query: who did the phillies beat in the 2008 world series

pos: 2008 World Series 2008 World Series The 2008 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2008 season. The 104th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies and the American League (AL) champion Tampa Bay Rays; the Phillies won the series, four games to one. The 2008 World Series is notable because it is the only Fall Classic to involve a mid-game suspension and resumption (two days later). The Series began on Wednesday, October 22, and (after weather delays had postponed the end of Game 5) concluded the following

pos: 2009 Philadelphia Phillies season fielder Pat Burrell became a free agent at the end of the 2008 season, signing with the Tampa Bay Rays, whom the Phillies had defeated in the World Series, on January 5. The team did not tender an offer to Burrell following eight seasons. The Phillies also released outfielder So Taguchi on November 5. Taguchi had served as a pinch-hitter for the Phillies in 2008, and also replaced Burrell in left field some games. Eric Bruntlett replaced Taguchi for the latter half of the 2008 season. Relief pitcher Tom Gordon also filed for free agency, ultimately signing with the Arizona

pos: Jimmy Rollins became the Phillies' leadoff hitter, a role he retained for almost ten years. He made three All-Star Game appearances early in his career. While with the Phillies, Rollins compiled a 38-game hitting streak, which spanned the end of the 2005 season and the start of the 2006 season, the longest in team history. Rollins was named the National League Most Valuable Player in 2007, as the Phillies won their division in the first of five consecutive seasons. He was also a key component of the 2008 World Series champion team that beat the Tampa Bay Rays. In his final season

pos: 2016 World Series seed, and they defeated the 5th-seeded San Francisco Giants in four games of the NL Division Series before clinching their first NL pennant since 1945 with a sixth-game victory over the 3rd-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. For Cubs manager Joe Maddon, it was his second appearance in the World Series as manager – in 2008, he managed the Tampa Bay Rays when they beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games to win the AL pennant, then were defeated in five games by the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. It was also Maddon's third World

pos: Sports in Philadelphia but lost to the Baltimore Orioles. The franchise had just one winning season between 1987 and 2000, although the 1993 Phillies appeared in the 1993 World Series, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays. The franchise experienced a resurgence starting in 2001, though it did not make the playoffs until 2007. From 2007 to 2011, the Phillies made the playoffs for five straight seasons, winning the 2008 World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays and also appearing in the 2009 World Series. Since 2013, the team has finished below .500 for six straight seasons. For the first half of the 20th

pos: Clay Condrey its second straight NL East title in 2008, and Condrey was again part of the postseason roster. He appeared in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers and Game 3 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Condrey would get a World Series ring as the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in five games. Though still part of the active roster, Condrey did not appear in any World Series games. Condrey went 6-2 with one save and a 3.00 ERA in 45 appearances for the Phillies in 2009, but was not included on the postseason roster

pos: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season position in the playoffs after its second consecutive East Division title. The Phillies also posted the best road record in the National League, at 44–37. Philadelphia defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series (NLDS), 3–1, and the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), 4–1, to win the National League Pennant and advance to the World Series. In the World Series, the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 4–1, to win their first championship in 28 years, ending the Curse of Billy Penn. Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels was named the most valuable player of the

pos: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season pitcher Cole Hamels was named the series Most Valuable Player (MVP). Thus, the Phillies advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1993. The Phillies played in their first Fall Classic in fifteen years, which began on October 22 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The first two games were played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, followed by three games at Citizens Bank Park. The Rays had home field advantage for the series, due to an American League victory in the 2008 All-Star Game. The Phillies defeated Tampa Bay, four games to one. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels (4–0,

pos: Philadelphia Phillies Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers; Hamels was named the series' Most Valuable Player. The Phillies would then go on to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in 5 games for their second World Series title in their 126-year history. Hamels was named both NLCS MVP as well as World Series MVP after going 4–0 in the postseason that year. Gillick retired as general manager after the 2008 season and was succeeded by one of his assistants, Rubén Amaro, Jr. After adding outfielder Raúl Ibañez to replace the departed Pat Burrell, the Phillies retained the majority of their core players for

