Ain't The Beer Cold?!!

By the sixth inning I already knew my headline for today's post, a tribute to longtime Orioles' announcer Chuck Thompson.

The Phils weren't my pre-season pick to win the division let alone the NL championship. They were good, I thought then, but they didn't have the pitching to go deep into October. Their offense wasn't a concern, but the bullpen and starting rotation looked pretty thin.

Shows what I know.

The axiom was and will always remain good pitching beats good hitting but that didn't mean the Phils were sufficiently endowed to prove it. Let the record show, however, that good pitching and enough hitting were indeed the order of the season as the Phils motored through the NLDS and NLCS, winning seven of nine games they played.

Cole Hamels established himself not only as the team's ace; he settled any lingering questions as to his status as a big game pitcher by convincingly winning his three starts, one against Milwaukee and two against the Dodgers. For his efforts he was rewarded with the MVP of the NLCS.

Naturally, as is nearly always the case, Jimmy Rollins, who struggled much of the series against LA, set the tone just as he did in the clincher versus the Brewers when he led off this game with a home run. It always bears repeating: as goes Jimmy, so go the Phillies.

Yes, there were many other heroes in this series, not least of all was Shane Victorino both with the glove and the bat. Chase Utley hit well, throwing that monkey off his bat, and fielded even better. When the Phils pulled off a double play in the bottom of the sixth, forever squashing the Dodgers' hopes in this game and series, he allowed himself a rare display of public emotion, a fist pump.

Ryan Howard, who nearly every fan was on for failing to adjust to the breaking stuff away every team was feeding him, had three hits last night to follow up his two the night before. Some self-anointed pundits posting comments elsewhere suggested he be benched for defense in late innings. A few geniuses even suggested Howard be traded, though they would have the decency to wait for the off-season!

Then there were Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge, who down the stretch have been as effective a one-two punch as any in baseball. Madson was absolutely flawless. Lidge provided more than a few anxious moments, but always clamped down in the end.

And finally, there was Charlie Manuel. A few years ago nearly everyone was ready to run him out of town for his accent to say nothting of his difficulties with the double-switch. But the players love him and playing for a guy you feel strongly about makes a big difference, especially when there are 25 egos to salve. If nothing else, Manuel succeeded in making every player on this roster believe he would get a chance to contribute. And guess what? They did.