I Can't Believe What I Just Saw

FROM KEITH GROLLER

t's 3:30 on Saturday morning and I am still awake. I should get to sleep. I have another busy Saturday that will begin for me in just a few hours.

But this was one of those special nights for me that will definitely flash before my eyes when my computer screen fades to black for the last time, if you know what I mean.

I count being there when the 2008 Phillies won it all, and being there, too, when the Yankees won it all a year later as some of my biggest moments in this business.

Add in the 2008 Indy 500, some 76ers playoff games with Dr. J and Barkley, about a dozen Lehigh-Lafayette football games and many, many high school games -- especially the state championship games -- as being some of my top thrills experienced on the job.

Tonight's game -- being a Cardinals fans since I was a toddler -- certainly goes right up there with all of the top thrills. When it was over, I just had to get in that clubhouse to witness the celebration if only for a minute or two, because it's very unlikely I will ever get to experience it again. I did get Lance Berkman for a brief interview when the champagne was spraying, but I stopped interviewing people when it became apparent that my cell phone and tape recorder were in vast danger of being ruined.Cardinals Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 003

I've read Mandy Housenick's Phillies Files reports on various champagne celebrations she's experienced over the years in the Phillies clubhouse. And actually I've been in there myself for a few of those at CBP.

But to see the Cardinals celebrate, well, it was just a surreal experience. One I will never forget.Cardinals Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 002

I know Phillies fans are in mourning today. They didn't see this coming.

Frankly, I didn't either. Who did? None of the experts that thought the Cardinals had no chance in this series and definitely though the Cardinals were done when the Phils went up 2 games to 1.

I thought the Phillies were simply too good to lose this series, and quite possibly, any series.

The Cardinals are a good team, and showed remarkable spunk by how they came back from so many tough losses during the course of the season. This is a team that blew 26 saves this season and when you lose that many games you should have won, you always expect another collapse to be around the corner.

It never came in this series for the Cardinals, but did for the Phillies

Everybody dwells on the fact that the Phillies put the Cardinals in the playoffs by that three-game sweep in Atlanta and that certainly was the last step for St. Louis to get in. Cardinals Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 007

But the Cardinals put themselves on the doorstep by winning 23 of their last 32 games, including sweeps of the Braves and Brewers and beating the Phillies 3 out of 4.

The Cardinals cut Atlanta's lead to one game before they ever played that last series. So, it's not like they acked.

Couple of things that stood out:

Charlie Manuel was very, very complimentary of the Cardinals and gave them a lot of credit. He didn't dwell on what his team didn't do, and instead credited St. Louis for what they did do. That's class. He may not be the greatest manager in the world, but he is a real good guy.

Frankly, this was a series of mutual respect. The two teams had nothing but good things to say about each other. There was a sense of true professional from both sides.That won't be the case with the Brewers and Cardinals.

Money can't buy you love. I heard that the teams with the top nine payrolls are out of the playoffs. The Tigers are 10th and the Cardinals are 11th. That's good for the sport to show that not only big spenders can win.

The biggest rivalry around the Lehigh Valley when it comes to professional sports is between the Yankees and Phillies fans. When the Yanks lost on Thursday night, I heard from a lot of Phillies about how happy they were that the Yankees were eliminated. When the Cardinals eliminated the Phillies, my cell phone exploded with people saying they were so happy that the Phillies were done and many of those folks were Yankee fans.

The TV execs can't be happy. Tigers-Rangers in the ALCS and Cardinals-Brewers in the NLCS might do well in the center of the country, but neither coast -- where most of the people are -- will care.

The atmosphere was again amazing at Citizens Bank Park. The crowd stayed in it for nine innings and kept rooting until the last out. I did hear some boos initially, but when the fans realized Howard was hurt, they stopped the negative reaction and applauded when he came to his feet.

This is going to be a tough day in Philly, but I imagine all it will take is an Eagles win over Buffalo on Sunday and all will be well in the world again. The Phillies have tremendous fan support, but the passion for the Eagles around here is off the charts. Now that the Phils are done, the Eagles conversation will get louder, much louder.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/