pos: History of the Philadelphia Phillies slump from the New York Mets. The Phillies redeemed their previous year's playoff performance by winning the NLDS three games to one against the Brewers, and they defeated the Dodgers in Los Angeles as well, 4–1. As the National League champions, the Phillies advanced to the 2008 World Series to play the Tampa Bay Rays. After a power outage by the offense in which they went 1 for 33 with runners in scoring position and the first-ever suspended postseason game in World Series history in game five, the Phillies rode their pitching rotation to a 4–1 victory in the Fall

pos: Fieldin Culbreth and the San Diego Padres that decided the NL's 2007 wild card team. The game ended in the 13th inning when home plate umpire Tim McClelland called Rockies player Matt Holliday safe at home plate; the call was controversial and replays did not show clearly whether or not Holliday touched the plate on the play. Colorado won by a score of 9–8. In the 2008 World Series, which featured the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, Culbreth worked behind home plate for Game 3. The Phillies claimed a 5–4 victory due to a walk–off single by Carlos Ruiz. Philadelphia won

pos: 2008 World Series October 29, 2008. The Philadelphia Phillies scored the first runs of the Series when Chase Utley hit a home run with Jayson Werth on base in the top of the first inning. The Phillies loaded the bases in the second inning, but were unable to score when Shane Victorino was thrown out at home plate by B. J. Upton. The Tampa Bay Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning; however, Upton grounded into an inning-ending double play and the score remained 2–0. The Phillies extended their lead when Carlos Ruiz batted in Victorino in the fourth

neg: 1978 National League Championship Series 1978 National League Championship Series The 1978 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup for the second straight year between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers beat the Phillies three games to one once again and lost the World Series to the New York Yankees, as they had the year before. Because of having to start an NL East-clinching game a few days earlier, Phillies ace Steve Carlton was not available for the start of the series, leaving the task to Larry Christenson, who did not fare well. After

neg: Major League Baseball rivalries titles from 2007 to 2011. The Phillies' 2007 championship was won on the last day of the season as the Mets lost a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining. The Phillies broke the Curse of Billy Penn to win the 2008 World Series, while the Mets' last title came in the 1986 World Series. In 2015, the Mets won the National League Championship Series for their fifth pennant while the Phillies entered a rebuild phase. The Mets beat the Phillies 14 times and lost 5 for a lopsided season series. The season still provided contentious moments such as, Mets pitcher

neg: San Francisco Giants games above .500, they won 16 more games than in 2008. With the emergence of star slugger Pablo Sandoval to provide solid offensive support for their dominant pitching staff, they looked forward to making the playoffs next year for the first time since 2003. At the start of the 2010 season, Jim Caple of ESPN.com was the only baseball writer or pundit to pick the Giants to reach the World Series, although he later recanted his pick before the National League Championship Series, saying the Philadelphia Phillies would beat the Giants and advance to the World Series. Most did not

neg: 2008 Washington Nationals season Series of 2008 they were nipped by the Orioles at Baltimore and lost two of three against the high-powered Phillies' offense. They split a series two games apiece against the Brewers and lost a series to the Padres. The Nats then beat up on the Diamondbacks in the first game of a series. The team finished 59-102, the worst record in Major League Baseball. Six of the team's coaches were dismissed the day before the final game (a loss to the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies); only manager Manny Acta and pitching coach Randy St. Clair were retained. The

neg: 1964 World Series day of the season, the Cardinals and Reds were tied for first and the Phillies were one game back; the Phillies hoped to force the first three-way tie in major league history by defeating the Reds and hoping the Mets would beat the Cardinals. The Phillies did their part by defeating the Reds, 10–0, but the Cardinals overcame an early 3–2 deficit and beat the Mets, 11–5, to win the pennant. During the season the Cardinals would be involved in the Lou Brock-for-Ernie Broglio trade, later considered by many to be the most lopsided trade in baseball history. The Cardinals'

