Will Coste write a Hollywood ending?

There's been a lot of speculation on who might step up as a hero for the Phillies to deliver the city's first major championship in a quarter-century. Part of me wouldn't care if it's a 12-year-old kid in the stands who robs Tampa of a home run or some guy on the grounds crew...just as long as the Phillies win the World Series. But another part of me -- the writer part -- is rooting for backup catcher Chris Coste to write a Hollywood ending to his remarkable story in Game One tomorrow night.

He may not be on the A-list, not on a team with MVPs and maybe a couple future Hall of Famers in Howard, Utley, Rollins, Hamels, etc., but the Fargo native is a hero to those who like a good yarn and to Phillies' fans, ahem, of a certain age who believe it's never too late in life for someone to break through a barrier, if they push hard enough and long enough. Coste spent more than a decade fighting his way from North Dakota obscurity by way of a tiny Division III college and a start in the low, low independent minors in Fargo with a team that had him working in the front office by day.

Most mere mortals would have fled to the car dealership or insurance agency at some point, but Coste learned to catch -- the position where he saw the most openings -- and began a painfully slow and painfully long march through the minor leagues. As evidenced by the title of his book (his second one, both written by Coste and not a ghost writer) "The 33-Year-Old Rookie," he finally made it to the Phillies in 2006, then didn't get a hit in his first 12 at-bats, but recovered to hit .328 in 65 games. In spite of that, Coste was demoted to AAA one final time, before making it back to the Phils for good.

Does this sound like a Hollywood movie to you? Sure does, and producers have reportedly talked to Coste, but one imagines there are a couple of unresolved issues. Is his story as an unlikely pro athlete a little too similar to Philly's Vince Papale ("Invincible") or Jim Morris ("The Rookie," who pitched for, drumroll.....Tampa Bay)? Maybe. Even worse, it lacks the one thing a great movie needs, a great ending.

It didn't look like 2008 would provide that. After another hot start, Coste finished the season mired in a deep 3-for-32 slump and lost his chance to catch in the playoffs to Carlos Ruiz, who is younger, somewhat better defensively and  greatly improving at the plate at year's end. But enter the World Series -- and thus a plot twist. The interleague matchup requires the designated hitter at Tropicana Field, and the Phillies will need an extra right-handed bat to counter the Rays' Scott Kazmir.

Who better for that role than Coste, who hit a solid .296 against lefties like Kazmir in 2008, much better than the weak-hitting So Taguchi or Eric Bruntlett? And winning World Series Game 1 with a big home run -- what Hollywood producer wouldn't open up his checkbook for that?! That's why Attytood is rooting for Coste as the hero of Philadelphia's long-awaited title run. Hit one tonight at the Trop, Chris, and you'll round the celluloid bases...forever.