The Phillies have several future hall of famers playing for them, some real all time greats in the making. These guys are writing their legends as we speak.
As i told my friend the other day during Rollins 9th inning at bat, "He is writing his legend right now. If he gets a hit here, it will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in team history for decades."
Sure enough, he did, and it will.
Rollins, Victorino, Howard, Utley, Lee, Hamels, Lidge- these guys are
already legends here in Philly- and they're all in the heart of their prime. Add NL rookie of the Year J.Happ and the Phillies future just keeps looking brighter and brighter. This is a team that COULD win 3 or 4 titles before time puts a period at the end of their time here in Philly.
The one guy the Phillies lost from their world championship team last year has been replaced by Ibanez, a guy that promptly came here and hit 37 home runs and had the best year of his career.When Hamels was struggling earlier in the year the Phillies went out and added the reigning AL Cy Young winner, a guy that has an ERA well under 1.0 in the post season this year.
But most importantly, the Phillies are a team built "the right way." As just one glaring example, contrast Ryan Howard to A-Rod. Both supremely talented, but Howard is 10000x the team mate and man that A-Rod is. Not selfish, not me first, Howard is a true team player- he is what everyone in NY WISHES A-Rod was.
A-Rod is just Manny Rodriguez without the dreadlocks. A selfish non-caring mercenary.
Is it a LOCK that the Phils will win? No. But they have every bit as much talent as the Yankees, if not more- and the Phillies are a complete
team. They are not going to be intimidated by those Yankee pinstripes. The
Phillies are the ones standing where the Yankees want to be,
not the other way around.
Besides, it is very rare for a defending champ that makes it back to the finals to be defeated- in any sport. It happens, but it's quite rare.
Might evil prevail and the Yankees win? Maybe...but it will take a herculean effort to beat the Phillies, who have a (EDIT, make that)
18-5 record in their last two post seasons. No team has even managed to so much as win 2 games against them in any series during the Phillies last 2 post season runs.
By the way, the Phillies smoked Yankees ace C.C. Sabbathia in the playoffs last year, when he was playing in the NL.
TWICE.
Phillies 2008 world championship ring.