neg: 2009 World Series apologized for the mistake. Lee Jenkins of "Sports Illustrated" attributed Philadelphia's loss to a lack of pitching depth, noting that three different Yankees starters managed to win games in the series, while only Cliff Lee won games for the Phillies. The Phillies' 2008 postseason star pitchers, starter Cole Hamels and closer Brad Lidge, struggled in their only appearances of the 2009 World Series. The Phillies bullpen which did well in the NLCS performed poorly in the World Series, allowing seven runs in just 11 2/3 innings with a 5.40 ERA. Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN partially attributed the Phillies' loss

neg: 2013 Philadelphia Phillies season 2013 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies 2013 season was the 131st season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies played their first game of the season against the Atlanta Braves on April 1. On April 5, the Kansas City Royals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 13–4, spoiling their home opener with a sellout crowd of 45,307 at Citizens Bank Park. The interleague matchup was a rare one between teams who first met in the 1980 World Series, as the Royals previously only visited Philadelphia in 2004. Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and George Brett, rivals when the Phillies beat

neg: 1993 World Series World Series, adding that he had put the ordeal behind him: Both teams would experience long absences from the postseason; the Phillies did not return to the postseason until 2007, or appear in another World Series until their championship season of , bringing the city of Philadelphia its first championship since the 76ers swept the 1983 NBA Finals. The general manager of the Blue Jays, Pat Gillick, was general manager of the Phillies team that won the 2008 World Series. The Blue Jays did not qualify for the playoffs again until the 2015 season. By accumulating 45 runs over the

neg: Greg Golson two runs and stealing a base. Golson was not part of the postseason roster for the 2008 Phillies, who went on to win the World Series, but he did travel with the team and was in uniform for all the club's playoff games. On November 20, 2008, Golson was traded by the Phillies to the Texas Rangers for John Mayberry, Jr. Phillies general manager Rubén Amaro, Jr. called the trade a speed-for-power' swap". Golson received one at-bat for the Rangers in 2009, spending most of his season at the AAA level with the Oklahoma RedHawks. In 146 plate appearances, Golson

neg: So Taguchi championship ring when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. (Taguchi was 0-for-4 pinch-hitting in the NLCS and did not appear in the World Series.) Shortly after winning the World Series, the Phillies decided to decline Taguchi's option and make him a free agent. Taguchi agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs for the season, and was invited to spring training. Taguchi was signed in part to provide a Japanese teammate for Cub outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Taguchi did not make the Cubs roster and was optioned to Triple-A. After spending most of the season in the minors,

neg: 1915 World Series 1915 World Series In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one. In their only World Series before , the Phillies won Game 1 before being swept the rest of the way. It was 65 years before the Phillies won their next Series game. The Red Sox pitching was so strong in the 1915 series that the young Babe Ruth was not used on the mound and only made a single pinch-hitting appearance. Arrangements for the Series were made on October 2, 1915, in a meeting of the team owners, league presidents

neg: 1915 World Series Red Sox a 3-1 lead in the series. The Red Sox won on three home runs by two of their outfielders, two cheapies by Harry Hooper (see above) and one by Duffy Lewis. Those were the only round-trippers in the entire Series, the first four games being pitchers' duels. The Phillies were held to a weak .182 team batting average in the 5-game set. 1915 World Series (4–1): Boston Red Sox (A.L.) over Philadelphia Phillies (N.L.) 1915 World Series In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one. In their only World

neg: Scott Eyre list. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies two days later for Brian Schlitter. However, the move allowed Eyre to win his first World Series ring when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. In November, 2008, following the World Series, Scott re-signed with the Phillies as a free-agent, and was signed through the 2009 season. On November 12, 2009, Eyre was granted free agency. On January 7, 2010, Scott Eyre retired from the MLB. Eyre's brother, Willie, is also a former pitcher in the major leagues. They also have another, younger brother, Robert Grace, who is playing in the

