Phils Swept out of Postseason

(originally posted 10/9/07)
The Phillies had a great season, overcoming a horrific start to win a Division Championship. They saved countless lives with their tarp skills. They killed the playoff hopes of the New York Mets by beating them, approximately, forty-three games in a row. They had the best stolen base percentage in the history of stolen bases. They sent player-after-player to the disabled list, yet they still managed to win 89 games.

Their individual perfomances were impressive. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins had MVP-type seasons. Ryan Howard missed a month, but still hit 47 homers. Pat Burrell had an incredible second half, Aaron Rowand had two incredible halves. A late-season surge propelled Abe Nunez' OPS to the .600 mark. On the pitching side, Brett Myers went from Opening Day starter to closer, converting 21 of 24 save opportunities. Cole Hamels was 15-5, with a 3.39 ERA. He would have approached 20 wins, and Cy Young consideration, if he had made a few more starts. Kyle Kendrick came from nowhere (i.e. Reading) to win 10 games. Jon Lieber, despite appearing in only 14 games, consumed more donuts than any other NL starting pitcher. Antonio Alfonseca led the league in fingers, and Adam Eaton did a splendid job covering the pitcher's mound with the tarp during that storm in Colorado.

The season-ending postseason sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies was frustrating, if only because things could have been so different. Should have been so different. If Cole Hamels had dressed appropriately for Game 1, or if Kyle Kendrick had stayed in Game 2, or if Jayson Werth had caught that ball in Game 3, the Phillies likely would have won at least one of those three games. With the Rockies' Mark Redman and his 7.57 ERA ready for the Game 4 start, and the Phillies' Cole Hamels slated for the Game 5 start, the Phillies could have been preparing for the NLCS right now.

After so many years in which the "if's" kept the Phillies out of the playoffs, I guess it's an improvement that the if's relate to postseason failure this time. But, after the fourteen year wait, it would have been nice to win at least one of the games. The Phillies have a strong nucleus returning for 2008, so a return to the postseason is very possible. While the defeat at the hands of the Rockies stings right now, there is cause for optimism. It won't be a fourteen year wait until the next playoff game. Not with Jimmy, Chase, Cole, Pat, and Ryan in the lineup.