In The Air Tonight

2008 World Series - Games 1, 2 & 3

Phillies 3, Rays 2

Rays 4, Phillies 2

Phillies 5, Rays 4

Phillies lead 2-1

Anybody see anything worthwhile on TV recently?

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I'm obviously quite new to this World Series experience. Call me a hack, a slouch or whatever. I really don't have a whole lot to say. Things are progressing as I expected. I knew Hamels had a great game in store for us in Game 1. He was outstanding. He gives me that feeling only Lefty and Schill ever had before. Put the ball in his hands and relax. The effort by Myers was about what we could reasonably expect. Look, he went up against James Shields so he really had no chance to win, did he? He kept it respectable and that's all we could ask. I know I could be accused of over psychoanalyzing sports and that's probably the case here but I think that Myers kept in respectable and the team was able to leave St. Pete tied at 1-1 feeling like this was going to be a tight series. Can you imagine what the feeling would have been heading back if we had lost 9 - 2? Especially after the way the Rays abused a better pitching rotation in the ALCS?

Mother Nature sure did screw with the Phils in Game 3. She couldn't just wash out the whole evening. Nooooooo. She had to insidiously delay the game for 90 minutes turning 45,000 championship starved hyenas into 45,000 bleary eyed and quite passive fans. The hometown crowd was admirable given the circumstances but one of the big factors in the series is that the Phils play before real baseball fans who are very, very noisy. This club feeds off that vibe. They gave it their best but I expect it to be a little crazier tonight.

I have to write a little ode to Jamie Moyer one day. For now, I will just say I wish he was my big brother.

The national media cracks me up analyzing the Phillies ineptitude with RISP. Where the hell have they been all year? No one who has witnessed this club play ball the past few seasons would ever confuse their style with MoneyBall. You just have to learn to be patient. Last night was a case in point. They will smack it around. I don't care if it is Derek Lowe, CC Sabathia or Scott Kazmir. This club looks for the long ball. I gave up long ago and shit, we're 2 games away from the championship so as Rob would advise, I think I just have a tall cold glass of shut the f_ck up and relax. For better for worse, that's how they're gonna roll.

Tonight would be a really good night to steal a win. Keep it close Joe Blanton and give us a chance. If we do pull it out, I'd feel safe bankrolling 40,000 "Phillies - 2008 World Series Champions adjustable caps.

*Oh, and before I go, Cole Hamels will likely be the MVP if we win this thing but I thought I would mention just how cool it is that Carlos Ruiz has been delivering all postseason long. Ruiz is 2008's Rick Dempsey or Kurt Bevaqua or Scott Brosius. Therefor, Carlos gets his mug on my posts until further notice.