Bring on LA
The Phillies are going to the NLCS.
Bring on LA
Todd Zolecki
The Phillies get happy after winning their National League division series. Reaching the NL championship series is a major milestone for homegrown stars Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Brett Myers, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. "To be the first team to go this far since '93, it's huge," Myers said. (DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer)
Hola, amigos.
Sorry for the delay in today's post, but after the Phillies clinched the National League Division Series yesterday with a 6-2 victory over the Brewers, I got a little busy. And then I flew back to Philly from Milwaukee this morning. Anyway, enough about me. How are you? I'm guessing you're pretty good because the Phillies are playing in the National League Championship Series for the first time since 1993. They play the Los Angeles Dodgers, who upset the Cubs. Which is just terrible, by the way.
In the visitor's clubhouse at Miller Park, players sprayed champagne and drank beers, but it was a little muted compared to their party when they clinched the NL East. You get a real sense that this team isn't satisfied. Now, that's not to say they're going to beat the Dodgers, but I don't think this team is just happy to be here, either. They see a tremendous opportunity to create a legacy for themselves. Believe me, these guys -- especially players like Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins -- have heard endless stories about the '80 and '93 teams. They would like to make their own mark in Phillies history, so years from now people will be talking about the '08 team.
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How big was Burrell in Game 4?
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And how big was Joe Blanton? I heard one of the reasons the Phillies liked Blanton when they got him from the Oakland A's in July is because of his competitiveness. He wants the ball. He's not afraid. His performance in Game 4 might make Phillies fans a little more comfortable if he pitches Game 4 of the NLCS, no?
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Jim Salisbury takes a look inside Game 4. Salisbury (aka Steaks) also takes a look at the Dodgers.
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John Gonzalez offers his cheers and boos from the NLDS. Bob Ford, Phil Sheridan and Gonzo also chit-chat via e-mail.
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In the Phillies Notebook: the Phillies are thrilled to have home-field advantage, Ryan Madson has been on a tear and more.
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Four more wins and there can be a new video up on YouTube.
Comments (41)
Nice article in the NY Times about Charlie & Manny's relationship. Hope the teacher outsmarts the student. GO PHILS!— KarenA- This team has teh potential to go down in history. They have no excuse not to win against teh Dodgers, and should win the WS. If the core come back next year it could be the start of a dynasty. We seem to have it all, pitching, hitting and fielding. All we need now are the rings— jeff gross
- Love the "Whoop! There It Is!" song at the end of the YouTube video! Was '93 really that long ago?! LOL! But where the heck was all the Phillies red???— Norma
- missed the whole '93 hoopla--was overseas. I am counting on this team to provide my second WS fever-the first was, of course, 1980— jeff gross
- A few interesting tidbits: "Including a couple of Interleague run-ins while he was still with the Red Sox, Ramirez is batting .212 (7-for-33) against the Phillies and is 3-for-22, without an RBI, in six games in Citizens Bank Park. ... ... Lifetime, Ramirez is 5-for-27 (.185), with one home run, against Hamels and Brett Myers, Philadelphia's probable Game 2 starter." Now you all can tell me: Encouraging sign that the Phils have Manny's number, or frightening indication that he is WAY overdue?— RollinsWasRight
- jeff - I think you need to settle down on the dynasty talk until we win at least one. Lets not start lining the parade route just yet.— Gary Varsho
- Hola, Zo. No need to apologize. I think your loyal followers here understand the need to celebrate with a few of your hometown's beverages of choice, while visiting your hometown one last time this season.— RollinsWasRight
- I just do not understand the prevailing feeling that the Phillies are so much better than the Dodgers and absolutely should romp right over them. Am I the only one in Philly who has seen the Dodgers play? Can someone tell me where on that team there is a weakness the Phillies can exploit? That is a VERY good team, and this will be a VERY tough series. The Brewers were a cake walk compared to Mannywood.— RollinsWasRight
