Phinally!

"With (Santana), I have no doubt we're going to win our division. I have no doubt about that... So, this year, tell Jimmy Rollins we are the team to beat."

Thanks, Carlos. We really appreciate it. But he's not the only one we, Phillie fans, need to send our thanks to. On behalf of all Phils fans, I'd also like to thank every baseball "expert" at ESPN. On March 30th of this year, nineteen so-called experts voted. Not one of the nineteen picked the Phils to win the World Series.

Then, the 162-game regular season ended and still we had no believers. Again, not one "expert" picked the Phillies to win it all. Then we beat the Brewers and big, bad C.C, one of the teams we had to jump coming down the stretch just to make the playoffs. Then we beat the hottest player/team in baseball. And finally... some recognition.

Still, very few had faith. This time around, ten genius baseball guys voted. Of those ten, only three picked the Phils. Jayson Stark, born and raised in Philadelphia, is a outstanding sportswriter who worked for the Inquirer prior to joining ESPN. So naturally, he picked the Phils. Then there was Peter Gammons, a long-time writer/reporter for ESPN who is well-regarded in his field. But as a dear friend just pointed out, he's a Sox fan. Of course. So, besides anyone who had a horse in this race or a bone to pick with either team, practically no one liked the Fightin' Phils.

And it wasn't just the experts/analysts, either. Every poll on ESPN, and anywhere for that matter, had the fans picking the Rays. Do they not like us here? Did they just really want a "Cinderella?" Whatever the case may be, the general public picked the Rays. Overwhelmingly.

On Monday night, we entered Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead before having our celebration postponed. I headed home in the rain, miserable. I hopped on the computer to do some homework. Of course, I had to check on how bad my fantasy team was losing first. ESPN.com was still on my screen from earlier and had refreshed itself. The new poll question was something about the momentum changing and who do think will win it all now? Huh? I'm thinking, 'Dude, we're up 3-1, we're about three innings away from the first sports championship in Philly in my lifetime, and these guys have the audacity to ask that?' So I voted. Who do you think got the majority? The Rays, 65%-35%. In fact, my Garden State didn't even pick our home team. Kiddin'?

But I'm okay with all that. I like being the underdog. I think it was a bit ridiculous that the Rays were favored so heavily, but I can't complain now. It sure it sweet proving someone (or like millions) wrong. It's great when the chips are stacked against you to come out and shut everyone up.

I hate to bring it up, but imagine how contagious the depression would have become in the Delaware Valley. I mean, we always lose. Always. In my lifetime, we've gone into seasons expecting to play .500 ball and still been pissed off we didn't make the playoffs. And I was only talking about the Phils. How about Stanley Cups we've lost since Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent? Or how great the Eagles have been in the Andy Reid era. Imagine the bitching and complaining we would have had to suffer through on 610 and 950 every day. Honestly, I wouldn't have handled it well.

In this city, we live and die with our teams. I read an article yesterday about how the losing gets so bad in some cities, that they begin to argue that their city is the biggest loser and that the pain they feel is worse than anywhere else. It was kind of funny to hear someone actually say that. But I think it's true. For a while, we began to settle for being the biggest loser. And that's depressing. I know that you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I guess it was just our time. Plus, Tampa? This is the city that has the worst ballpark in baseball that, on average, held only 51.9% of its capacity. And this is for a team that was in first place all season! It's a disgrace. They shouldn't even play baseball in Tampa. I don't mean to take anything away from the Rays. At the start of the playoffs, I picked them to not only play in the World Series, but win it (I came to my senses before the start of the Series). If Joe Maddon isn't the best manager in baseball, he's among the few best. And if his team isn't one to remember for a real long time, you must have a bad memory. They Rays were awesome, but the Phils were better.

So, thanks again to all the nay-sayers. And goodbye William Penn. Goodbye, Joe Carter. It's difficult to put into words what this win means for the people of the Philadelphia area. Few of us have played professional sports, put on a pro uniform, or been part of a team that won a professional sports championship. But what we've had to do might be even more difficult. We've sat in stands, helpless, unable to do anything but cheer and hope for the best. Jamie Moyer born, raised, and educated in and around Philadelphia said it best, "They lived it."

