Shane Victorino: Playoffs MVP

When opposing teams look at the Phillies lineup, there are certain players that they say, "Lets not let him beat us." Players like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell come to mind. In the 2008 playoffs, the Dodgers and whoever plays in the world series from the American League better start taking a look at Shane Victorino as one of those players.

Known for his lightning speed, vacuum-like glove and cannon arm, Shane is getting it done with his bat in this year's playoffs. He started it off with that grand slam off of C.C. Sabathia in game 2 of the ALDS. I've said this before, but that was the perfect time for his first career grand slam. The Flyin Hawaiian is hitting .267 in the 2008 postseason, and he has two of the biggest homeruns in the postseason so far.

His homerun tonight, came after the Phillies chances in this game looked grim. They had just came off of a rough seventh inning where the Dodgers had men on second and third with one out, but they failed to score and extend their lead which was at two. I remember saying to my friend Kev Hall, who I was chatting with online at the time, that it would be a miracle if the Phillies came out of that inning only down two.

Not only did Victorino homer in the eighth, but late season acquisition Matt Stairs sent a monstrous homerun into the deep Los Angeles night sky. Stairs said that getting a big hit like that just makes you feel like part of the team in a post game interview. He also noted that he was up there looking to hit a homerun. I think id definitely showed with how far he hit that ball.

Stairs reminds me a lot of a former late season addition of the Phillies from a few years ago, Randall Simon. Both of these players are very large in stature, but they also take huge swings. To look at their swings, there is no doubt in any one's mind of their intentions; hitting a homerun. Unlike Simon, Stairs has hit a few in the white and red pinstripes.

Back to Victorino, we're talking about a guy who quietly led the Phillies in batting average throughout the season. He also hit 14 homeruns to go along with 58 RBIs. Those are some numbers that you might not expect from Victorino. But, his power surge this season hasn't taken away from his speed numbers. He had 36 stolen bases, which is good for second on the team behind Jimmy Rollins who had 47. He was clutch in the field as well. He had a fielding percentage of .994, which is remarkable considering all of the ground he has to cover to make up for Pat Burrell's lack of speed. He also has 7 outfield assists, the biggest of which came against the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta.

This heroic effort isn't all roses and sunshine for Shane. He is playing with a heavy heart because of the loss of his grandmother. But, Victorino isn't the only one hurting from the loss of a loved one. Charlie Manuel lost his mother late last week as well. My condolences go out to these two warriors for playing and managing through these tough times.

The Phills have a chance to clinch their entry into the World Series with a win at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. The champagne will be on ice, and all that we need will be another dominating pitching performance from their ace Cole Hamels, who looks to be the most likely candidate to start the next game. Cole has been nothing less than spectacular this postseason, and if he continues his hot streak, the Dodgers will be hard pressed to be able to win and send this series back to Philly.