First championship since I was 2-years-old in 1983. Get pumped!
I just got back from South Philly celebrating the Phillies World Series win! I was at the Sixers game and watched the remainder of the Phillies game in the AT&T Pavilion with hundreds of diehard Philly fans; it was freakin’ unbelievable. The Sixers lost, but by the time the first pitch was thrown to start the bottom of the 6th inning, I had completely forgetten I was just at the Sixers’ home opener.
It’s amazing how winning brings people together. I was in the bar at Wachovia Center with my girlfriend and full of strangers, but it felt like I was watching the Phils win the World Series with hundreds of friends. High fives, hugs and shared enjoyment. Being in the mix, down by the stadium and driving down Broad street honking and slapping the hands of crazy fans running through the streets shirtless is a moment I will cherish and never forget.
The headline in the paper will be “WE WIN,” and that is exactly what it should say. We the fans are as much apart of this as the players; enjoy it.
The Phillies World Series parade will be Friday at Noon. It will start at 20th and Market and march all the way to the Citizens Bank Park. If you are in town, make sure you get there because you never know if you will get another chance!
I am flipping out inside and out as I type this, and I am sure Pete has already spontaneously combusted with excitement, joy and relief.
Thank you Bon Jovi for breaking the curse!!!
Phils World Champions!!!!!!!!
Dedicated to the 2008 Phillies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN2rdVS7T6U
WOOOOOOO!
Read the blog all the time and love it. First time posting. Best day of my life. Speachless. Wish I was in Philly but can’t be. Enjoy this night everyone.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH BABY! Phillies win it all in Five, the curse is lifted and it feels so good
Can’t believe it.
Thanks to everyone on the 25-man roster, the coaching staff and the ownership.
Unbelievable.
I can’t wait to spend $1000 on merchandise.
congratulations from Italy, I am so happy for you guys, enjoy the parade and a month of parties at least…
hope Sixers will follow (despite the sucking opener)
congratulations, it’s a great day for everyone in Philly I guess
I was at the game monday. Went to the first half of the sixers game and then went back to the Phillies game last night to see the finish. It was awesome, the Phans never sat down, up and amped the whole time. The rush that went through me when Lidge came out to his normal music, I knew we had it. Awesome.
I am so happy for so many guys on this team. I’ll try to list a few off the top of my head.
I am happy for Lidge, who exorcised any remaining demons from Pujols ’05 and his subpar ’06 and ’07, and any lingering doubts following his knee surgeries. Lights out.
I am happy for Werth. Same goes for him with regard to overcoming his wrist injury and finally earning the starting outfield spot that I’m sure he always felt he was good enough to get.
I am happy for the killer Zs (Feliz and Ruiz). The game winning run in game 6 in 1980 was driven in by our 3rd baseman. Ditto the winning run in 2008. Feliz hung tough through some struggles at the plate and delivered. Ruiz has proven himself to be a very good defensive catcher to whom the pitchers love to throw. He also picked it up with the bat down the stretch and in the postseason becoming our most consistent hitter. Lou Marson better make arrangements for a full season in Allentown next year.
I am happy for Jimmy Rollins. He is certainly not afraid to put himself out there and become a lightning rod, but he comes to play every day, produces, and helps the team win one way or another.
I am happy for Utley. He is the best second baseman in the game. We see the work he has put in, and continues to put in, on display every day. Even though his offensive production dipped (Maybe we will finally learn the extent of his hip injury now), he made one clutch play (the tag and spin double play on Monday) after another (the fake to first then throw home on the run to nail Bartlett at the plate) with his glove.
I am happy for Victorino, who has shown that the Phillies; faith in him is well deserved. He has cemented his status as a top notch outfielder and a vital cog in our offensive machinery.
I am very happy for Pat Burrell. First, I wish that ball had a bit more lift on it because a homerun would have been sweet. Second, I wish he ran the ball out because he would have been on 3rd. Last, I wish he would have stayed in the game and been the one to score the winning run. All that said, if last night was his last game as a Phillie, I’m glad he was able to leave on top after all he has been through here.
I am also very happy for Moyer. The local boy pitching for his hometown team in the last stage of his long career finally wins a championship. I think it’s safe to say that none of us expected him to be an integral part of a title for us when he got here in 2006, but that is exactly what he turned out to be.
I am happy for Pat Gillick. Through all the grumbling (mostly by me) over his “tinkering”, he proved that he was as good as his track record showed and that he was the right man to make the right moves to assemble a championship caliber club.
I am happy for Charlie Manuel. He has taken a lot of guff during his Phillies tenure, but he has proven himself to be as adept as any skipper in the game when taking everything into consideration. He has forged a tight knit club. He has his players’ backs, they have his, and it has fostered mutual respect and loyalty. IMO, he has certainly outmanaged his counterparts in every series this postseason.
Finally, I am happy for us. We finally have a winning era in Phillies baseball (last year, this year, and hopefully beyond) to focus on. We can live in and enjoy the present instead of always harking back and clinging to the past. As much as I reveled in our previous winning era (’76-’83) and as much as that 1980 world championship meant, and still means, to me, it is way past time to move on. Don’t get me wrong, I will always remember and cherish all of the great Phillies players, teams, and seasons from that previous era. This championship will not replace or diminish any of that. Rather, it will add to my always abiding passion for the Phillies.
