Rob Ellis: Savor This Time, Phillies Fans
For many years in Philadelphia the first week of October was reserved for several things: raking leaves, putting away the deck furniture, and giving our full attention to the Eagles. As a matter of fact, for 13 consecutive falls our thoughts turned completely away from the local baseball team, sans a managerial or front office change.
Not so anymore around these parts. Playoff baseball has become a fixture in this city. And here we are again as the Phils look to become the first National League team since the 1942-44 Cardinals to reach three straight World Series.
These are the days, my friends. No Phillies team has ever won four division titles in a row, nor has a Phils team ever finished with the best regular-season record in baseball as this bunch did this season. As a matter of fact this is a team that won exactly one championship from its inception in 1883 to 1980. Nearly 100 big ones. A trip down memory lane to the canine days of the late ’90s should bring a deep appreciation for what is happening in this current era.
All seasons have their different footprints – the 2007 team that kicked off this fall tradition stuff overcame a 7½-game deficit with 17 to play to win the division. The 2008 team had perfection, Matt Stairs, and Pat Burrell riding with the kings down Broad Street. The 2009 team was about Cliff Lee’s magic, Cole Hamels’ struggles, Johnny Damon’s base running, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, and a close but not satisfied, bitter taste. The 2010 squad survived Lee’s departure, the arrival of the “Roys,” epic slumps and more injuries than it could count to get back to fall ball.
So here they are again, this core group of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard that is the foundation for what may turn out to be the greatest era of Phillies baseball. Except this time there are far more bullets in the chamber than years’ past. The addition of Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt and the reinvigoration of Hamels have allowed the Phils to overcome said injuries and offensive malaise. Pitching wins, and the Phillies’ rotation is stacked to the point where arguably the best pitcher in baseball in the second half of this season is their third starter vs. Cincinnati.
The Phils were 5-2 against the Reds in the regular season, including a four-game sweep that concluded the first half. Halladay takes the pill Game 1 vs. Edinson Volquez. Halladay was 0-1 with a 2.12 in two starts vs. the Cincinnati this season. Volquez is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA in two career starts vs. the Phils, so this may not be the mismatch some people think. Volquez has also allowed just a .229 batting average to lefties, which could be a key considering Utley, Howard, and Raul Ibanez hit from the left side.
Cincy is a good offensive team led by likely NL MVP Joey Votto and his .324 average, 37 home runs, and 113 RBI. But other than former Phillie Scott Rolen, Orlando Cabrera, and Game 2 starter Bronson Arroyo, this is also a unit that lacks playoff experience, something the Phils have in spades.
The NLDS format is best of five, which usually gives the underdog a better shot at the upset. However, quality pitching and experience usually trumps all. The Phillies knocked off a scorching hot Rockies team last year in four, likewise taking out the CC Sabathia-led Brewers in 2008. The Reds are a good, young team, but the combination of Phils starting pitching and a shored-up back end of the bullpen, to go along with a potentially potent lineup, should have the Phils advancing to the next round.
Back to the offense – which may be the one thing that keeps Phils fans from a deep and peaceful sleep. It has at times this season gone AWOL for no particular reason, against far less superior arms than the Phils will face in the playoffs. And even the greatest pitching in the world could find that hard to overcome. So if there is a chink in the armor, it could be that. But keep in mind this team thrives this time of year and averaged 5.3 runs per game last postseason. More than five runs per game with this staff bodes well for them to take the series.
Whatever the outcome of this latest October journey, as Mike Schmidt famously said after the Phils won their first World Series in 1980, “savor it.” Because these runs don’t come along too often.
Follow Rob Ellis on Twitter (@robellis610) and contact him at rellis@phillysportsdaily.com.
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