Takin Care Of Business

As I watched the Phillies game on Fox Saturday afternoon, I had to suffer through the awful commentary of the broadcasters. They kept going on and on about how great the Padres are and how the longest losing streak they have had this season is just 3 games. That is an impressive feat no doubt, but as they continued to praise the Padres, they forgot about the team the Padres were playing; the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have won the N.L. East 3 years in a row, have made 2 consecutive World Series appearances, and won the World Series in 2008. The Padres have only made it to the playoffs 5 times in franchise history, have never won a World Series, and the last time they had a winning record was 2007. So correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't they have been praising the Phillies who have actually accomplished something? The Padres have definitely had a great regular season. They are 76-52 and are the division leaders in the N.L. West. But this past weekend showed just how great this Phillies team is. After being 4 game swept at home by the lowly Houston Astros, the Phils did not panic. They simply came out to San Diego, played good baseball, and took care of business by sweeping the Padres in a crucial series. The Phillies gave the Padres a taste of October baseball and sent a message that they are still the best team in the National League. It was important for the Phils to bounce back after being swept and they did what they needed to do against San Diego. They got strong starts from Oswalt, Blanton and Hamels, and offensively they did what they needed to do to win ball games. Although they did not get a lot of production from Utley and Howard, other guys like Victorino, Werth, and Sweeney contributed offensively in the series. The Phillies showed this weekend why they are such a great team and showed that they are not only capable of making it to the playoffs but also making it to the World Series and winning it again. Even though the Phillies have looked bad at times this season, don't forget about how great this team is. And when Utley and Howard get going, this team is going to be unstoppable. So the next time the Phillies are on national TV, I hope those stupid broadcasters give them the credit they deserve. Enjoy your 4 game losing streak San Diego.