enough star power and recognizability on that Marlins team (at the time).
HOW could I forget the ‘93 Phils-Blue Jays series, probably the most fun and craziest World Series in my sports-watching lifetime?
Great to hear from you again, Zack.
Yeah, the Angels are still hanging in there and could really affect the Yankees rotation for the world series (Maybe they can even win 2 in NY and get themselves there instead. Highly doubt it, but who knows).
Just trolling around today and I found another article on si.com, this one by Lee Jenkins. In the article, Jenkins made this statement about the Phils:
They won the World Series last year, but it was the Rays they beat, not the Yankees or the Red Sox. As unfair as it may be, in order to establish a permanent legacy in this era, you have to unseat the Yankees or the Red Sox. It’s practically a prerequisite.
While Jenkins’ article is balanced and is not a dismissal of the Phillies, this does seem to be the prevailing sentiment, as I have read similar statements by other writers elsewhere. While I can understand it up to a point, it bugs me for a couple of reasons.
First, the Rays deserved to be in the world series last year. Remember, they beat the Red Sox, who were the defending champs after winning the 2007 world series, in the ALCS. Dismissing them as an undeserving participant and/or us as having had an easier path or having won a less meaningful title is insulting any way you look at it.
Second, When the Red Sox won the title in 2007, they did so over the Rockies. I don’t recall the legitimacy of their title being called into question or their accomplishment being diminshed in any way because they swept a team that had struggled for most of the 2008 season, only to then catch fire over the final month, win a play-in game, and ride their hot streak into the world series. On the contrary, the fact that the Red Sox swept the Rockies only further served to validate their supremacy.
I also find the attitude that any team, except for the Rays last year of course, that can fight their way through the AL gauntlet is a battle-tested, deserving world series entrant, while the NL representative should just be thankful that MLB allows them to even participate, in light of the fact that their league is too weak as to merit any true consideration, to be irksome. I don’t dispute that the AL is the stronger league, but come on already. The world series is about matchups, and the NL has won 4 of the last 8 on the up-and-up and fair-and-square. Time to see it that way, imo.
From Jayson Stark’s chat today:
Mark (Conshohocken, PA)
Jason – Will Cole Hamels need to get his mojo back in order to beat the yanks with a 1-2 punch of himself and Lee?
Jayson Stark
(1:07 PM)
I think the Phillies’ best shot to beat the Yankees is for Hamels, Cliff Lee and J.A. Happ to start five times out of seven games if it goes that long. So they need that guy to figure it out. But the way he pitched the other night, and the way he talked afterward, tells you something: He doesn’t have anywhere near the faith in himself he had last year this time.
I feel the same way about Hamels, as I’ve said recently. Gotta figure he’s going to get 2 starts though, as I doubt Charlie will pitch Lee on short rest unless we are really up against it. Tough to see us winning with 2 subpar starts from Hamels, so now would be a fantastic time for him to find some magic, to sell his soul to the devil, or whatever else might be required.
Interesting that Stark mentions giving Happ a start. Not saying that Charlie isn’t thinking about giving him one, but I think we’re still in the same situation, which is that Happ is needed more in the bullpen and will almost assuredly be used regularly in relief. If that proves to be the case, then I doubt that he will be able to make a start.
To me, that means we are looking at 2 starts from Lee, 2 starts from Hamels, 1 from Pedro, 1 from Blanton, and plan on winning the series in 6 games.
Nice story on Raul Ibanez by Lee Jenkins of SI, He’s Gotta Play Hurt.
Here is an excerpt that contains an interesting nugget of info, about which I was unaware:
……But by the third week in June, Ibañez was suffering from a sore left groin and, unbeknownst to the public, a small but serious muscle tear near his abdomen. On a trip to Toronto he was confronted with an excruciating decision: He could have surgery to repair the tear and miss a large chunk of time, or he could return after a short stint on the disabled list and play his dream season hurt. “We all asked him if he would have the surgery,” Phillies first base coach Davey Lopes says, “and he told everyone, ‘I won’t do that. I’ll do anything but that.’”
After consulting with a neuromuscular specialist in Toronto and a surgeon in Philadelphia, Ibañez chose the DL, followed by aggressive rehabilitation. Every day he drops onto a mat in the Phillies’ clubhouse, performs core and hip exercises with trainer Scott Sheridan and then heads for the field…….
