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The Philadelphia Phillies have become the National League’s version of the New York Yankees - although as a fan I like to think of them as a more likeable version.

They contend for a title every season, and they are so dominant in their league that nobody picked the Cincinnati Reds and I’m sure only a few picked the Atlanta Braves/San Francisco Giants. The only teams that have a legitimate chance of beating them are the 3 remaining in the American League.



To break down the Phillies: they have dominant pitching, which shouldn’t be a surprise if you own a television. The “H2O” trio of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt has absolutely stellar (the Reds hit .117 in the NLDS). And although ‘defense wins championships’ is usually a football phrase, winning a World Series is impossible without solid pitching. I would say that a no-hitter and a complete game shutout count as “solid”. Brad Lidge is also very much solid in the postseason and although nobody really has faith in him, he is one of the best closers in the league.

They also have an offensive lineup that is the best in the National League – and probably the best in the MLB. Victorino, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Werth, Ibañez, Rollins, Ruiz. All 8 of them are legitimate All-Stars. Carlos Ruiz, at catcher, is similar to the Yankees’ Jorge Posada in that he isn’t a great hitter but he gets big hits in big situations and is absolutely phenomenal behind the plate. “Chooch” (his nickname, if you don’t follow the Phillies) is a fan favorite because people realize that he is the secret weapon on the roster.

As a little side note, at the end of the regular season I picked the Phillies, Giants, Yankees, and Texas Rangers to advance. I have the Phillies over the Yankees in the World Series in 5 (which lets them win in front of the home crowd). I’m 2-for-2 so far, if you’re keeping track.

As another little side note, I hate watching baseball games on TBS. The PitchTrax box is distracting, and it disagrees with the umpire’s call about half the time. (MLB umps look bad enough already, do we really have to be showing the world how wrong they actually are?) Joe Simpson and Brian Anderson make me want to mute the sound and listen to Lady Gaga – and I despise Lady Gaga. One of them – I think it was Simpson, but I’m not positive – repeatedly said “the Reds are only a hit away from bringing the tying run to the plate.” Totally irrelevant.

Okay, back to the Phillies. They have this entire week off (until Saturday) to prepare for Tim Lincecum’s flow. Beyond him, it’s relatively smooth sailing to the Series, where they’ll likely end up meeting their evil twin. But God, I hope it’s Cliff Lee and the Rangers.