They've spent their whole careers hearing about the Phillies of Carlton and Schmidt, the Phillies of Kruk and Dykstra, even the Phillies of Ashburn and Roberts.
But now it's their turn. Now it's Jimmy Rollins' Phillies. And Chase Utley's Phillies. And Cole Hamels' Phillies. Now it's Ryan Howard's Phillies. And Shane Victorino's Phillies. And even Matt Stairs' Phillies.
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They play for a franchise that has witnessed more heartbreak than glory years. But now they've written their own story -- a story they were determined to write, a story that is leading them to a World Series all their own.
"Now," said Rollins, on one of the most fulfilling nights of his baseball life, "we've finally got a chance to make our own mark."
They sent Manny Ramirez and that team from L.A. home Wednesday night, finishing off a five-game NLCS blitzkrieg with a 5-1 win, a Game 5 victory they led for all but seven pitches.
Fittingly, it was Rollins who started it, waving that magic, start-me-up wand of his with a stunning leadoff homer -- the second time he's kicked off a series-clinching win with a home-run trot in this postseason alone.
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And fittingly, it was the Phillies' impeccable closer, Brad Lidge, who finished it, snapping off one last bat-chomping slider that Nomar Garciaparra lofted into the California night.
And as that baseball floated through the sky, a soft-spoken catcher from Panama settled under it, asking himself for what seemed like an hour: Is this thing EVER going to come down?
Source: Espn.com
