Your 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, who won the World Series after a tremendous 24-6 run to end the season.  The starting pitching was great, and the relief pitching was even better, and the combination of those who things will rarely fail you in the postseason. To take nothing away from the Phillies, the team got hot at the right time, and they have a World Championship to show for it.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I was pulling for the Phillies in light of the Yankees being out of the picture and my fond memories rooting for the 1993 NL-pennant winning team while I was at Penn.  I have a couple of buddies who are big-time fans and are relishing the victory.  One business school friend who actually was there to see the Game 5 clincher texted me with a simple "I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW." Another friend wrote openly in his Facebook page that "in interest of public disclosure to his kids' teachers, [he was] announcing that his kids were not going to be in school if there was a victory parade." Sure enough, the Phillies pulled it off, and his kids witnessed something that hasn't been seen in Philadelphia in 25 years. That's a long time considering the city has four major sports teams.  That being said, Yankees fans will continue to mourn their eight year drought without a championship.

So now Phillies fans can look back and have a championship that nobody can take away from them.  If Adrian Cardenas and Josh Outman, key prospects the trade to bring Joe Blanton to the Phillies, end up developing into Miguel Tejada and Tom Glavine, you can always hold onto this moment.  If Brad Lidge suddenly gets haunted again by the memory of Albert Pujols taking him deep in the NLCS and forever plunges back into mediocrity, you can always hold onto this moment. If Ryan Howard suddenly turns into Rob Deer and Cole Hamels turns into Shawn Estes, you can always hold onto this moment.  Congrats - enjoy it.