My Best Guess, pt. 2

Three weeks ago I made my picks for each series of the MLB playoffs. As expected, the teams that were best in the regular season did not make it to the October Classic. I was dead wrong about the Angels and the Cubs in each division series. However, I did get my pennant winners right. The scrappy Phils and the star-studded youth of the Rays will face off tonight in World Series Game 1.

Before making my picks a few weeks back, I talked about recent WS history by explaining that only twice in the last ten seasons has the team with the best record won it all. And although I picked the Rays to win 4-2 over the Phils, I'm starting to think that it's going to go seven games either way. The more I think about everything and break down the matchups, pitching staffs, bullpens, the DH factor, and the intangibles, I feel like both teams have a really good shot.

Tonight, I anticipate Cole Hamels being lights out in Tampa. If he stays as hot as he's been, I think it will be a huge step in the right direction by getting a Game 1 win at their place. These days, it's a 2-3-2 format which, in my opinion, puts a lot of stress on the team with home field advantage to get out to an early lead. The problem for Tampa is that the best pitcher on either staff resides in Philly and he goes tonight against their potent lineup. If the Phils steal this first game, it will be okay to split in Tampa because they'll head home for three straight games. I really don't see Tampa winning a game in chilly Philly.

A win in Game 1 for the Rays is a must. I truly feel like whoever wins the first game will win the series. Why? Because like I said, if the Phils win one of the first two, they get three in a row at home. On the other hand, if the Rays can win tonight, they likely won't have to face Cole again until Game 5 in Philly. And with how deep the Rays staff is, Cole may not see a Game 5 is he loses this evening. Plus, history agrees with me as each of the last five World Series Champs have won Game 1.

Considering all that, I'm picking the Phils to win Game 1 and the series. The Rays have a better staff overall, but the best on either side plays for the Phillies. The Phils get the nod in the 'pen, by far. Brad Lidge is truly lights out and this has been one of the best bullpens all season. Plus, who's this David Price guy? I guarantee he disappears this series. He seems like a really nice guy and he looks to have good stuff. But the "experts" claim this kid is the x-factor? Come on, already. He's thrown like 10 pitches all year. The fact that the Rays bullpen is shaky without Troy Percival and that the Phillies have won so many games in the last few innings, I see more of the same in this series. Call me a homer, if you will. But if I'm right again, you're gonna hear about it.

Great Expectations

Today may have been the end of a promising career that never reached its potential. The news out of Boston is that the Celtics have waived forward Darius Miles. It's not exactly shocking news but I was hoping it wouldn't happen. I don't know Miles personally, have never seen him play live, he's not from my hometown, nor has he ever played for my home team. Yet, it comes as a disappointment to me, as I had hoped he could catch on with an NBA team again. In actuality, Miles has worn out his welcome in every city he's played and most would feel no sympathy for a spoiled athlete who skips practice, criticizes his head coach, or fails a drug test. But in a way, I do.

Darius Miles, a former McDonald's All-American, was once Mr. Basketball in Illinois, a state that churns out top high school talent yearly. Miles was known as an explosive player who could throw down with the best of them. But he was more than that. He possessed a great mid-range jumper, a lost art in today's NBA, as well as the size to post up most at his position. Darius had undeniable physical tools and even his flaws coming out of high school seemed fixable: he was a hot-and-cold free throw shooter and despite his 6'9 frame, lacked the mass needed to make an immediate impact as an NBA forward. But most high school athletes aren't formally introduced to weight-training. And free throw shooting, as long as you don't have the heavy hands of Shaq, is very coachable.

While at East St. Louis High in East St. Louis, Illinois, Miles signed a letter of intent to attend St. John's University in New York. That was until he discovered his SAT scores weren't high enough to get into SJU. So while his options were suddenly limited, most believed he was NBA-ready anyway. On the fifth of May in 2000, Darius Miles declared for the NBA draft and about a month later was selected No. 3 overall, the highest a high school player had ever been drafted to that point, by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Mr. Miles only played with the Clips for two seasons in which he quickly learned that high school ball and the NBA are two very different games. On his way to being named to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team in the 2000-2001 season, Miles averaged 9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.5 bpg while starting in about a quarter of the eighty-one games he appeared. However, Darius failed to build off his freshman campaign in the '01-'02 season as his stats remained mediocre and his time in the starting lineup decreased.

