When it comes to sports championships, Philadelphia is the land of the lost. A whole generation of City of Brotherly Love sports fans have grown up never seeing the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers or Flyers win a championship.
Fo' Fo' Fo' Moses Malone ain't walkin' through that door, Michael Jack Schmidt ain't walkin' through that door and Bobby Clarke ain't walkin' through that door. And if they did walk through that door - they'd be old men. Philly fanatics need to rely on Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to walk through that door and carry the city of Philadelphia to the land of championships.
The Phillies versus the Tampa Bay Rays has all the potential for being a great World Series. The Rays possess a distinct home field advantage playing in the Lego Land of Tropicana Field. How the Phillies handle the unusual playing conditions of Tropicana Field will go a long way to deciding the outcome of this series. The cowbells will have a negligible effect on the Phillies - and no self-respecting sports fan would bring a cowbell to any sporting event unless they're bringing orange slices for the entire team.
Will the Rays' faux hawks intimidate the Phillies? This isn't 1985 and Louden Swain isn't looking to take down Shute on his Vision Quest. It's 2008 and the Phillies can hold their mud.
Elmo from Vision Quest:
Elmo: I was in the room here one day... watchin' the Mexican channel on TV. I don't know nothin' about Pele. I'm watchin' what this guy can do with a ball and his feet. Next thing I know, he jumps in the air and flips into a somersault and kicks the ball in - upside down and backwards... the goddamn goalie never knew what the fuck hit him. Pele gets excited and he rips off his jersey and starts running around the stadium waving it around his head. Everybody's screaming in Spanish. I'm here, sitting alone in my room, and I start crying.
[pause]
Elmo: That's right, I start crying. Because another human being, a species that I happen to belong to, could kick a ball, and lift himself, and the rest of us sad-assed human beings, up to a better place to be, if only for a minute... let me tell ya, kid - it was pretty goddamned glorious. It ain't the six minutes... it's what happens in that six minutes.
It's what happens in those six minutes - and the Rays and Phillies will experience those six minutes for the next week. Getting to the World Series is much harder than it looks. Teams have to battle through a 162-game regular season where they win the right to take part in a five-game division series; if a team wins that, they move on to a seven-game league championship series; and if they emerge victorious, it's on to a seven-game World Series at the end of October.
Both teams have a young nucleus but what are the chances of either team ever being back in this position or The Hooters making it on the Billboard charts again? Alright, the Phillies and the Rays have a better shot than The Hooters or Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.
Philly's Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers
A Position-By-Position Breakdown
1B Philadelphia Ryan Howard versus Tampa Bay Carlos Pena -
Ryan Howard is the man, but let's see what the Tampa Bay bullpen can do to contain Howard. Lefty relievers J.P. Howell and David Price will be called on to battle Howard and Chase Utley in key situations.
Carlos Pena is a fantastic story of a baseball reclamation project. Pena is a vital cog in the middle of the order for the Rays.
Edge: Phillies
2B Philadelphia Chase Utley vs. Tampa Bay Akinori Iwamura
Chase Utley had a disappointing second-half of the season at the plate, but Utley bounced back in the NLCS versus the Dodgers. Utley has the potential to wreak havoc on the Rays' pitching staff. Utley and Howard have to produce for the Phillies to win.
Iwamura is better defensively that Utley. At the plate, Iwamura is a smart hitter who will find a way to make things happen. Iwamura was a great signing by the Rays in 2007.
Edge: Phillies
SS Philadelphia Jimmy Rollins vs. Tampa Bay Jason Bartlett
Jimmy Rollins, the NL MVP of 2007, sets the tone for the Phillies. Howard, Utley and Rollins represent the nucleus of the Phillies offense. Rollins has the ability to lead-off the game with a Rickey Henderson solo shot. Defensively, Rollins will make the plays and has the range to play on Tampa Bay's fast surface.
Jason Bartlett is on the field for his glove and any offense Bartlett can give the Rays is a plus. Barlett showed some defensive yips in the ALCS, versus the Red Sox, and we'll see how he holds up under the pressure of the Fall Classic.
Edge: Phillies
3B Philadelphia Pedro Feliz/Greg Dobbs vs. Tampa Bay Evan Longoria
Feliz is the better of the two defensively and is a solid major league third baseman. Philly's manager Charlie Manuel will insert Dobbs into the lineup to generate more offense.