History v.s Yanks might give Pedro nod for Game 2! Sounds good, especially once it becomes official and if the Yankees do advance.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4591258
In the back of my mind, I hoped it would come to this. Here’s one man’s comparison on The Phils to the Big Red Machine. Hal McCoy has been covering baseball since before Doubleday developed it. His text follows (my comments in bold), followed by the link.
Want to play the lineup comparison game? OK, here is how I see it:
Catcher: Johnny Bench over Carlos Ruis in a landslide. (Offensively, yes, but Bench at best by a hair defensively. Hardly a landslide overall)
First Base: Ryan Howard over Tony Perez (Ryan over a lot of competition but Perez at least makes it interesting with clutch consistency)
Second Base: Chase Utley/Joe Morgan. That one is probably a wash.
(Fair conclusion).
Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins on offense and Davey Concepcion on defense. (Sorry Hal, no way. Very close to even on defense, edge to Rollins. Conversely, I’d give an edge to Concepcion offensively based on consistency. I would think Bowa would agree with me, bu who knows).
Third base: Pete Rose over Pedro Feliz, not even close. (Again, as in catcher, Pedro is overall better defensively and that narrows the gap. But if you consider Pete’s intangibles, this widens it again, but defense is not to be overlooked.
Left Field: George Foster over Raul Ibanez, by a wide margin. (no disagreement).
Center Field: Shane Victorino on offense and Cesar Geronimo on defense. (Any defensive difference is small. Cesar was very good, mind you, great range, especially. Cesar was more skill, Shane is more heart. I’ll take heart 9 days a week when the talent is close).
Right Field: Ken Griffey Sr. over Jayson Werth because Griffey was a better all-around player. (absurd. Griffey was one of these athletic looking specimens who’s potential wasn’t fulfilled until his family did it. Nice player, but doesn’t match Werth defensively in particular).
http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/entries/2009/10/23/the_phillies_are_not_the_big_r.html
IT’S OFFICIAL….A TURNPIKE SERIES!!
A Rumble In The Bronx indeed!
Here is a tune to kick in gear! (From Sega’s Streets of Rage 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcewDDeofI0&feature=related
GO PHILLIES!!!
How the hell does Kazmir miss that throw to first? You’re a pitcher for fuck’s sake. Step and throw. Step. and. Throw.
The Twins, the Angels and the Umps gave the Yankees A LOT of help in those first 2 series
I was curious just how bloated Mike Francessa would sound on his open today. His conclusion was that the Yankees had now erased the ghosts of 2004 when the Red Sox came back from 3 zip to win the ALCS. I’ll be hard pressed to hear anything funnier for a while. Nothing is ever going to erase that, let alone 2 series wins, neither of which were surprising or dramatic. Many think the Phils now face their true test. Guess who else fits that bill?
Ken: agreed. But you have to admit that the Phils, for the first time, are facing a group that is better than them, even though not by much IMO. I keep breaking it down in my head the categories of strength and it seems the Yanks top them in all except maybe defense and intangibles. Either the Yanks get exposed as the overhyped, undertested and overpaid group that they are or the Phils as a team play just far better than the Bomber; those are the only situations where I can envision a Phillies win.
Well its all about who plays better anyway.
In my opinion, 3rd Base and Closer are the only positions in which Yankees have DECIDED edges. Intangibles – club comraderie, grit/fighting attitude (exemplified ridiculously by “Nitro” Victorino’s desperate crab walk and dirty, infield leg grab during pick-off rundown vs. Dodgers), confidence of more recent post-season play and success – are in Phils’ favor. Home field advantage, Yankees. Pitching staffs, slight edge to Yanks. (IF Phillies’ middle relief – Park, Durbin, Eyre – remains effective, team should be tough to beat.) Gonna be an extended Series, 6 or 7. Flip a coin for your winner. [Humble reminder: I picked Dodgers in 7.] Since Charlie’s keeping Game 2 pitcher under his hat, my guess is Martinez will follow Lee. If Manuel trusted Hamels for that important slot at Yankee Stadium, I believe he’d have named him by now.