BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, I was at a book signing yesterday (more on that below) when an inquisitive reader asked me and Gary Matthews about our favorite moment from the 2008 season. Sarge, it seems, had 48 favorite moments, each time Brad Lidge recorded a save.
Me? Well, when you have the rare privilege of covering a World Series champ, there are no shortage of memorable moments. Off the top of my head, though, I came up with Matt Stairs' game-winning, pinch-hit home run in Game 4 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium. It was almost midnight on Oct. 13, and with the The News Journal's print deadline fast approaching, I was pecking away at my game story when Stairs connected with a 3-1 fastball from hard-throwing closer Jonathan Broxton. At the sound of bat meeting ball, my head snapped up from my computer, and I watched in wonder as Stairs' two-run shot sailed toward the pavilion in right field.
You won't see a more clutch homer.
Stairs gave the Phillies a 7-5 lead in the game (after they trailed 5-3). It also gave them a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, and after the game, Joe Torre announced that the Dodgers wouldn't be working out on the off-day before Game 5. He was waving the white flag, I thought. Stairs' home run didn't officially clinch the NL pennant, but with his blast, the Phils all but punched their ticket for the World Series.
So, that was my favorite Phillies moment from 2008.
What was yours?
***
Thanks, so much, to everybody who came out to see me and Sarge at the Borders in Springfield on Thursday night and Sam's Club in Willow Grove yesterday. In 90 minutes, we sold all 200 copies of Phillies Confidential at Sam's Club. Don't worry, though. The manager assures me that they're ordering more, and there's still time for you to snatch up a copy and put it under the Christmas tree. And if you had a hard time answering our question above, Phillies Confidential is a great way for you to re-live all of those exciting moments.***
Typically, Christmas is a slow time around baseball, and I don't expect any big announcements from the Phillies this week. But, in our Sunday MLB notes, we have a closer look at Raul Ibanez, whose strongest influence was his father.
***
Wonder what Mike Arbuckle is doing these days? Here's a good story about the Phillies' former assistant GM in the Kansas City Star.
3 comments:
I'm looking forward to reading the book. I haven't bought it yet, since I'm hoping someone buys it for me as a present.
I actually did a blog post a couple weeks ago approximating the top 10 plays that had the largest positive impact on the Phillies winning the World Series (ignoring momentum, etc). Matt Stairs' homerun was actually number two. The play that had the largest impact on the Phillies' chances was in the bottom of the 9th in World Series Game 3, when Bruntlett went from 1st base to 3rd base on a wild pitch and errant throw by the catcher into centerfield. That put Game 3 in a nearly unwinnable position for the Rays and gave us a Series lead of 2-1. You can check out the top 10 moments of the biggest impact at
http://www.thegoodphight.com/2008/12/3/679332/when-did-it-all-go-right
Definitely a fun exercize!
Tough to pick just one, but here goes ... it was Victorino's 2 run shot just before Stairs that tied it at 5-5. That game was well on the way to being a loss. After Vic tied it, and Stairs was up, I almost felt like everything was going down the tubes for the dodgers, I could almost feel Stairs' shot coming, and was not at all surprised when he hit it.
Merry Christmas Scott! Thanks for the great info/blog this year!
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