- No need to be realistic until the day of the game. The time up until them is for dreaming and fantasy. As for the Dodgers, I agree that they are a good team, but I think we are a) better and b) have their number. While we were swept by them on the road, the fact that we came back and swept them in the bank got our end of season run started. If our pitching keeps up like it did against the Brewers, it won't matter who the Dodgers bat. As has been said so ofter, in teh playoffs it's all about pitching— jeff gross
- RWR - I actually think its the Phillies in 5, maybe 6. I think our pitching is much better than theirs and they are bringing hard throwing righties against our mostly left handed lineup. They are hot, but they are not better than this team.— Gary Varsho
Don't want to get too far ahead, but is anyone else pulling for the Red Sox to oust the Angels tonight? The prevailing feeling that many people had was the Angels were the hands down favorite to run away with the the W.S. crown this year. The Phillies certainly didn't match up against them. If the Angels are out, I can realistically see the Phils going all the way against the Dodgers and what ever comes out of the AL. This is the year if Boston comes through tonight.— RAS- Varsho: I agree with your assesment (esp. about their RH pitchers against the Phils LH hitters), but it seems to me thay a lot of people are taking the Dodgers lightly, and I think that is a big mistake. That team can pitch, and, when Furcal gets on and Manny is hot, they can hit. I also the think the Phillies are better, but I think the difference is very marginal. RAS: I am pulling for the Red Sox, too, if for no other reason because IF the Phillies advance, I remember just how BAD the Angels made the Phils look. Seeing that again, in the WS, scares the heck out of me.— RollinsWasRight
- Absolutely....a tense, tortuous 6 or 7 game series is coming up.— Captain
- I think Hamels will be the key to an "easy" series. The way he pitched in Game 1, I think he looks like he could dominate, so I am counting games 1 and 5 as wins for us. Myers pitched real well in game 2, and he owned the Dodgers last time out - that's 3. I think we can split with Moyer/Blanton - who will be pitching in LA - a much bigger park (benefits Blanton). That would be Phils in 5. Maybe I am too optimistic coming of an easy series with the Brewers, although they did have a better season than the Dodgers.— Gary Varsho
- Those earlier numbers were just Manny this year. For his career, he is hitting a sad .191/.269/.383, with 3 HR and 9 RBI in 52 PA in CBP, with 13 K's against just 4 walks (and 1 HBP).— RollinsWasRight
- Gary, I agree. Phils in 5. and I promise to consult with you before I design teh parade route. As for Manny--do to him what the Brewers did to Howard...walk him whenever there are men on base— jeff gross
- Varsho: You are starting to convince me... I really like the Game 2 match-up of Myers vs. Billingsley... I think that really favors the Phillies... I do not like Moyer in Game 3 against Kuroda at all, as the Dodgers are patient, which is not good for Moyer, and Kuroda made the Phillies look pathetic twice. Blanton against either Kershaw/Maddux looks very promising for the Phillies in Game 4, and I love Hamels going twice in the series, especially after his performance against the Brewers. But I am not sure I am willing to bank on Hamels beating Derek Lowe twice with the way Lowe is pitching. This may come down to Myers in Game 6 at home, or else the bullpens in either Game 1 or Game 5, or both. It also may be as simple as Manny vs. Howard, or Rollins vs. Furcal, from an offensive perspective.— RollinsWasRight
- RWR: please remember, pitchers don't beat other pitchers, they beat teh lineups. I like our starting 8 against all the dodger's pitchers. I think that the D's lineup will have problems with Hamels, Myers, and Blanton. You may be right about Moyers, though with the exception of the Brewer's game, he's been great all season.— jeff gross
- You can throw those Manny numbers out the window; none of those atbats were during playoff games. Manny is the best hitter in postseason history. However, I think the key is to keep Rafael Furcal off the bases. Furcal is like Jose Reyes, he creates havoc if he gets on. Manny can hit a few homers with the bases empty for all I care. Other than these two, I am not scare of the Dodgers.— EL Zorro
- Oh my goodness, jeff, do I need to be that specific? Ok, Myers vs. the Dodger lineup is a decent match-up for the Phillies, whilst I believe that a power righty like Billingsley, who sometimes struggles to throw strikes consistently, is a terrible match-up for the Dodgers against the Phillies lineup. Therefore, I believe the match-up of Myers vs. the Dodgers in the same game as Billingsley vs. the Phillies favors the Phillies, etc...— RollinsWasRight