neg: History of the Philadelphia Phillies the Phillies as the favorites for the National League East championship for 2008. Meanwhile, in the wake of the 2007 season and Carlos Beltrán's calling out of the 2008 Phillies' team, the Mets–Phillies rivalry now stood as one of the most intense in baseball. Though the Phillies were named in some sources as the favorites to repeat as division champions, they did not get off to the blazing April start that many had hoped for. Still, they managed their first winning opening month since 2003, and only their fourth since their last World Series appearance. With a batting average of

neg: Ex-Cubs Factor with the Florida Marlins (who had ex-Cub Lenny Harris) defeating the New York Yankees (who had no ex-Cubs), though Harris did not play in the World Series. Since 1945, of the 23 teams to reach the World Series with three or more Cubs players, only 3 have won the World Series (the 1960 Pirates, the 2001 Diamondbacks, and the 2008 Phillies). Since its articulation in 1981, the Ex-Cubs Factor has been used to predict and explain post-season and World Series defeats for many different baseball teams. During the 1980s, the ex-Cubs factor was used to explain a number of losses

neg: 1977 National League Championship Series 1977 National League Championship Series The 1977 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers beat the Phillies three games to one and went on to lose the 1977 World Series to the New York Yankees. The Phillies took the opening game of the series, winning their first postseason game since Game 1 of the 1915 World Series. They had lost the final four games in 1915, been swept in the 1950 World Series and were swept again in the 1976 National League

neg: 2008 World Series to award the Rays' Rocco Baldelli a walk. Baldelli indicated that the calls did not come up in the locker room, and he did not believe they had an effect on the results. In Game 3, Phillies' pitcher Jamie Moyer threw the ball to Ryan Howard to force out the Rays' Carl Crawford at first base, despite umpire Tom Hallion calling Crawford safe in the game. In Game 4, Evan Longoria tagged Rollins at third base, though umpire Tim Welke had ruled Rollins safe. The league admitted these errors between Games 4 and 5. The Phillies' second World Series championship

neg: Busch Stadium since surpassed in both 2007, 2008, and 2014-2017. In the first season of the new stadium, the Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers in 5 games to capture their 10th World Series title. Busch Stadium hosted only one postseason game in 2009, a 5–1 loss versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 10, to complete a sweep of the Cardinals. In 2011, Busch Stadium hosted two postseason games in the National League Division Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. On October 4, the Phillies won 3–2, to take a 2–1 game lead over the Cardinals. The next night, the 5th, the Cardinals

neg: Garry Maddox Instead, Cey scored the winning run to put the Dodgers in the World Series. In the 10th inning of the fifth and final game of the 1980 NLCS against the Houston Astros, his double scored Del Unser for the pennant-winning run. In the bottom half, he caught Enos Cabell's fly ball for the final out to put the Phillies in the World Series for the first time since 1950. The Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals for their first World Championship. In 1983 the Phillies again made it to the World Series losing this time to the Baltimore Orioles. In

neg: Lou Marson league home run off Marco Estrada. This was on the final day of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season; though Marson was not included on the World Series-winning roster, he did travel with the team in case of injuries. He did receive a World Series ring, in spite of all this. After the end of the post-season, Marson participated in the Arizona Fall League, where he played for the Mesa Solar Sox. Marson participated in the major league 2009 spring training with the Phillies, where veteran starter Jamie Moyer expressed his pleasure with Marson's skills and ability to call the game.

neg: 1983 National League Championship Series Philadelphia Phillies over Los Angeles Dodgers 1983 National League Championship Series The 1983 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies beat the Dodgers, three games to one, and would go on lose the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles. The Phillies post-season roster had nine players 30 years of age or over and three rookies, Charlie Hudson, Kevin Gross, and Juan Samuel. The Dodgers entered the series as favorites after winning 11 of 12 games against the Phillies in the regular season.