After two lackluster seasons in L.A., Darius Miles moved on to Cleveland for a fresh start. Not much changed though. The '02-'03 season, Miles' first as a full-time starter, was slowed by injury and his inconsistent play showed how slow he was developing. Halfway through the following year Darius was dealt to the Portland Trailblazers, as Cleveland had grown tired of his average play, apparent laziness and lack of accountability.

Mo Cheeks and the Blazers saw some potential in Miles and liked the fact that he could run the floor so well. He appeared in 42 games, making 40 starts, over the second half of the '03-'04 season and was playing very well at season's end. Notwithstanding his hot play at the end of that season, Miles started about half as many games in the '04-'05 campaign. A big reason for this may have been because of a film session dispute between he and head coach Mo Cheeks. Regardless, Cheeks was fired following that season as the Blazers were among the worst in the NBA. The 2005-2006 season started off well for Miles as he was averaging 14 ppg and 32.2 mpg, both career highs, through 40 games. But on April 15, 2006, Miles severely injured his right knee and missed the remainder of that season and the two that followed.

The NBA and NBAPA jointly appointed an independent doctor to examine Miles' knee and it was discovered that the damage sustained was serious enough to deem the injury as career-ending. Although Miles was waived by the Blazers, he did attract some teams this past offseason and the defending champion Boston Celtics were one team willing to give the former high school star an opportunity to start fresh. Again. However, Miles is not the same player today that he was before his injury and probably never will be. Between his knee and his failed drug test earlier this year (it's unknown what substance he used, although I'm sure it was in the tree family), Boston obviously didn't feel like he was worth the time.

Since The Darius Miles Experiment, the NBA has created a rule that requires a player to be twenty years of age before entering his name in the draft. Some players (LeBron and Dwight Howard come to mind) have gone directly from high school and thrived in the pros. These two, in particular, have actually become big-name stars and have already become the face of the NBA. But for every LeBron and Howard, there are a handful of Darius Miles-type guys who were hyped in high school and failed to the make the transition to the pros. Imagine being told your whole life that you're the man. Imagine having these high expectations for yourself and having to deal with the stress that comes along with it. I'm sure Miles bought into the hype and believed everything people were saying. Wouldn't you?

This is why I believe the NBA has done the right thing in enforcing an age limit. Many young athletes are not physically, mentally or emotionally prepared to jump directly into the life that comes along with being a professional. Clearly, Darius Miles is one of those athletes. It's sort of a shame that he never panned out. Plus, no one should have their career end because of injury. I just hope the guy is doing the right thing with his fortune because right now, his chances of making an NBA roster again are looking slim.

Senior Captain Takes a Back Seat

At the start of this season, the Ohio State football team was hailed as one of the nation's best. Why not? They're consistently among the best teams in the Big Ten conference and have played in the last two national championship games. Plus, they're led by one of the best coaches in all of college football and they recruit as well as they play. This season, Ohio State returned a load of starters on both sides of the ball and the preseason polls all had the Buckeyes receiving consideration as #1 in the land. In August, three of their star players were even featured regionally on the cover of Sports Illustrated for its college football preview. All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis and bruising tailback Chris Wells were among three players to graze the cover of SI.

The third player asked to pose for the cover was senior quarterback Todd Boeckman. Last year, his first as a starter, was a highly productive one. Though his numbers were impressive, Boeckman's leadership was what led Ohio State to their second consecutive national championship appearance. That leadership translated into him being a shoe-in when it came time to vote for the 2008 captains. He's a classic Ohio State quarterback, from the same mold as Craig Krenzel, Joe Germaine and Bobby Hoying. All were known for their accuracy and smart play while at Ohio State and the same goes for Boeckman. Traditionally, Ohio State runs a balanced offensive attack that resembles a typical pro offense. But when a player has certain skills, they'll adapt their play-calling to best suit their man under center. We're now halfway through the 2008 season and Ohio State has adapted their offense to a different kind of quarterback, from a different kind of mold.

