We're In! - The Wait is Over, the Phillies Make the Playoffs

After 14 grueling seasons, the 2007 Phillies have done what no other Phillies team since 1993 has done... they've made the playoffs. They sealed the deal to day with a 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

When playoff time comes there are some intangibles that make up for a lack of talent. In our case, that lack is on the pitching side, but the intangible additions are momentum and heart. The never say die attitude exemplified by this team, personifies the Philadelphia fan and enables the 10th man to be a difference maker in close games.

And as a proud member of that 10th man, I want to say thank you to all of the Phillies' players who have made this roller coaster season an exciting ride.

As the 10th man filed in, I got a sense of nostalgia. This is why we complain, this is why we cheer, this is why why we are fans. I then noticed that our Suite was sandwiched between the banners of Jimmy Rollins and Jaime Moyer. Not a bad place to be. Moyer and Rollins were two of the biggest reasons we were able to win this game and move into the playoffs.

From the beginning the place was electric. Even before the national anthem the crowd was put into a frenzy when it was announced that the Florida Marlins had scored 4 runs on the Mets in the first inning. The Marlins ended up scoring 7 runs before the inning was over making for a very loose crowd, knowing that the worst case scenario would be a one game playoff.

But a gutsy outing by Jaime Moyer, another MVP caliber performance by Jimmy Rollins and an exclamation point homerun by Ryan Howard, made sure that the NL East would be ours today.
I had kept a lot of notes to discuss in the blog on a scorecard, but I have misplaced it. I'm a little upset for nostalgic reasons, because I have a feeling I dropped it on the way out of the stadium hauling all of the leftover food out of the Suite.

But staying late and enjoying the celebration was worth it. The party inside the locker room was showed on the Phanavision which gave an excellent look into the personality of the players. We stayed after for another hour. Eventually the players came back out and thanked the fans, took a trip around the field and doused the fans with beer, champagne, jerseys and water from the field hose.

The celebration continued driving back home via Broad Street where the fans flocked to the streets join in the festivities. With my rally towel in one hand and my car horn in the other I was a very happy man soaking in the Philadelphia passion. The entire experience was priceless. To me, this is more rewarding than the '93 team because of the excitement at the end. As opposed to waiting for the playoffs to begin, this team had to fight until the final game to get in. And this momentum is what will make them "the team to beat" in the playoffs.

This Is It! - Phillies Phate is in their the Phinal Games

These are kind of games you want to have. These are the games that turn young boys into fans for life and turn old men into young boys.

Baseball teams play 162 games with the hopes that many of them will be meaningful. The better you play, the more meaningful games you have.

The Phillies have played well enough for their last 6 games to be meaningful. They enter the last 6 game tied for the Wild Card lead with the San Diego Padres, who, by the way just lost one of their star players Milton Bradley when he injured himself in an argument with the ump. Believe it. It's true.

Fortunately for the Phillies these games are at home, where it will undoubtedly be a near packed house with a playoff atmosphere. I could sense the excitement on my drive home on 76 East, as there was more traffic than normal and plenty of Phillies red in the bumper to bumper to traffic.

So if you drove to the game from Warminster or Wilmington. Or your watching at home in Newtown or Old City, rest assured that these Phillies will give you a fight. They've scratched and clawed the entire year. They've put up numbers and brought down the house. And whether you're a rabid fan, or simply dressed like a rabbit, you have 6 more meaningful games.

So sit back, or sit on the edge of your seat. No matter how you watch it, if you're a Phillies fan, you can't ask for anything better.

Go Phils!