- Zorro: I am actually trying to figure out what those numbers are all about. CBP is tailor made for Manny, and I cannot figure out why he hasn't hit here. I suppose it is likely that his eyes light up in CBP, and he tries to hit home runs, rather than staying within himself and just doing what he normally does. Considering the stakes, my suspicion is he will be much more focused on the task at hand, rather than the left field wall, which may not bode well for the Phillies starters. I agree with Furcal... I have suggested more than once today that the entire series may come down to Rollins vs. Furcal, and who sets the table better. The Phillies pitchers HAVE to keep Rafael Furcal off the bases. Do that, and everything gets a little bit easier... not easy, but just a tad easier...— RollinsWasRight
I agree with the points about not being over confident going into this series. I know we're all hopped up on champagne and all, but let's not get too caught up in "dreaming and fantasy". Can we beat the Dodgers? Of course. Coudl they beat us? Of course. But when I hear stuff like "They have no excuse not to win against the Dodgers," I get a little nervous. I sure hope the players aren't thinking that way. The reality is that the Phils will have to scrap for every run and get the same great starting pitching we saw against the Brewers to get the job done. Think back just a few days... EVERYONE was certain that Jamie Moyer couldn't lose, the Phils would sweep, and we'd all live happily ever after. Didn't quite happen like that. I'm not raining on any parades, but let's keep it real. Pie in the sky is not fun. To me, the fun of these situations is looking at the matchups, picking them apart in a realistic way, and then sitting back and seeing if it plays out according to script (which it usually does not). That said, I say... Phillies in 6!— bobby- jeff: Moyer has been great for most of the season... but the times he has struggled have been against patient line ups that force him to throw strikes. I think we can all agree that Moyer's stuff at this point in his career is not conducive to him pitching IN the strike zone too much. If the Dodgers force him to pitch in the strike zone, he becomes much more hittable. And with savvy veteran hitters like Furcal, Manny and Casey Blake, along with a very smart manager like Joe Torre, I do not expect the Dodgers to be swinging much against Moyer until he enters the strike zone, and that is why I don't like the match-up. Combine that with the fact that he will be going against Kuroda, who has owned the Phillies in 2 starts this season, and Game 3 does not look very promising.— RollinsWasRight
- If Moyer can stay ahead in the count then he will be very hard to hit. As long as Cole and Myers stay agresive they, too, will be hard to hit. As teh Phillies showed against CC, when they are patient and calm, they can rattle and beat any pitcher in teh game. All in all, I am Optimistic.— jeff gross
- Utley has four days to reconstitute himself. Drink some protein shakes and get into the gym Chase. He looks pale and drawn. If he doesn't get it going against these Dodger righties along with RH,then it will be hard to advance the W.S. Utley is the key player in this next round. If he gets on base, Howard will drive him in. If he comes up short, he will have earned the reputation as a playoff choke, ala A-Rod.— RAS
- As someone who lived thru 76-77-78 "dynasty" teams, when we had the best all around Phillies lineup I ever saw, I'm not going to take the Dodgers lightly. They are playing very good baseball. We have a good chance against this version but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Assume a tough, long series. Maybe WE need Charlie to post the one game at a time mantra. I am cautiously optimistic. Phils in 7.— jimmymack
- The games will turn on how Werth and Victorino perform. If the 2 and 6 men get on base, like they did against the Brewers, well put runs on the board. The Pitching needs to keep the Dodgers under 4 runs a game. If the past series was any indication, we have a great chance. Phils in 6— jeff gross
- Jimmymac: From 1976-1980 the phils had the same starters at C (Boone) ss (bowa) 3b (Schmidt) CF (maddox) LF (Luzinski). In RF McBride replaced Johnstone in 1978, Rose replaced Hebner in 1979 who replaced D. Allen in 1977, and Trillo replaced Seizmore in '79 who replaced Cash in '77. In other words they won 4 division titles, one penanat and WS and had a 4th place finish. With the exception of 3B I think I prefer this line up to that one.— jeff gross