Evan Longoria is the second coming of Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt. When Longoria hits, the Rays win. The rookie is also an above average defender with good range.
Edge: Rays
LF Philadelphia Pat Burrell vs. Tampa Bay Carl Crawford
Pat Burrell experienced two seasons this year. The Pat Burrell in April and May was a monster. The Pat Burrell for the rest of the season was average. Burrell could experience some problems playing left field at Tropicana Field.
Carl Crawford is considered by many to be the best defensive left fielder in baseball. Crawford missed most of August and September recovering from a fractured right wrist as did Evan Longoria. In Game Four of the ALCS, he went 5-for-5 with two RBI and two stolen bases.
Edge: Rays
CF Philadelphia Shane Victorino vs. Tampa Bay B.J. Upton
The Flyin' Hawaiian is a difference maker for the Phils. Victorino's speed and ability to get on base are critical to the Phillies generating some runs.
B.J. Upton is en fuego. Upton has seven home runs in the postseason and will look to add to that total versus the Phils. Upton plays a shallow center field just the way Rays manager Joe Maddon likes it.
Edge: Rays
RF Philadelphia Jayson Werth vs. Tampa Bay Ben Zobrist/Gabe Gross/Rocco Baldelli
The Phillies started to score more runs when Jayson Werth was moved up to the second spot in the order. During the season, Werth asked Charlie Manuel for more playing time and Werth responded by raising his performance at the plate and taking over right field on a permanent basis. Jayson Werth has a rocket launcher for an arm.
Tampa Bay's platoon in right field is a feel game for manager Joe Maddon. Maddon will go with the guy he feels can help the Rays win that day. Gabe Gross made some wild throws missing the cut-off in the ALCS.
Edge: Phillies
C Philadelphia Carlos Ruiz vs. Tampa Bay Dioner Navarro
Carlos Ruiz is behind the dish to handle Philadlphia's pitching staff, call a solid game and not for his stick.
Dioner Navarro is a young catcher, who has taken charge of Tampa Bay's young pitching staff, and his dugout brawl with Matt Garza proved that. Navarro hit .295 in the regular season but has little power.
Edge: Rays
Starting Pitching Philadelphia Cole Hamels/Brent Myers/Jamie Moyer/Joe Blanton vs. Tampa Bay Scott Kazmir/James Shields/Matt Garza/Andy Sonnanstine
Philadelphia will rely on Cole Hamels and Brent Myers to steal either Game One or Game Two in Tampa Bay. Heading back to Philly, Charlie Manuel will look for the forty-five year old Jamie Moyer to bamboozle the mostly twenty-something Rays. Expect Blanton to keep the Phillies in the game.
Kazmir and Shields at home is a tough combo for the Phillies to face. The lefty Kazmir could give Utley and Howard fits. Garza has been especially tough in the postseason after submitting a strong performance in the second half of the regular season. Sonnanstine gets the nod in Game Four versus Blanton.
Edge: Rays
Bullpen Philadelphia versus Tampa Bay
Closer Brad Lidge has been a lock for the Phillies. In nine postseason innings, set-up man Ryan Madson has given up one earned run.
Tampa Bay's pen will be anchored by rookie phenom David Price in the absence of Troy Percival. The lefty Price can bring the cheese. The most important member of the Rays pen will be lefty J.P. Howell, who will be brought in to face Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Dan Wheeler is showing the signs of a long season of work and who knows how much he has left in the tank.
Edge: Phillies
Manager Philadelphia Charlie Manuel vs. Tampa Bay Joe Maddon
Charlie Manuel is considerd an inarticulate hick and Joe Maddon has been portrayed as a nebbish nerd. Neither of these descriptions are accurate. Both men have control over their clubhouses and their squads are still standing.
The Phillies finished first in a competitive NL East and the Rays bested the Yankees and the Red Sox to win the tough AL East.
The test for both managers will be how they manage their bullpens. Maddon weathered criticism of his use of the bullpen in Games Five and Six of ALCS, which the Red Sox won. People seem to be forgetting that Maddon is managing without his closer Troy Percival and was trying to find some answers in the pen. (Ask Mets manager Jerry Manuel how easy it is to manage without your closer.)
Edge: Even
Prediction: Tampa Bay in seven games.
