The Phils are Playin Fall Ball!

The Phils have made the NLCS. Had you told me that a few weeks back, I would have laughed in your face and walked away shouting every Philadelphian's favorite spelling bee word. However, Whitey Ashburn has smiled on this team from above and here we are. Admittedly, I've been pretty pessimistic when it comes to the Phils. But, really, who could blame me? Our #2 pitcher spent a couple weeks in Triple-A and we often rely on a 45 year old arm in bigtime games. Yet, here we are, standing four wins away from from the Fall Classic.

Obviously, I want the Phillies to win. I want to go to a parade on Broad St. I want to see Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard drunk drive a cart around the stadium. I want to hear what Charlie Manuel sounds like 5-6 bottles of champagne deep (will it be any different?). However, I'm not banking on it and I'm certainly not subscribing to the "at least we have the Phillies" mantra when I gripe about the Birds. Why? I just can't see it happening. Call me jaded by the fact that I've never seen any of my teams win a title in my lifetime (except the '94 Penn St. squad which won but was robbed), but I think I can legitimize my stance. Keep in mind, I hope I'm so wrong that I look dumber than Howard Eskin does on TV.

Reason #1 : The way the Phils score. To me this is the biggest reason and I think it's often overlooked. The Phillies are a power hitting team. They are blessed with at least moderate power from the leadoff spot through the 6 hole, with arguably the most powerful hitter in the game today anchoring that murderer's row. However, the Phillies aren't very consistent in the game of manufacturing runs. They are more than capable, maybe even built for it with the number of speed burners on the roster, but they don't do it. This frustrates me more than anything else when it comes to this team. In October, the ball won't fly as far as it did in August and September (simple physics, balls fly further when it's warm) and teams need to be able to get a guy on and methodically move him from first to second to third to home through a series of steals, well placed hits, and timely fly balls. Need proof? Look at those Marlins teams that won it all. They didn't have much power but they got hits when they needed them, sac bunts and flys where they needed them, and solid pitching. Give them a runner with no outs and they got a run. I don't see this consistently from our Phils. We have too many guys who are prone to GIDP when they are tryin to get it out to deep center, strikeout swinging for the fences, or simply pop up to the pitcher. To win in October, the Phils need to just get a bat on the ball and hit behind the runners. If we can do this, we will be in much better shape.

Reason #2 : Pitching. As of late, our pitching has been brilliant and I hope to every higher power there is that it continues. However, will it last? Remember, we are gonna be putting a guy out there every 4 games who, at one point in the season, looked like his career was nearly over. We're putting another guy out there who my dad played against in high school and another who at one point was called a trade bust. For those keeping score at home, I refer to Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton. Our only proven commodity, free of concerns, is Cole Hamels. I like all four of these guys a lot, but I have a lot of trouble forgetting about Myers' terrible start and late September swoon, Blanton's woes as a new Phillie from late July thoughout most of August, and the fact that Moyer occasionally gives up a couple cheap runs, as evidenced by his start against the Brew Crew this weekend. Add all that to the fact that the Phils often only give Cole a run or two to work with and I'm worried. To win it all the Phils will need about 6 2/3 innings out of each of these guys on a nightly basis. This will get each game to the meat of our bullpen which has gone from concern to strength in a year and, most importantly, keep that Durbin/Condrey/Eyre monster off the mound.

Reason #3 : Tradition. Let's be real here. Today's generation of Philadelphia phans don't know what it means to win. For us, it's "what's gonna go wrong next?" or "wait for it, wait for it, there it is, he's puking". At least for me, this constant sorrow when it comes to my teams has left me looking for reasons to say they can't win. I just picked apart a team that I would have only dreamt of 6 years ago. Why? Because I've seen it all, from Mitch Williams to Robert Horry to Donovan's dinner all over the field, but I've never seen a parade. Truthfully, if I weren't from Philly, I would probably really like this team's chances as they are gettin hot when it counts, but since I am from here, I see the runners left in scoring position and Iron Pigs' box scores starring Brett Myers. I've been optimistic about team after team only to be heartbroken by the Ricky Manning Jr.'s and Blaine Bishop's Groin Muscle's of the world, and its left me at the point where I'm waiting for it to fall apart. Maybe this is God's idea of a joke and finally it will all happen but, until then, I will shield my eyes everytime Manny comes to bat and everytime a reliever not named Madson/Romero/Lidge takes the mound. I will watch this weeks Penn State-Wisconsin game with a bottle of Tums on one side and a bottle of Jim Beam on the other, and I will declare the Eagles' season effectively over. PLEASE, GOD, LET THE PHILLIES WIN.