- RAS....Did you happen to read my post in the previous topic? Again, the "Chase has a hip injury" scenario has reared it's ugly head. This time coming from Charlie and a "high ranking Phillies official". Even one of the TBS guys last night, said Chase's swing "looks like someone who is playing injured". Can't help but believe it. We still need his defense. Bruntlett's our only alternative. I agree with jeff. We really need Werth and Victorino to keep hitting. With Rollins "setting the table". And maybe Howard can come up with a few bombs!— Norma
- bobby.....I finally got some confirmation on my tickets. They're game 6. Same as yours. If this turns out to be the deciding game, I'm not sure I can handle the stress! We may need to meet up for a beer!— Norma
- I've got one thing to say, I'm throwing the next person that suggests Hamels going 3 times off the Ben Franklin. Why would you want to expose your ace to another team possibly 3 times? If you pitch him in 1 and 5 that leaves him ready for game 1 or 2 of the World Series. If he pitches 1, 4, and 7 you don't have him until possibly game 3 of the World Series. Shut up and let Charlie do his job. Thank you for your support...lol— cg
- Norma -- They had AP Writer Rob ?? Somebody on WIP Thursday morning. He was talking in depth about Utley including the possibility of an injury, but he laso said that Utley has lost over 20 lbs for two years in a row now. He comes in around 205 in Clearwater, now below 180 lbs. Unlike J-Roll, who takes supplements and regualrly hits the weights to keep his body weight constant, Utley refuses to do that for fear of messing up his swing.— RAS
- I don't know if counting on Werth and Burrell to carry the load will work out this time around. Here's the MLB splits on Opposition BA against righthanders for Lowe/Billinglsey/Kuroda - .240/.225/.246. Compare that to Jeff Suppan's .308 against righties, and you can see why Burrell and Werth gave us a good artilery show on Sunday. It won't be so easy aginst these three guys. Utley NEEDS to find a way to get it done. I find it hard to believe he has a hip injury since he still gets down the line pretty quick. If anything it's his right shoulder. He's had a noticable hitch in his throw all year.— RAS
- A thought occurred to me while driving home... Would anyone consider pitching Myers in Game 1? I ask because I hate the idea of Hamels on 3 days rest, but I am not as opposed to Myers doing it. If you pitch Brett in Game 1, you could (theoretically) pitch him on short rest in Game 4, and have him available on full rest for Game 7, if needed. The notion of throwing Moyer, against this Dodger lineup, in Game 7, frightens me. If you did it this way, you would still have Cole available for Game 1 of the Series should Myers win Game 7. Of course, the Marlins and Braves proved what a risky proposition it can be to pitch Brett on short rest, and then expect him to get right back into his regular routine with no additional rest, but still, food for thought.— RollinsWasRight
- And while we're on Utley, is anyone else besides me tired of seeing him take fastball after fastball for the first pitch stike? I mean really, at least swing at one once in awhile to keep them honest. The word's obviously out, just pour one right down the middle. Utley may have the highest batting average of all time for a player who only gets two strikes to work with. If he's hurt then lay down an occasional bunt, especially against the shift. I love the the way the guys plays the game, but he has to be smart too, and that includes making adjustments on and off the field.— RAS
- Mitch Williams and Co, went on and on last night on CSN about why Cole won't go on *short rest*. Cole's explanation......*He knows his body. And and it only responds well on full rest.* Didn't really sound like Wild Thing and Botalica were on Cole's side, but they said all the politically correct stuff. Of course, Cole would have to go on short rest if Charlie sent him out. But when he's that adamant, do you take the chance? As we all know, he IS injury prone. And a Diva!— Norma
- There were an awful lot of Geo Trackers on the road back then.— Leron
- Whoa ... I wouldn't count on the Dodgers being easy. Since Manny went west they've been playing well. And there's some other guy out there named Torre who seems to know some things about winning. Let's start by winning one, then two, ... I like our chances in the first one with King Cole on the mound.— s
- Phils in 7— CyHamels
- I think the Phils are the better team. They had a better record and played in a tougher division. Dont forget, the Phils had the 2nd best road record in all of baseball, so thats a plus. It should be a great series, one that I think the Phils win, as long as they keep playing the way they have been...solid!!— Clinton, NJ
- What the heck happened to ol' John in LA???? We need his info on the state of the Dodgers and their fans.....JOHN?— Clinton, NJ
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