Ken Davidoff sums up the game last night nicely and basically in two words: Cole Hamels.  Hamels was beautiful, even when he balked.  As Davidoff points out, the beauty of Hamels for the Phillies is he will be around for awhile too.  Davidoff points out, too, that Hamels was taken two picks after Kazmir in the 2002 draft.  What he doesn’t mention, probably because it doesn’t directly relate to his audience is that the pick in the middle went to the Oakland Athletics, and is the opening scene in Michael Lewis’ Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.  The A’s selected Nick Swisher, not a bad second choice when Kazmir was taken unexpectedly. But one of the struggles within the book is whether it makes sense to take a pitcher out of high school. Though the A’s have had a bit of success by avoiding those pitchers, the Phillies and Hamels show either the flaw in the theory or the exception to the rule.

Still Hamels was fantastic last night, a master really. But what does that win show?  Does it show that the Phillies are the better team? They had to win last night with their Ace, their number 1 who is far better than any other on the mound.  If they didn’t win, we would be hearing about the layoff between the NLCS and the World Series, and how the Rays will roll all through the Phillies. Since they won though, suddenly the Phillies are the darlings.  Their experience will outweigh the exuberance of the Rays.  I don’t think either is true, but I do think, as Davidoff thinks, that finally, we saw a good game in the World Series. Finally, we know it will be worth watching tonight. 

Now I know many of you are not actually fans of either team. Also, many, following the World Series will move onto football, basketball or hockey  with not much regret, but other have already written me a note about the end of baseball drawing near.  And I wanted to speak to that. The end of baseball is a strong symbol of the shorter days and the colder weather.  I am fortunate now that I stay immersed in the game year round, but I don’t have much use for those other sports, not on a daily basis anyway.  So my rooting interest in the World Series?  It’s 7 games.  It has been since 2002, since my journey to all 30 ballparks.  I long for the season to stretch just one more game.  I found myself having a hard time predicting a winner of this series.  At first I told myself that I would be able to come out today, after the first game, with a strong feeling about who was going to win.  But this morning I just felt relief. Relief that the game was a close one.  Relief that each game will be exciting and that the layoff has not cooled either team.  I feel confident in saying that we will get 6 or 7 games out of this series.  I also feel confident it will be one we like to watch.  And though, at the end of this series, when grown men are jumping up and down on the field I also feel confident that I will be just a little bit sad that there will be no game to watch the next night. That the games will have to wait until a clear day in February when that joyous sound of the first full squad meeting occurs.  Until then, may both teams stay in the hunt as long as possible.  Go Rays!  Go Phillies!