I am really looking forward to having a positive outlook. You know what I mean. I mean the outlook that says the Phils are my team, I believe in them and keep the faith that they’ll come through. IMO, they have earned that from us. I’ve always felt that all of the unsuccessful years slowly created and then cemented a change in the attitude of the Philly fan into one that always expected the worst and viewed every word from management to be nothing more than lip service and obfuscation. I completely understand how and why it happened because I have lived through it, but the negativity really eats at you after a while (at least it did me). Here’s hoping we can turn things the other way, become more positive, and truly enjoy our team. Both we and they deserve it.
Question: Doesn’t it seem like this group has been together for a very long time? I was looking at the Eagles roster from 3 seasons ago and the turnover is ridiculous.
3 seasons ago ( I think ) we had Chris Coste, and Moyers join the team, David Bell left around that time as did Thome and Abreu, Cory Lieter and Lieber.
It seems to me we’ve had Coste, Moyers, Howard, Utley, Rollins, Victorino, Burrell, Hamels, Myers together for 3 years. and of course Uncle Charlie… That’s an amazing core group of players/coaches. A great group to root for
Throw in some tremendous additions over the last year or two the two Z’s, Werth, Jenkins, Lidge, wow Pat Gillick really earned his ring, how many total World Series does he have now?
the parade will be amazing
I want to take the time to thank everyone here. Thanks to Pete and Dannie(Aren’t you glad you fully joined us Phils fans? You suffered, but only a bit, and you were rewarded-way too soon, IMO.) for this forum and all the hard work they put in, the well-researched topics, for fostering meaningful discussions, for doing their best to remain objective and look at more than just the Philly side of an issue, and for holding us accountable for what we say here. These are the reasons I stay here.
I also want to thank everyone who has posted on the baseball topics this year. I feel we have had many thoughtful (for the mostpart) discussions on many aspects of the Phillies and the game of baseball, both past and present. I have always had a very strong bond with the Phillies, but these discussions have deepened and strengthened it even further. It makes me feel more connected. Talking with all of you on a daily basis is very enjoyable and highly therapeutic for me.
To those of you who actually read what I post, I appreciate your continued indulgence. I will not apologize for my love of baseball, but I will apologize for my tendency to get a bit long-winded. To those of you who simply roll your eyes and ignore my posts, I thank you for not asking me to shut up.
I look forward to having many, many more discussions with all of you . Congrats on our world championship.
I have never been a big baseball fan, that being said, as a Philadelphian I am so proud of this team. They are more than a collection of players bought and sold, they seem like family and that came through on the screen.
As a side note, to the life long fans of baseball and the Phillies, I had no idea how emotional and draining a game can be. I watched most of the playoffs and every World Series game and I’m exhausted.
Can somebody tell me how long it takes a new fan to tell the difference between a curve, change-up, and slider when you see one?
GOOD JOB CHAMPS!!
Zack…Please do not take this the wrong way and I promise to let it go after this, BUT I am going to go back to our discussion about bringing the infield in.
Did you think Maddon made the right decision in the bottom of the 6th last night—BEFORE WERTH’S POPUP SCORED JENKINS? I’m guessing you did. How about after? I’m not saying that Maddon was wrong for doing it, but the results sure made it look that way. If the infield is back, that popup is easily caught. Then it takes a 2-out hit (something at which we were not particulary adept in the series) to get Jenkins in. I completely understand why Maddon did it. For one thing, we had four at bats to their three. For another, he did not want to fall behind right out of the gate, especially considering that it was in fact late in the game. Finally, I think it was an acknowlegement, on Maddon’s part, of how good our bullpen is. For all of those reasons, he may have made the right call in that situation and it just backfired on him.
You were all over Manuel for not bringing the infield in the other day. I’m not saying that you were wrong to feel that way. I’m just saying that the results are really what end up either validating the decision or calling it into question. In Manuel’s case, the Rays pushed the runs across with groundouts.
The main thing with me is that bringing the infield in is not an automatic or an easy decision. I feel it is at least as likely to backfire on you as it is to work in your favor in most cases. As such, I have always viewed it as a last resort move that should only be used when you’re really up against it and have no choice, not as a strategic move to be employed routinely in an effort to cut down on manufactured runs.
Bski: Great post man…I like the props you threw out to a bunch of players. Just as the national TV coverage showed the “post-win rush the mound” in 9 different shots, showing each player’s reaction as they ran the field (which was so cheesy, but so f*cking awesome!)…Bski gives many players their rightful due.
Following your idea…for me, Pat Burrell is the guy I’m truly happy for. He is one of the last holdovers from our mediocre, underachieving Rolen / Wolf / Lieberthal years, and it’s kind of amazing that Burrell is still hear bridging the gap from those early 00′s teams to now.
