Is This Really OK?

This is supposedly a Tampa Bay Rays fan getting hit in the head with a bottle during the celebration of the Phillies winning the World Series.

And I'm sure you've all seen the clips of people breaking into the Robinson Luggage store on Broad Street just to steal the luggage and set it on fire. The real question here is are we supposed to allow this to go on? Is destroying public property right after winning the World Series? Are we just happy celebrators, or in those moments, did we turn into a malicious mob with utter disregard for the laws that society bases itself on. Decide for yourself.

WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I!

Ok, there's a reason that I haven't posted about the world series. I wanted to wait until they won or lost to put anything up about it. Let me start off by saying SHUT THE HELL UP TIM MCCARVER! McCarver you're the biggest idiot on television and i don't know why they let your biased ass on the air. To be quite honest, I don't know how a former Phillie could want the opposing team to win so bad.

Cole Hamels, you've been the man throughout this entire post season. You deserve the MVP of this World Series. Even with as little run support as you got, you just went out there start after start and blanked the other teams.

Pat Burrell, you had a tough world series. But when your team needed you the most, you came up with that huge double that, on mostly any other night, would have been a homerun. I sincerely hope that you and the Phillies come to terms with a new contract in this off-season.

Brad Lidge, you've been lights out all season long. 41 consecutive saves in the regular season, and seven consecutive saves in the post season. Without Lidge, none of this is possible. He was the addition that really put all of this together.

And finally, Carlos Ruiz. I couldn't stand him during the regular season. It was so frustrating to see him hit only just above .200 knowing that Coste was on the bench and that he was the superior hitter. But I have to give credit to Charlie Manuel for sticking with him through it all. It really paid off this post-season where Ruiz got red hot in the World Series. He also showed off his world class catching abilities. If anyone besides Cole Hamels deserved the MVP of the World Series, it would no doubt have been Ruiz.

What makes this feel so good is knowing that the Phillies won it the right way. They drafted good players, brought them up through the farm system and had them produce on the field. Chase Utley, Ryan Madson, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels and Jimmy Rollins. These players are bonafide super stars in their own right, and the Phillies drafted them and brought them up through the system. Pat Gillick, and even Ed Wade, acquired some of the main pieces from other teams that made this possible as well. All in all, this win wasn't just a team win, it was a win for the entire organization. Management, coaching, scouting, all the way down to the bat-boys and ball-girls.

This victory was something that this city has needed for the longest time. Through all the heartache and pain that goes along with being a Phillies fan, this World Series title means everything to a city who only wants to win. Sure we can be a little rough at times, but that's only because we care so much about our teams and want them to win so badly.

I wasn't even alive back in 1980 when the Phillies won their last World Series, or even in 1983 when the Sixers won the last championship that this city has had. But tonight made my entire 19 years of watching Philadelphia sports worth living through. All the bad teams, the losing seasons, the championship losses, it all ended tonight, and the city reacted accordingly.

As I made my journey down Broad Street, the streets were electric. I ran, I walked, I sprinted, but most of all, I was there. That's the most important thing; I was there. Philly won a championship and I was there to experience the city's reaction first-hand. At this moment, I feel as if my life is complete. There is a void that has been left deep inside of me that is now filled. It was so beautiful. You didn't even have to be a baseball fan, you were a part of it. The city came together in those moments. There was no violence; no hatred. It didn't matter about the color of your skin, or where you came from. All we knew is that the Philadelphia Phillies were the World Champions, and no one could take that away from us. The title was ours and everyone in the city had a part to play in it.

Everything that I'm saying may not make sense, or it may come off as cheesy. But the emotions running through my head are nothing like anything I have ever felt before. Call me crazy, call me whatever you want, but this is so much more than a championship. This is a legacy. This is erasing 25 years of futility. This is absolute euphoria. Who needs drugs when you have a feeling like this? This is the most incredible high that anyone could ever experience.

World Series Here We Come!!!!!!!

The last time the Philadelphia Phillies were in the world series, I don't remember a thing about it. I was only three years old. All my life, I have been a die hard fan. I've showed up at least a few times every year to the stadium to watch and support the Phillies. I remember the dark days when Wayne Gomes, yes Wayne Gomes, was our best reliever. The teams that I've seen have been just absolutely painful to watch. There have been great players come through this city who have never been able to reach the pinnacle that these 2008 Phillies have just gotten to. Scott Rolen, one of the best third basemen of our time, never got to a world series with us.

