Quite Amazing...

World Series Champs! Amazing!

This has been quite a climb for a team that wallowed in obscurity in the late 90s and suffered frustrating underachievement in the 2000s. Fortunately that's all behind us now and we can celebrate the Phils' big victory in the WORLD SERIES.

Perhaps most amazing is to take a look at the individuals on this team. Considering all of the following backgrounds, whoda thunk we'd win it all?

-Cole Hamels: a long-time rising star who, in 2005 broke his hand in a bar fight, is now World Series MVP and a candidate for Cy Young award

-Ryan Howard: the all time leader with the most strikeouts in a season, is also the 2006 MVP and a candidate for winning that award again this year

-Pat Burrell: booed heavily for years for not living up to expectations of being a #1 pick, won the World Series on a monstrous double

-JC Romero: the eventual 2007 World Series champions Boston Red Sox cut him, and now he is an ace setup man

-Carlos Ruiz: could barely buy a hit during the regular season, all of the sudden turns out to be one of the most productive offensive players in the World Series

-Jamie Moyer: we all know the drill... 45 and still pitching, say no more

-Matt Stairs: was basically ignored when the Phillies picked him up at the trade deadline, wound up having one massive home run that may have turned the momentum in Philly's favor for the rest of the World Series

-Brett Myers: involved in an assault case for beating up his girlfriend, a couple years ago, and then this year struggled to throw a strike in the beginning of the season, was subsequently sent down to the minors, and then came back with a vengeance for much of the season, and performed admirably in the playoffs (particularly with the bat in hand!)

-Joe Blanton: people yawned when the Phillies got him before the trade deadline because his last name wasn't "Sabathia", but guess what? Blanton more than held his own and even socked a home run in the World Series

-Shane Victorino: picked up by the Phillies from the Dodgers from the Rule 5 draft; Philly tried to give him back, LA didn't want him, and he wound up being an incredible force in the Phils lineup many times this season

-Charlie Manuel: the ultimate underdog... ragged on by fans for being a country bumpkin, he's now the toast of the town. I can't say I've always been in favor of him, but at long last he pulled it together and led the Phils to the Holy Land

And I could probably go on, but hey, you get the drill! This was a team that surprised me and surprised a lot of other teams out there. Congrats to the 2008 Phillies for proving that the past is past and a World Series ring can erase all of those memories! (Except on stupid blogs like this one!)