That guy, despite putting up anywhere from solid to very good numbers during his time here (and showing a professional attitude) has taken a lot of flack from the fans (some which is well deserved…like about 18,000,000 strikeouts going down just looking at the ball).
But I love the fact that he was the guy that scored the last major hit that led to the run to put us over the top. Seems very fitting that Burrell was the one to do that…breaking his 0 for whatever WS slump and ending his career here on a high note. I’m proud of him, and if that was his last game in a Phillies uniform: Burrell, waitta make it count!
Congrats to all the diehard Phillies fans out there who have lived through the years of disappointment, to only be rewarded in the best way possible. We have been on the losing end of trash talking for many, many years, and that will be no more. We have our championship, we have our winners, and we are the BEST!!!
Hopefully you will all be able to remember where you were when the Phillies won the World Series. I know I will. It really feels good, but has yet to completely set in emotionally. I think it finally will tomorrow at the parade. Hopefully you can all make it there and cheer on our boys for making us the happiest fans in the world.
Is the game still on?
Check out this article! Great win for the City!
Bski, great post! Watched game in a Box at sixers game with Suede and family then crossed the street to party with the people. Great time! Unforgettable!
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27447186/
sfw…Thanks. I have to say I’m jealous that you were there last night (both places actually, but more for CBP).
gcl38…I’m jealous of you as well for being inside CBP for the conclusion of game 5 (not so much for the beginning of it on Monday).
Dave T….Thanks to you as well. Even though I just knew they were going to do it, I still can’t believe that the Phils did it, you know? They Phils deserve all the props I can give them and more.
It strikes me how quickly it all came together for the Phils. I did not see this coming at all in September. When they went on their second annual torrid stretch over the last 17 games of the season, I thought they might have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs. When they beat Sabathia and the Brewers, I thought they had a very good chance of beating the Dodgers and getting to the world series. After they beat the Dodgers handily in five games, I was pretty confident they were going to win it all. It was great to feel increasingly confident that they were going to win it all after they climbed each rung on the ladder.
Looking at it now, what they’ve done is pretty impressive. They went 11-3 in the postseason (7-0 at home, 4-3 on the road). They won each series in 4, 5, and 5 games. Also, they faced 3 closeout games in the postseason (1 on the road in Milwaukee, 1 on the road in LA, 1 at home against Tampa) and they won them all. They didn’t let the pressure get to them. They stepped up and went for the kill. Very impressive.
Baldelli’s HR - example of CBP cheap one. Hits it halfway down bat without arms extended, still exits field of play. Don’t like how easy left field plays for hitters. Dimensions have already been altered; was even easier 1st year of stadium existence. Still, pitchers’ fears are well-founded.
True its a hitters dream, but as a Phils fan we play 81 games there and have typically been a power hitting team. That tends to work to our advantage especially with bats like Burrell and Werth, and with Howard being able to stroke out what looks like opposite field fly balls. If I rooted for any other team, I would cry foul, but since its CBP, its all good.
60s centerfielder Tony Gonzalez would’ve liked playing here now as he was a lefthanded hitter, known for good opposite field power, particularly for a man of his average size. Was a solid player in his time, a good soldier for Phillies - offensive contributor, defensively very sound. I’d summarize him as being ‘Vada Pinson-lite’. And that’s a compliment.
bski: Great post above. I also wish Burrell’s hit had been a foot higher – what a journey it has been for him over the years. And the same for his teammate from the bad old days, J Roll, who has also had his ups and downs, both on the field and in his relationship with the fans over the years, but has emerged as the hear and soul of the team ever since his 36 game hitting streak in the midst of a playoff run in 2005.
What did “Mr. Negativity” Howard Eskin say once the Phillies won the World Series? I really want to know. Now that Philly won a Championship, how much of the negativity in our media will reduce?
I know the Phillies just won the World Series less than 24 hours ago, but the fan in me is already thinking to next year. What if Burrell is looking for 4 years at $9 mil per, do you give it to him? He has made it very obvious he wants to stay in Philly, and with the recent championship there is really no reason for him to go elsewhere.
Morty, Thanks.
J Dubbz, I don’t want to spoil the mood. I’m still basking in the afterglow. The parade is tomorrow and I’d like to extend this window of joy at least through the weekend. That said, I will give you my brief answer to your question. The years bother me more than the money (plus I think it will take more than 9 mil per to keep him). If we sign him for more than 2 years, he has got to move to first base to finish out the contract, IMO. You see where this is going? I don’t want to get into the rest of it now.
Funny sidelight to watching Phillies in my nephews box at Waccovia last night with S.F.W. was the T.V. in the box had a delay with the T.V. downstairs in the bar and we would here cheers right before something happened. We were running water, closing doors but didn!t want to “change” the karma by going downstairs. Met some good people outside the stadium and will never forget the experience. 63 degrees and sunny for tomorrow, the players deserve a break, weatherwise, after all they have been through!!!
I just discovered a glaring omission from my earlier list, the 33-year old rookie, Chris Coste. You’ve got to be thrilled for a guy who stuck it out for years in the minors, finally stuck with a major league club, and then wins a championship. This adds another chapter to his story.