National Signing Day, a huge day for college football and all who follow the sport religiously, passed this year while the top recruit in the country was undecided. Rarely do the top few players wait until after Signing Day to make their college decision. But rarely is it such a battle for the top guy. Terrelle Pryor, from Jeannette, PA, was a two-sport star in high school. The young quarterback/small forward was 6'6 and weighed around 235 pounds, ran an effortless forty time of around 4.4 seconds and for good measure, had a 3.4 GPA in high school. The kid, according to recruiting database Rivals, was the top football recruit and among the top-25 basketball recruits last year. Being that good at both sports is unheard of. Coming down to the final days of college football's recruiting season, Pryor announced he would focus his talents on football and the schools to make his final cut were perennial college football powers. In the end, Pryor chose Ohio State. Oregon was too far from home, Penn State had two young quarterbacks already and Michigan was a mess that may not have been able to help Pryor develop into the pro quarterback that he plans on being.

It's not as if Ohio State needed him at the time, seeing as how loaded they are every year and considering how solid their quarterback play was last year. In fact, many believed Pryor wouldn't even touch the field this year and Ohio State would save a year of eligibility for their young star. Then the 2008 season began and Ohio State looked rusty early. They struggled against the first FBS team they faced, Ohio, and were then embarrassed the following week at former #1 Southern Cal. In the "Collision in the Coliseum," Boeckman seemed like himself early. He looked sharp, completing many quick timing routes and receiver screens, the bread and butter-type of passes that Ohio State traditionally spreads defenses out with. But it ugly fast as Ohio State stalled on their first drive and it got even worse as things progressed. For the day, Boeckman finished a respectable 14-for-21, but for only 84 yards, while tossing two costly interceptions including one that was returned for six. That game was the unofficial end to Todd Boeckman's stint as Ohio State's field general. Since the "Smackdown in SoCal" or the "Lashing in Los Angeles," (sorry, couldn't resist) Boeckman has played less and less and Terrelle Pryor has flourished into a leader by making big play after another.

Sure, Pryor is not the vocal leader that Boeckman has been. But his teammates respect his abilities and that hides the fact that he is so young. Pryor has not been spectacular. Many of his big throws have been under thrown and the balls he has completed have been as much a testament to the play-calling as his accuracy. Still, he obviously brings a different dimension that Boeckman could not and in the defense-heavy Big Ten, that can really work to your benefit. Making big plays, not turning the ball over, in tough situations is what guarantees a quarterback's success and helps the win team. That is why we see the young phenom starting so early in the conference schedule.

But as important as Pryor's success has been, Boeckman's attitude through the last couple of weeks has helped the Buckeyes win and has kept the team united. Remember, the senior Boeckman is still a captain and his leadership skills haven't gone anywhere. When you hear football coaches and experts discuss off-field leadership, they are talking about examples such as Todd Boeckman. He could easily complain about getting less opportunities, act out selfishly or even divide the team. Instead, he's stayed vocal - a trait that Pryor lacks early in his career - and remained a great example for others on the team to follow. If Ohio State wants to stay atop the Big Ten, they'll need more big plays from Pryor and more great leadership from Boeckman. Those two things helped OSU win a tough road game versus conference foe Wisconsin and they'll be important if they want to silence Nittany Nation at Columbus in a couple of weeks. Despite many writing the Buckeyes off a few weeks ago, they're still in good position to win the Big Ten title and play in the Rose Bowl. And if both of their quarterbacks can keep up what they're doing, that may just be the case.

My Best Guess

I am aware that the postseason has already started. But only one game has actually ended (PHI-3, MIL-1) and it won't change my pick in that series as I, being a loyal fan like my fellow Brothers of Love, watched and cheered through every pitch of Cole Hamel's gem. Do you think Milwaukee really had a chance from the start? Because we didn't. We beat them in the season series, C.C. pitches Game 2 on very little rest, they just fired their manager and Prince Fielder is fat. Okay, maybe that has nothing to do with it. But you see what I'm saying. So please, don't give me a hard time for making my picks a little late. Thank you much.