neg: Tris Speaker outfielder in . He hit .322 in . The Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1915 World Series. The Red Sox were led by pitcher Babe Ruth, who was playing in his first full season. Ruth won 18 games and hit a team-high four home runs. Speaker got five hits, including a triple, in 17 at-bats during the series. He scored twice but did not drive in any runs. After 1915, Red Sox president Joseph Lannin wanted Speaker to take a pay cut from about $15,000 (equal to $ today) to about $9,000 (equal to $ today) because

neg: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies' 2010 season was the 128th season in the history of the franchise. As the two-time defending National League champion—having appeared in the 2008 and 2009 World Series—the Phillies won their fourth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball. After sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS, however, the team lost to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. The Phillies announced, following the 2009 World Series, that they would pick up their 1-year, $9 million option on starting pitcher Cliff Lee, who posted a 4–0 record

neg: Andy Tracy September 1. He broke his hand, while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, late in 2008 as a result of a line drive which ended his season. The Phillies announced on September 9, 2009 that they would be releasing veteran pitcher Rodrigo López to make room on the roster for Tracy. The Phillies would win the World Series in 2008 and the National League pennant in 2009. Though Tracy was not an active member of the postseason roster in either season, he did accompany the club throughout the playoffs. On August 5, 2010 it was announced that Tracy would be pulled

neg: Mike Schmidt Championship Series to reach the World Series for the third time in franchise history. Though Schmidt had just a career .191 post-season batting average with no home runs and five RBIs, his bat came alive in the 1980 World Series, hitting two homers and driving in seven runs against the Kansas City Royals. The Phillies beat the Royals in six games to win the first World Series in franchise history, and Schmidt won the World Series MVP Award. Following the World Series, Schmidt and four of his Phillies teammates appeared on "Family Feud" for one week in 1980. He, Larry

neg: 1983 National League Championship Series 1983 National League Championship Series The 1983 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies beat the Dodgers, three games to one, and would go on lose the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles. The Phillies post-season roster had nine players 30 years of age or over and three rookies, Charlie Hudson, Kevin Gross, and Juan Samuel. The Dodgers entered the series as favorites after winning 11 of 12 games against the Phillies in the regular season. The Dodgers had shut out the

neg: Yankees–Red Sox rivalry scored in a game in the history of the rivalry. Both teams made the playoffs in 2009. During the ALDS, the Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins to face the Los Angeles Angels who had knocked out the Red Sox. The Yankees beat the Angels and went on defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 World Series, 4–2, to win their 27th World Series title in their first year in the new Yankee Stadium. Former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martínez was the losing pitcher for the Phillies in Game 6. 2010 saw the Yankees and the Red Sox start and finish

neg: Matt Stairs 2008, Stairs was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Fabio Castro. Stairs hit his first career postseason home run on October 13, 2008 in Game 4 of the 2008 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers off Jonathan Broxton, allowing the Phillies to take the lead and win the game. In the 2009 season, he once again made it to the World Series. He won the first World Series ring of his 16-year career on October 29, 2008, when the Phillies won the series against the Rays, 4 games to 1. On April 12, 2009, Stairs' game-winning home

neg: 1978 National League Championship Series run. 1978 NLCS (3–1): Los Angeles Dodgers over Philadelphia Phillies 1978 National League Championship Series The 1978 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup for the second straight year between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers beat the Phillies three games to one once again and lost the World Series to the New York Yankees, as they had the year before. Because of having to start an NL East-clinching game a few days earlier, Phillies ace Steve Carlton was not available for the start of the series, leaving the

neg: Phillies–Pirates rivalry me, the real grind is the 162-game schedule...On behalf of the entire Pirates organization, I congratulate the Phillies. They did a tremendous job. It's well deserved. They earned everything they got. They should be real proud of doing it—and real proud of the way they did it." It was only the third time that a visiting team had won a division title at Three Rivers Stadium, following the Phillies themselves in 1978 and the Chicago Cubs in 1984. Like the Pirates in 1991 and 1992, the Phillies faced the Braves in the 1993 National League Championship Series. However, they beat