You think this city wanted this to happen? Right now i have the perfect proof. I'm looking out of my window and all I can see is people flowing down Cecil B. Moore Ave towards Broad St. I say they're flowing because from a distance it looks like a river of Red and White running downstream. Mayor Michael Nutter was seen going just as crazy as anyone at Chickies and Petes in South Philly.

C-O-L-E H-A-M-E-L-S! Really, thats the only thing needed to be said. Cole has been the man in this postseason. He pitched another seven unbelievable innings tonight. His only blemish was a Manny Ramirez homerun. And how ironic was it that the only run that Cole gave up all night was to Manny Ramirez. The player who single-handedly brought the Dodgers to the playoffs and to the NLCS. This performance cemented Hamels as one of the most clutch players in today's game.

For the second time in a row, Jimmy Rollins leads off the clinching game of the playoff series with a homerun. Jimmy had struggled mightily this series hitting only .143, but in the clincher, J-Smooth was 1-4 with two runs scored. Another big contributor tonight, no pun intended, was Ryan Howard. The big man was 3-4 with a walk an rbi and a run scored. The biggest stat for Howard, NO STRIKEOUTS!!!!!!!

The turning point, at least I feel, is the two error play by Rafael Furcal where Chase Utley showed his non-stop, no holds barred hustle by scoring from second base on an error by the shortstop. Howard and Burrell moved up to third on the play. That made the score 4-0, and with Cole pitching the way he was, there was just no hope of the Dodgers making a comeback in the game.

Two players who will really savor this win have to be Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell. Pat was the first overall pick for the Phillies in the 1998 draft. Rollins was a second round pick in the 1996 draft. They both debuted in 2000, when the Phillies were struggling to win games. They were here for the bad times and now they're reaping the benefits of the high points in the organization who they've dedicated their entire careers to.

Rollins and Burrell coming up through the farm system is a theme for this team. Most of the big contributors have come been drafted by the Phillies or came up through the system in some capacity. But the finishing touches to this year has been the addition of Brad Lidge. Blown saves was a problem for this team last year with Tom Gordon early in the season, and Lidge came in and changed all that. He's been the definition of perfection this year. And the Mets, they had all sorts of problems closing out games.

How could you not be happy for Geoff Jenkins? He hasn't been the best contributor to the team this year, but he'd been toiling away in mediocrity in Milwaukee for 10 years. He had given his entire career to the Brewers, and they hadn't been able to put a team around him. He comes to Philly to be a part of a winner and now is in the World Series. This is the dream season that any player dreams of.

I'd also like to thank the Dodgers organization for this victory. They were bigger contributors than they even realize. Three of the main components to our team came from their farm system. Shane Voctorino, Jayson Werth, and Carlos Ruiz were all in the Dodgers organization at one point. Victorino came back to LA and had himself a huge series. Other than Cole Hamels, he was the MVP for this team.

All I can say now is congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on their first World Series appearance in 15 years. Also to Cole Hamels on being named the MVP of the NLCS. Lets go Phills!!!!!! Bring one back to Philly boys. Its been a long time coming, we need this as a city.

Eagles continue their hopes

Only in week six, and the Philadelphia Eagles already found themselves in a must win situation against the San Francisco Forty Niners. Star running back Frank Gore led his young Niners squad into battle against an Eagle defense who allowed Clinton Portis to run all over them the previous week.

The 2-3 Eagles found themselves in the basement of the toughest division in football. In fact, before week 6, no team in the NFC east had lost to an opponent outside of their division.

This weekend couldn't have gone any better for a struggling Eagles team. The win less St.Louis Rams, led by interim head coach Jim Haslett went into Washington and beat the Redskins on a last second field goal. That was the first thing that went right for the Eagles this weekend.

Now, the improbable had happened already this weekend with the Rams beating the Skins. There's no way that the Cowboys could lose to the Cardinals is there? Well, the next phase of this amazing weekend for Eagles football was in play. The Cardinals had the lead 24-21 over the Cowboys in the fourth quarter. In a last minute drive, the Cowboys tied the game and sent it into overtime. The Cowboys won the toss and looked like they were going to drive down the field and win the game. They went three and out. On the punt, someone decided not to block Sean Morey (former Eagle wide out), and he blocked the Matt McBriar punt which was returned for a two yard touchdown. The Cowboys lost.

