My memories of that day. I was a wreck after Saturday and feared that like the teases we endured in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, this would be the cruelest tease of all. But, when I woke up that morning, I felt strangely calm and confident.
I had tickets to the game. I picked up a couple of my friends in Roxborough and Mt. Airy before heading to the ballpark. We met up with others and tailgated. But, it soon came time to head to the gates. As we got close to Pattison, I heard people cheering at another tailgate. At that point, I learned the Marlins were putting a hurting on the Mets in the first and my confidence grew.
Game on in CBP. Moyer got through the first without trouble. Then in the Phillies half of the inning, Jimmy Rollins--he who played all 162 games that season, he who was the straw that stirred their drink all season, he who taunted the Mets before the season began and then backed it up on the field--manufactured a run seemingly all by himself. At that point, a feeling came over the ballpark that we were not just there for a game but an afternoon-long party. Sure enough, the Phillies built solid lead. But, the backbreaking run came with Rollins' record-setting triple. That was a magic moment. Howard added one more with a home run.
Ninth inning. The energy, the noise was amazing. The roar with the final out, seeing the mob scene at the mound, the bullpen guys running in from center field, the fireworks going off. In the stands, total strangers high-fiving each other.
I made my way down to the seats by the field to watch the celebration closehand. Antonio Alfonseca picked up a groundskeeper hose and sprayed numerous people, including me!
Eventually, we had to leave yet I felt like could have floated out of there. The Phillies were finally going to the Postseason! We partied a little more at our tailgate and, one of my friends had bought a champagne bottle and, to cap things off, I had a little bit poured on my head!
What a day, what a ride!