neg: Brett Myers Brett Myers Brett Allen Myers (born August 17, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Myers began his baseball career at the high school level. From there he progressed to the professional ranks and made his debut in 2002 for the Phillies. He pitched with the Phillies from 2002–2009, mostly as a starter, but did also close for a time. He was a World Series champion in 2008 with the Phillies over the Tampa

neg: 2008 World Series Cup Finals. This parade had significance for Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer and Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, as they both were at the 1980 parade. Moyer grew up in the Philadelphia area as a Phillies fan and whose childhood hero was Steve Carlton, a member of the 1980 team, and whom he won against in his first Major League start. He was at both of the Phillies' World Series parades, skipping school to attend in 1980, and as a pitcher in 2008. Kalas was at both parades, as a broadcaster for the Phillies. When comparing the parade to the one in

neg: Nomar Garciaparra series. However, he did not appear in Game 1, and subsequently did not play the entirety of any game in the series, as he was either used as a substitute, or was replaced as the game went on in Games 2-5. The Dodgers were defeated in the fifth game by the Phillies, who eventually moved on to win the 2008 World Series. On March 6, 2009, Garciaparra signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics. With the acquisition of Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies in the off-season, Nomar was not granted his accustomed number 5, instead wearing number 1.

neg: José Molina (baseball) in Game two of the 2009 World Series, he picked off Jayson Werth at first base becoming the first Yankees catcher to pick a baserunner off in the World Series since Yogi Berra who did the same in the 1950 World Series, also against the Philadelphia Phillies. Molina got his second World Series ring as the Yankees defeated the Phillies in the 2009 World Series in 6 games. On February 19, 2010, Molina signed a one-year contract that included an option for 2011 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had one of his best offensive seasons in 2010, producing a

neg: 2009 National League Championship Series the World Series for the second consecutive year. They were, however, defeated by the New York Yankees, 4–2. This was the second consecutive NLCS between the Dodgers and Phillies and the fifth overall. The first two meetings were won by the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978, and the third by the Phillies in 1983; none of the three resulted in a World Series Championship by either team. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers in five games in 2008 "en route" to their 2008 World Series title. This match-up is the most frequent in the history of the NLCS (as of 2009)

neg: 2014 Philadelphia Phillies season August 2013) and new broadcasters; Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs, two members of the 2008 World Series squad, replaced Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews as analysts on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. After offseason headlines indicated a tenuous relationship between Sandberg and shortstop Jimmy Rollins and controversy about draft picks who did not sign with the team, the season began auspiciously with an opening-day win; however, the Phillies then lost their next two games. April continued in that fashion; the team played .500 ball in their first 26 games, exceeding expectations. One commentator called them "pleasantly mediocre", despite a horrific performance from

neg: 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season that the game was suspended, making it the first time ever for a World Series game. It was not resumed the next day, as it continued to rain in Philadelphia, but the day following that, the game resumed. The Phillies had scored in the 1st inning in each game of the World Series in Philadelphia, and essentially did the same again as Jayson Werth singled on a pop up that scored a run in the bottom of the 6th inning to give the Phillies a 3–2 lead. Rocco Baldelli kept the Rays in it with a solo home run in

neg: 2008 World Series Wednesday, October 29. The AL's 4–3 win in the 2008 All-Star Game gave the Rays home field advantage for the series, meaning no more than three games would be played at the Phillies' stadium Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won their second championship in their 126-year history to bring the city of Philadelphia its first championship in 25 years (since the 1983 NBA Finals). This was the first postseason series lost by an MLB team based in the state of Florida; previously, the Rays and Florida Marlins were 8–0 in post-season series. The Phillies advanced to the World Series after