The undefeated New York football Giants played the struggling Cleveland Browns on Monday Night. Its not possible that all three NFC East teams aside from the Eagles could lose this weekend, right? Wrong! Derek Anderson woke up from his season long coma in the pocket and decided to hook up with his star receiver Braylon Edwards. And this time, Edwards decided to catch the footballs that were thrown to him instead if dropping them. The young Browns secondary picked off Eli Manning three times and returned one for a touchdown. The routed the G-Men 35-14, and they handed the Giants their first road loss in 11 games dating back to last year.

Now for the Eagles game. They looked pretty good in the first half. Just before the halftime gun, the Birds were leading 17-9 and looking to extend their lead with a David Akers field goal. Unfortunately, someone on the offensive line decided that they didn't need to block anyone, and they field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown which made the lead only one and gave the Niners the momentum going into the half.

The Eagles came out of the half as bad on offense as ever, and the Forty Niners capitalized by taking a nine point lead on a Frank Gore touchdown run and a Joe Nedney field goal. The Birds didn't even score in the third quarter, and they were letting Frank Gore run wild on them, not only in the third quarter, but in the entire second half.

Things looked hopeless, and I was just about ready to give up on the season let alone the game. But, out of nowhere, the offense started to find its groove. McNabb led the Eagles down the field for a touchdown. David Akers followed that drive up with three field goals. That made the game 33-26 with the Eagles on top. The Niners got the ball back and began a drive down the field. The Eagles defense, which has been stellar for most of the season, came up huge. Juqua Parker intercepted J.T. O'Sullivan and returned it for 55 yards and a game sealing touchdown. The offense scored 23 points in the fourth quarter in the win, and they had finally scored some second half points.

Hopefully, we can build off of this win and make a run at a division title or a spot in the playoffs as a wild card spot, but it is going to be an uphill battle in the toughest division in football. The addition of Tony Gonzales might just provide us with the boost that we need, that is if we even try to trade for him.

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.

Curse of the Bambino

Ok everyone, the Phillies don't play until later so for now since I'm bored im gonna give you my quite unconventional thoughts on "The curse of the Bambino".

Well as you all know, the curse consists of the Red Sox selling the greatest player of all time so their owner could put on some musical or play. Now, the team that the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, who just so happened to turn into one of the greatest teams of all time with Ruth on their staff. Yes, I said staff because Ruth was a very talented pitcher. After his rookie season for the Red Sox, he didn't post an era over 3 at any point. But being a pitcher in the rotation prevented him from getting to the plate every day. The Red Sox finally noticed his talent at the plate and started playing him in the outfield so that he could hit everyday. Unfortunately, it was a bit too late. They started this during the last two seasons that they had him. In those two seasons combined, he hit 40 homeruns in 147 games.

You may be wondering by now what it is that I'm trying to get at? I contend that if the Designated Hitter rule had been in effect in those days than Red Sox fans would be kicking themselves even more than they had before because of the sheer numbers that he would've put up. As the designated hitter rule clearly states, using a designated hitter instead of a pitcher is 100% optional. The managers can use the pitchers to his as they please.

My theory on the matter is that the Great Bambino wouldn't have only put up 714 homeruns. This number would be far more astronomical. In his 22 seasons of play, he put up 714 homeruns, that is an average of 34 per year. that is amazing considering the time in which he played. I mean Ruth in his heyday hit more homeruns than some teams did in an entire season. He also played in these cavernous stadiums that made hitting a homerun nearly impossible for the average player. Back to his homeruns. With the average of 34 per year and adding them to the 5 seasons where he was a regular starting pitcher, he would've conceivably hit 884 homeruns. Had he played all of 1925, he would have over 900 homeruns.

EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY FOUR HOMERUNS! That is a ridiculous number of dingers. Hank Aaron's 755 homeruns would be now third and bonds a still distant second to Ruth. Even Alex Rodriguez, the man who is supposed to eclipse Barry Bonds as the homerun king, would have to play well in to his 40's to reach that number.

Babe Ruth would be a one in a million kind of player. The homerun king and dominant pitcher. Let me remind you that in his best season as a pitcher, Ruth was 23-12 with a 1.75 era. Those are ridiculous numbers for a pitcher. He followed that the next year with a 24-13 record and a 2.01 era. Clearly, he was in the prime of his pitching career only to have it cut short by the enormous talent he had at the plate.

I mentioned the designated hitter rule earlier. Ruth could have been not only the greatest hitter of all time, but one of the most dominant pitchers of his era. I mean the sheer talent this one human being had at his particular sport is incredible.

