Loading ...Around the horn in the National League…
- If the Rockies pull another late season rabbit from their hat and overtake the Dodgers, who everyone assumed would snore to the top spot in the NL and home field advantage throughout the playoffs after being up an astounding 15 ½ games early in the season, that would put the Phils in the middle of three of MLB’s greatest collapses—their own in 1964, the 2007 Mets’, who were done in by the Phils, and the 2009 Dodgers who would become the Phils’ first round opponent.
Don't worry Amazins'. You're about to have some company.
One thing’s for sure though—Phils fans should be rooting for the Rockies. A first round matchup with the Dodgers is clearly in the Phils’ favor, not just because of the Phils having the Dodgers proverbial number but because such a series would come during a monumental LA freefall. Moreover, a Cards-Rox first round matchup favors the Cards, believe it or not, who boast two of the top five pitchers in the NL in Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Ultimately, I just don’t want to play the league’s hottest team in the first round again.
- Speaking of the Dodgers, I remember watching game two of the NLCS last year at a friend’s house and yelling, “Chad Billingsley? I’m supposed to be afraid of Chad Billingsley?” And right on cue, he blew up and the Phils cruised to an easy 8-5 win. This year, as the Dodgers were rolling to a seemingly insurmountable lead in the NL West, I sort of repeated my sentiment, more in reference to the entire team than to Billinsgley, because LA feasted on an awful division, which would have been the worst in baseball if not for the Rox current resurgence, with a team that really wasn’t all that much different from the team that bowed out with little more than a whimper last fall. The Phils may have their problems this year (read: the artist formerly known as Brad Lidge) but the Dodgers aren’t one of them.
- If John Smoltz does come back to the NL and dominate like he did in his first start with the Cards (5 IP/3 H/9 K), he should send a bottle of NannyNannyBooBoo to the Red Sox.
Hey Boston...You are so dead if I face you in the World Series.
Not only is Smoltz a warrior (despite being a human Ambien during his brief color commentary career) but he was not going to limp into a forced retirement like his good buddy, Tom Glavine. Whether Smoltzy was tipping his pitches in Boston or not, and that suggestion was served with a side of sour grapes, he could be a major factor in the NL playoffs.
- To borrow from SNL’s Seth Myers and Amy Poehler during their Really? With Seth and Amy segment—Billy Wagner…Really? You want to put the screws to the team who is going to save you from your current Metropolitan Malaise…Really? You considered not playing for the Red Sox even though it gives you your best and last shot to win, something you said is one of two things keeping you going at this point…Really?
If you guys don't give me what I want, I'm taking my ball and going home.
You made public your desire to get to 400 career saves…and you want to do it for the Nationals because it’s close to your Virginia home…the Nationals…Really? You said you couldn’t envision going back to Philly because the Phans “expect too much?”…Really? Hey, Billy. Just put a plug of Red Man in and retire…really.
