Phils to take on Dodgers for World Series.....again

Haven't we been here before? Of course we have, but the majority of people reading this blog won't remember (or maybe weren't even born) when the Phillies last faced The Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in 1983. I was just a kindergardner who remembers my neighbor's Moses Malone poster hanging proudly in his bedroom. It was only a few years later when I realized the signifigance of that poster. Oddly enough that year, the Sixers dusted the Lakers in four games to win the 1983 NBA Finals: to this day the LAST title that this town has seen. To add irony to the matter, the Phillies were in Los Angeles playing the Dodgers that night in May of 1983. As far as championships go, it seems that we either face a Los Angeles team, or have to beat them to get there. The Lakers robbed us of another NBA title in 2001,so now it's our turn.

The Phillies bats seemed to be heating up on Sunday as Jimmy Rollins and a rejuvanated Pat (Bring Back the Bat) Burrell slugged three home runs (two by Burrell) en route to a 6-2 Phillies win to clinch the NLDS against Milwaukee. After everything this frnachise has been through since their arrival in 2000, it was quite poetic that Rollins and Burrell sealed the deal. If Burrell has indeed found his stroke again, this means trouble for the Dodgers simply because they won't have the luxury of walking Ryan Howard to face him. Keep in mind that Howard has nine career home runs against the Dodgers, so he must make their pitching staff pay for mistakes.

Although the media is foaming at the bit for a Dodgers/Red Sox World Series and will always profess their undying love for Joe Torre and a hungry Manny Ramierez who is playing for a contract, you have to wonder if the Dodgers sweep against the Cubs was a result of them playing that well, or the Cubs simply falling apart once again. My guess is that it's a little of both. Their pitching has been more than consistent, with Derek Lowe always a threat in the postseason. Throw in Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda and the Dodgers can be dangerous. However, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Jamie Moyer at their A game are better than the Dodgers top three at their A game.

Despite the bias of the media, the Dodgers and their mediocre 84-78 record in the World Series would once agian show how weak the National League can truly be. Everyone is making a big deal about how it's been 20 years since the team won a World Series. My response to that is best exemplified by a quote from the late Chris Farley: "WELL LADEE FREAKIN' DA!" It's been 28 long, frustruating years for the Phillies. The Dodgers have won two championships during this span and the Phillies have lost two. Nobody is crying for us. But then again, it's Philadelphia. We will NEVER be the media darlings.

Simply put, if the Phillies can hit the way they are capable of hitting, they can take the Dodgers in six games. If not, they could be swept right out of the NLCS, maybe stealing a game if they are lucky. If they are meant to win, it will happen.

I've counted them out several times this year and they have proven me wrong every single time. Many things must go right, just as they did against the Brewers. Why count them out now? They may be just getting started. Let's hope for the fans in the best city in the world that they are.