I only wish that Ruth could have been a DH so that he could bat every day and pitch when his spot in the rotation came up. Not only would Ruth be the greatest player of all time by far, which he is already considered by many, but Red Sox fans would be bitching even more than they already have before the 2004 World Series. Call me biased, but I absolutely hated the whiny nature of the Red Sox fans. They call the Yankees the evil empire and criticize the way that they would just buy talent with their huge payroll. Yet, no one ever seems to notice how the Red Sox would always come in a close second in payroll and go after the same players that the Yankees did (sounds like the Red Sox are good at Republican political tactics). Hmm, theres some food for thought.

C.C. Who?

Even with the announcers talking about how the Phillies better get anything they can and they need to hope that Brewers ace C.C. Sabathia will be too tired to pitch a good game. Well guess what Sabathia wasn't the best pitcher on the field on this night. That distinction belongs to Phillies second half ace Brett Myers. Despite a rough first where a run scored, Myers showed his resiliency by getting a 1-2-3 doubly play with the bases loaded.

What did Sabathia do? Well he pitched himself out of trouble in the first, but right into trouble in the second inning. With the bases already loaded, Brett Myers stepped up to the plate. He had a great 9 pitch at bat against Sabathia, who ended up walking Myers in the end. Personally, I have never seen a stadium cheer so loudly for a pitcher fouling off pitches during an at bat. And when Myers drew the walk, the fans absolutely erupted. There has never been anything like it. The stadium was in a state of pandemonium. And as they always say, walks kill. Shane Victorino made that statement come true when he stepped up to the plate and took Sabathia yard to the tune of a grand slam, the first of his career. Is there any more appropriate a time for that grand slam.

Now, back to Myers. This was his night. He went seven strong innings only giving up two runs on two hits while striking out four and walking three. These numbers weren't Hamels-like, but they were most definitely enough to get the win. And isn't that the most important stat? ERA, strikeouts, earned runt, hits and walks, all that means nothing if you don't get the win. Plain and simple, Myers out pitched Sabathia and got the win.

Sabathia pitched , yet again, on three days rest. But let me say this right now, that is no excuse for why the Phillies beat him tonight. He left pitches up in the zone and missed his spots, and when any pitcher does that, they are going to get beat. The Phillies lineup is just too good and too powerful for any pitcher to not be on top of their game. The rest, or lack their of, is in no way shape or form a reason to why the Brewers lost on this night. That last statement is not directed at the Brewers or Sabathia in any way, but at the reporters and so called experts who didn't give the Phillies much of a chance tonight. I say directly to all of you who thought that we had no chance just because of Sabathia being on the mound: who won their division and who got in because they are the wild card and the Mets collapsed?

Last night saw Phillies closer Brad Lidge throw 35 pitches, give up an earned run, and had the tying runs on second and third. Tonight was a completely different story. In the eighth inning, Ryan Madson two of the four Brewers that he faced. When Prince Fielder was due up, my presidential candidate Charlie Manuel brought in J.C. Romero. It took Romero one pitch to get the most dangerous hitter in the Brewers lineup to ground out to first. And finally, the ninth inning. I must admit, i was really nervous when Lidge entered the game. Not that I thought that he would blow the save, but he's been asking for it recently. He's been making it too close for comfort. Tonight, he made it look as easy as he had in the beginning of the season. It was a one-two-three inning with each of the outfielders getting to catch one of the fly outs. This time, it only took him 12 pitches. That's a far cry from the 35 from the night before.

Now the Phillies take the series back to Milwaukee, where the ageless wonder, Jamie Moyer will take the mound for one of the most important games of his career. The Phillies could possibly sweep the series and move on to the NLCS; somewhere we haven't been since 1993. Opposing Moyer will be right-hander Dave Bush. This match-up looks to be favored towards Moyer. Moyer was 16-3 with a 3.71 era, and he has already shown that he can beat the Brewers like he did on Sept. 11. Bush was 9-10 this year with a 4.18 era and earned a no decision in the last game that he pitched against the Phillies, a game in which they lost and gave the Phillies a huge lift in momentum in not only the wild card race, but their own division race.

Should the series go to a game four, the Phillies have already announced that Cole Hamels will not be pitching that game. They haven't declared a possible starter yet, but I'd be willing to bet that it'll be Joe Blanton. This isn't a bad strategy either. You can save Cole Hamels for game 5 of the series, if need be and have Myers start the first game of the next series, or you have Moyer close this series out and Hamels start game one of the next series. Either way the Phillies look like they have set up their pitching rotation beautifully for the rest of this series and for the rest of the National League portion of the playoffs.

GO PHILLS!