The Phillies Are Champions Of Baseball

Let’s go back and look at the most exciting 3.5 innings of our lives:

First off, Chase Utley made one of — if not, the best baseball plays I’ve ever seen. His clutch and throw home to throw out Jason Bartlett was unbelievable. That’s intelligent baseball right there. And that saved a potential go-ahead run.

Ryan Madson gave up the home run to Rocco Baldelli, but you cannot stress enough how large he pitched down the stretch. While most of us fawn over Utley and Howard and crew, Madson rose to the level of his homegrown peers with his postseason performance.

How about JC Romero? Clutch, clutch, clutch pitching in the seventh and eighth innings. And BJ Upton proves once again his inexperience with the biggest double play in Phillies history. Upton will be great, but last night he was a goat.

Geoff Jenkins and Pat Burrell reeled off the biggest hits of their lives to get runs going. The former made up for a season to forget with a huge double to right-center; the latter secured his place as a franchise legend with his double to left-center. When the Phils add Burrell to the Wall of Fame 10 years from now, that play will get the biggest cheer.

Pedro Feliz. Wow. What a gigantic hit. Right up the gut. I thought the Utley play changed the game around; this hit secured it. He may have gotten under our skin at times this season, but Feliz really redeemed himself there.

And then the ninth. Brad Lidge was calm as ever, got the job done, sent the city into euphoria.

Unreal. This all seems so weird, so dream-like. Drink it in, everyone. Just drink it in.