2008 World Champions Celebrate!

This afternoon Philadelphia fans enjoyed a fantastic celebration of victory for the Phillies! The parade started at 20th and Market at 12 pm, winding around City Hall to Broad St. and ending at the Sports Complex with a presentation in the stadium. Fans of the Phillies could be seen celebrating all over the city, with people lining up near City Hall as early as 7 am. The large influx of people created significant delays for Septa and made commuting to work this morning a difficult feat. Many schools in center city were closed due to the anticipated crowds. The parade was a success and Philadelphians finally celebrated their much overdue win! Photo credit- BAB

Phillies Drown Out The Rays

Although baseball games are normally called after a 24 hour suspension due to inclement weather, post-season games are operated by the Commissioner's Office; thus, the scheduling is subject to the Commissioner's discretion. Until this year, there had never been a rain-shortened game in World Series history, and to everyone's relief Commissioner Bud Selig did not allow either team to claim victory prematurely, regardless of the torrential downpour.

Two days later, on Wednesday, October 29th, game five resumed in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a very close finale, Brad Lidge struck out veteran Eric Hinske (who incidentally hails from the University of Arkansas) to cinch the Series for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, to win the 2008 World Series in only five games.

"The 0–2 pitch… swing and a miss, struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World champions of baseball!"

Phact...

"Just remember, in Philadelphia nothing comes easy."

~ Jimmy Rollins, shortstop, Philadelphia Phillies

Out of the Ordinary ...

Okay,

Typically we'll be writing about events that occur on the streets of Philadelphia and in our daily excursions into the city of Brotherly Love.

But, tonight, at the beginning, things are different. As most of you know, and hopefully remember, tonight saw one of the most memorable world series games of the last 50 years. Tonight was the fifth game of the series between the National League Philadelphia Phillies and the American League Tamp Bay Rays. Going into tonight's game the Phillies were leading the series 3 games to 1. If they won this game they would be the Champions.

Well, what happened? It poured! Rain came down and it kept coming. The rain was light at first and the Phillies took an early 2-0 lead over the Rays. AS the game progressed and the rain intensified, the Rays scored one run. Then, at the point where any other Major League game in history would have been called, to wait for dry weather, the umpires let it keep going. It was not until the end of the top of the sixth inning, the field nearly flooded, that the Rays scored a tying run.

As soon as it was a tied match and the fightin' Phils were getting ready to bat ... what did the commissioner, an American League owner, do? He phoned down and told the umpires to blow the whistle and cover the field. So now what?

This is an unprecedented event in the World Series. Hell, it's an event almost never seen in the world of Major League Baseball. Who wins? Who loses?

According to the rules of the league ... if the game does not get to finish, due to the weather and a 24 hour delay, then the final run by the Rays scored in the sixth inning is wiped from the scoreboard and the game results will stand as they were at the end of the fifth inning.

Now, all the anxious sports fans and true Philadelphians can do is wait ... wait and have faith. In 1980 Philadelphia won over Kansas City, they won in such a way that the city went head over heels. If this fifth game of the 2008 World Series ends up being the final game of the series then this will be one of the saddest happy moments in my life as a Philadelphian.