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Phillies' World Series dry spell over

Two-day weather delay ends with second Series title

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 29, 2008 at 7:55 p.m.

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Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is reflected in the World Series trophy after Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Photo by David J. Phillip, Associated Press

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is reflected in the World Series trophy after Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

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First pitch

CORRECTION: This story should have said the 1989 World Series between Oakland and San Francisco was delayed because of an earthquake.

HE SAID IT

"Regardless of the outcome, I don't feel we have anything to be ashamed of. Somebody's got to win, and somebody's got to lose. . . .We were one of the last two teams playing. You can't ask for more than that."

Evan Longoria, Rays third baseman, on Tampa Bay losing to the Phillies in the World Series.

NO NEUTRAL SITE

Despite the weather problems in the World Series, neither Phillies manager Charlie Manuel nor Rays manager Joe Maddon wants to play the World Series at a neutral site.

"I think each town's fan base should be rewarded . . . ," Maddon said. "I think each ballpark is unique. We would be at a great disadvantage playing in a neutral spot. I don't like cold weather. I grew up in it, but I'm not digging it at all. It would be better if the (NFL) Eagles and the Bucs took the field, but we're fine with it."

Manuel said he can appreciate the concerns about weather, "but I would rather have it at home for the Phillies fans to see us play."

FYI

The resumption of Game 5 on Wednesday, Oct. 29, marked the second-latest day on which a World Series game has been played.

Game 7 in 2001 was Nov. 4, the postseason delayed because of the consequences of 9/11.

There were two games played Oct. 28 - Game 4 in 1988, when an earthquake led to a 10-day break between Games 2 and 3, and Game 6 in 1981, when three rounds of postseason play were staged because of the midseason strike.

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Closer Brad Lidge provided the perfect ending to his perfect season - the second world championship in the history of the 125-year-old Phillies franchise.

When Lidge struck out Tampa Bay pinch hitter Eric Hinske swinging to finish off a 4-3 victory in a Game 5 that was suspended in the middle of the sixth inning Monday, he touched off a celebration at sold-out Citizens Bank Park.

And the fact that it took 49 hours, 28 minutes from first pitch to last pitch in the final game, including a 46-hour weather-induced suspension between the top and bottom of the sixth inning, seemed minuscule on this night of redemption for Lidge, his manager, Charlie Manuel, and his team.

Lidge put to rest the negative vibes of his days in Houston - his postseason missteps included home runs by Albert Pujols of St. Louis in the 2005 National League Championship Series and Scott Podsednik of the White Sox in the 2005 World Series - by converting the 48th save out of 48 opportunities he received this season, including seven in the postseason, two in the World Series.

"This was never about personal redemption," said Lidge, the Cherry Creek High School alum who spends the offseason in the Denver area. "This was about winning this season for these guys and these fans and this city."

Charlie Manuel was fired from his first managerial job, in Cleveland, in the midst of 2002, his third year on the job, and more than a couple of times had been the subject of scorn from fans in Philadelphia during the past four seasons.

He said he didn't have anything to prove.

"Don't take this in a cocky way," he said. "I already knew how good I was."

But he did have a message for the folks who let him go.

"Honsie," Manuel said of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer baseball writer Paul Hoynes, "I'll ask you something; go back to Cleveland and tell them that we won a World Series, all right."

The Phillies had gone 28 years since their previous world championship and were making only the sixth World Series appearance in franchise history.

"I really think the fans stepped up," said World Series Most Valuable Player Cole Hamels, who worked six strong innings to start Game 5 but was denied a postseason record fifth victory when Ryan Madson let a 3-2 lead escape in the seventh. "They could taste it just as much as we could, and they added to our confidence to go out there and win."

With more than 44,000 of the 45,940 who bought tickets for a Game 5 that began Monday showing up for its three-inning, 1-hour, 18-minute completion Wednesday, the Phillies and Rays exchanged runs in their first at-bat after the resumption. Then, after Pat Burrell led off the seventh with a double and Pedro Feliz delivered the go-ahead single with two out, J.C. Romero shut down the Rays in the eighth and Lidge finished it off in the ninth.

"It's very hard to control the emotions right now," Lidge said. "I thank God, Jesus Christ, my family. . . . and these fans are amazing. "

So what was a 40-hour break in the action, the first suspended game in World Series history created by the heavy rain, strong wind and frigid temperature that engulfed the game Monday?

The Phillies never lost a step.

"Charlie did a great job of keeping us mentally prepared all season," shortstop Jimmy Rollins said, "and he had us focused (Wednesday night). We had a job to do. We knew what had to happen."

This was the seventh mid-Series postponement since 1972 in which one of the teams had an edge, and in all seven, the team that had the edge wound up winning the World Series - the Phillies this year, the Cardinals in 2006, Oakland in 1989, the Dodgers in 1981, the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and the A's in 1972.

There also were postponements in 1996 and 1979, but both times it was Game 1 that was delayed. And in 1986, Game 7 was delayed, with the Mets coming back to win the finale after the fabled Bill Buckner moment allowed them to rally in Game 6.

In Philadelphia, though, this was more than a continuation of a trend. It was a reason for celebration in a city that had been denied a championship of any kind for 25 years and now has a new set of athletic heroes.

"I think when we come back, when we are old and retired, and (the fans) stand up and give us a standing ovation, like they did the guys of the 1980 World Series team," Hamels said when asked when the magnitude of the accomplishment will sink it.

"We've got to witness that."

Comments

  • October 29, 2008

    9:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    denverrma writes:

    Nice work Phillys! Wow! A REAL baseball team! Rockies could take something away from this one. Nice work by Creek grad Brad Lidge too. Stupid Fox Sports never did mention that Tim McCarver was party of that great 1980 Phillies WS Champs team...nice job Fox.

  • October 29, 2008

    11:49 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    1somelikeithot writes:

    Like Lidge said in his interview when it was brought up about 2005, he doesn't care about that "crap". It seems only writers ever bring that up and run it into the ground. Now Lidge has a new 2008 story, thank goodness. Got so tired of the same old stuff about Pujols and the other guy, Podsednik. Lidge had a perfect season and got the last out to win the WS. Hopefully the writers will write about 2008 from now on and leave 2005 in the past. Congratulations to Brad Lidge and the Philly's.