I've always had mixed feelings about Major League Baseball's playoffs. First, I never liked the fact that only four teams make it from each league. My belief is that the NHL and NBA allow too many teams (16 total) to take part in their postseasons. The NFL has it just right with four division winners and two wild cards from each conference (12 total). But they have 32 teams and I would never want baseball to get that watered down. Back to my point... Practically every season, you'll see a division winner sneak into the MLB playoffs with about 85 wins (Dodgers had 84 this year) while a second or third-place team from a tough division gets no shot at the "world" title. And that definitely isn't fair when you consider my next point.

My second reason for the MLB playoffs sucking is that it always seems like the best team never wins anyway. Those teams that got snubbed for an 85-game division winner would've had a chance to win it all. Want proof? Over the last 10 years, only twice has the team with the regular season's best record won the World Series. The first occurrence was exactly ten seasons ago, when the Yanks finished the regular season with a mind-boggling winning percentage of .704, and the other was last year as the BoSox tied for the best record (with Cleveland) before going on to win it all. But the craziest part of this stat is: In between the 1998 Yankees and 2007 Red Sox, we had five seasons where the best team didn't win the WS and three seasons where two teams tied for the best record and none of them won it. So much for all that hard work.

But despite my reservations about pro baseball's playoff format, it's still the October Classic. It's America's original pastime. For anyone who has ever played baseball or ever been formerly introduced to this great game, you know what I'm talking about. You know the feeling that comes along with watching each pitch. Hell, my favorite team has only made the playoffs three times (including this season and last) in my twenty-one years, spanning twenty-two playoff races. And I've still been mesmerized from a very young age. Unfortunately, many young people today have little, if any, appreciation for it. And it's sad. They say it's slow and they say it's boring. "Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn." But I'm not here to defend how great a game baseball is. I think it's rich tradition over the last hundred-plus seasons speaks for itself.

That's enough preaching for tonight. So, considering the fact that the World Series Champ is extremely hard to predict and the fact that the best team rarely wins it all, I will now attempt to make my picks. Although I must warn you, these will be a mix of predictions and dreams of mine. If you know me at all, you know that when it comes to sports, I am very fair. I'm the farthest thing from a homer that you'll find. I rely on statistics for all my points and you know I can back them up with the numbers if challenged. So don't automatically suspect that I'll pick the Phils to win their second championship in, oh, about a million years of existence. I'd prefer to be right than to be the ultimate fan. And so it goes...

Divisional Series:
Angels def Red Sox 3-2
Rays def White Sox 3-1
Cubs def Dodgers 3-0
Phillies def Brewers 3-1

Championship Series:
Rays def Angles 4-3
Phillies def Cubs 4-2

World Series:
Rays def Phillies 4-2

Quickly (or not), I'll note some things about these picks. I look at them, and for a moment, they're brilliant. The next moment, they're idiotic. I picked the Rays to win it all. Why? I don't know. A few weeks ago my opinion was that no matter who they played, they would lose in the ALDS. But they play outstanding defense behind a very good, young staff and if you don't like Joe Maddon, you haven't heard him speak yet. I picked them to upset the Angels who seemingly have it all. Why? Remember what I told you about teams who have the best regular season record? Both of these teams could very well lose to Ozzie's ChiSox or the experienced BoSox. But I'm sticking with my picks. I picked the Phils to beat the Brew Crew for reasons I've already given you. Such as Prince being too fat. The Cubs will win their NLCS because the Dodgers suck. Manny can be Manny all he wants. I know he is basically the greatest thing that the MLB playoffs have ever seen. I don't care. And I love Joe Torre. He's the man and I'm so glad that he made the playoffs and the Yankees didn't (Suck on that, George). But the Cubs are just too good. Ol' Lou is, too, the man and his pitchers are unreal. That will at least win them one series. But eventually, I think that the Cubs will have bad luck (again) and choke against my Phils. Or so I hope. And the Rays win The Series versus Team MVP (Howard, J-Roll, Howard?) because: a) the Phils don't feel like a championship team, b) they score inconsistently and c) the Rays are then winners based on the process of elimination. Think I'm nuts? Great. Comment, leave a message, let me know what you think.