BY SCOTT LAUBERLOS ANGELES -- Matt Stairs is my kind of athlete.
He's short (5-foot-9). He's stocky (215 pounds). He doesn't run particularly fast. But, man, is he strong. A few weeks ago, during the last week of the regular season, I saw Stairs take a fungo bat and smack baseballs off a tee that went out of Citizens Bank Park. Off a tee! Stairs' philosophy on hitting is simple: Grip it and rip it. He actually tries to hit home runs, and every now and then, he connects.
And did he ever connect tonight?
Facing hard-throwing Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton with the game tied 5-5 in the eighth inning, Stairs worked the count to 3-1, then launched a 95-mph fastball into the pavilion beyond the right-field wall.
Biggest hit of Stairs' career?
"Biggest home run," he said, and really, home runs are what matter most to Stairs. "In batting practice, I try to hit every ball out of the ballpark. And I'm not going to lie. It's fun. I think the biggest thing is get up there, see how far you're going to hit the ball. I'm not going to lie. I try to hit home runs, and that's it. It's work.
"In hockey, you shoot as hard as you can, so I've always figured, why not swing as hard as I can? I think it's one of those things where you've been here for a month. You want to get that one big hit where you feel like you're part of the team. Not that I don't feel like I'm part of the team, by no means, but when you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you're getting you're ass hammered by guys, it's no better feeling than to have that done."
Asked if he ever has dreamed of hitting a home run of this magnitude, Stairs smiled and said, "I've probably dreamed of scoring on a breakaway."
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Stairs hit the 13th pinch-hit homer in NLCS history. The others: Jerry Martin (Phillies, 10/04/1978), Bake McBride (Phillies, 10/07/1978), Harry Spilman (Giants, 10/09/1987), Greg Myers (Padres, 10/12/1998), Erubiel Durazo (Diamondbacks, 10/21/2001), J.D. Drew (Cardinals, 10/09/2002), Eddie Perez (Cardinals, 10/10/2002), Mike Lowell (Marlins, 10/07/2003), Troy O'Leary (Cubs, 10/15/2003), Mike Lamb (Astros, 10/13/2004), Chris Burke (Astros, 10/12/2005), Chris Duncan (Cardinals, 10/17/2006).
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Not to be overshadowed by Stairs is the two-run homer hit three batters earlier by Shane Victorino (right) or Chase Utley's three hits and diving catch in the sixth inning.That leads me to this question for y'all: If you had to name an NLCS MVP right now, who would it be?
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The Dodgers canceled their off-day workout for Tuesday. The Phillies will take batting practice at Dodger Stadium. We'll have more then.
5 comments:
Its clearly Victorino right now. His big hits have scored key runs all series. Close runner up would be Lidge followed by Burrell and Utley due to their hot hitting all week.
But lets not jinx anything! I've got tickets for Friday, but I would be more than happy to trade them in for a win tomorrow night!
Still like the Dodgers in 7
Victorino is my pick for MVP. That would rile up the Dodger and Met fans too.
I would think Brett Myers would have to be in consideration just for what he has done with the bat. It's a big lift when what is percieved to be an easy out sets the table for the top of the order.
Even if he hasn't pitched that well he was a big part of the win in the second game of this series and against the Brewers. Phils in 5
Here's an obscure answer ... how about Ryan Madson for NLCS MVP. The guy is pitching every night and either shutting down the Dodgers or bailing the Phillies out of messes. I also like Carlos Ruiz as MVP, not just because of his superb defense and great game calling, but he has finally begun to swing the bat well.
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