neg: Boston Red Sox Smoky Joe Wood, the Red Sox beat the New York Giants 4–3–1 in the classic 1912 World Series best known for Snodgrass's Muff. From 1913 to 1916 the Red Sox were owned by Joseph Lannin, who signed Babe Ruth, soon the best-known and one of the best players ever. Another 101 wins in 1915 propelled the Red Sox to the 1915 World Series, where they beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one. Following the 1915 season, Tris Speaker was traded to the Cleveland Indians. His departure was more than compensated for, however, by the emergence of star pitcher Babe

neg: Rocco Baldelli their first American League pennant. And in Game 2 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Baldelli made a double play by catching a fly ball and throwing back to first baseman Carlos Peña in time to beat Jayson Werth. Because of Baldelli's performance in the 2008 American League Championship Series many become aware about mitochondrial disease and how it affects the many people that have it. One article reported that a child with mitochondrial disease pretends he is Baldelli when he is at bat. During the Red Sox series the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation created a page on

neg: 2008 National League Championship Series starts with a 1.93 ERA. 2008 NLCS (4–1): Philadelphia Phillies over Los Angeles Dodgers 2008 National League Championship Series The 2008 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the 2008 National League playoffs, was a best-of-seven baseball game series. The series matched the NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who had home field advantage for this series due to their better regular-season record. The teams split their season series, with the home team sweeping their two four-game series in August. The Phillies won the series, four games to one. The series

neg: Jonny Gomes was suspended for five games due to his role in the brawl. On August 6, Gomes was optioned to the Durham Bulls of the International League to create roster space for Ben Zobrist, and he was recalled after rosters expanded in September. The Rays would play the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series but would lose in 5 games, Gomes did not play in the World Series. Gomes was the only Rays batter to hit a homer while serving as a pinch hitter in 2008. Gomes was non-tendered by the Rays following the 2008 season, making him a free

neg: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season one-run, six-hit performance over six innings and Jayson Werth led off the fifth inning with a home run. They won the division title as Brad Lidge earned his 41st consecutive save on a game-ending double play. Having gone an entire season without losing a save opportunity, Lidge was recognized as 2008's National League Comeback Player of the Year. "All players who made an appearance for the Phillies during 2008 are included." Following their four-game sweep of Milwaukee in the beginning of September, the Phillies recorded their first playoff win since their 1993 World Series appearance on October 1, defeating the

neg: Mets–Phillies rivalry the mid 2000s, as the teams battled more often for playoff position. The Mets won the division in 2006, while the Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011. The Phillies' 2007 championship was won on the last day of the season as the Mets lost a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining. The Phillies broke the Curse of Billy Penn to win the 2008 World Series, while the Mets' last title came in the 1986 World Series. In 2015, the Mets won the National League Championship Series for their fifth pennant while the Phillies entered a rebuild

neg: 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season run to the Phillies' Chase Utley in the 1st inning. The Rays had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the 3rd inning with the bases loaded and one out, but did not score as B.J. Upton hit into a double play. The Phillies added another run in the 4th inning on an RBI groundout, jumping out to a 3–0 lead. Carl Crawford the longest tenured Ray on the team's roster, gave the Rays their first run in World Series history, by hitting a solo home run off of Phillies' starter Cole Hamels in the 4th inning, cutting the

neg: Mets–Phillies rivalry record, beat the Mets 8 times in 18 games, the third-best record against them of any team in the league. The Mets won their second division title in three years in a game against the Phillies, and like two years before, did it at home. In the postseason, the Mets lost to the eventual champion Dodgers in the 1988 National League Championship Series. On June 18, 1989, after a Mets–Phillies game, the Phillies traded Samuel to the Mets for McDowell and Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra was a career .278 hitter with the Mets and had not equaled his 1986 season when

neg: Mets–Phillies rivalry the Phillies won three straight division championships. Although both teams each won a World Series in the 1980s, the Mets were not serious contenders in the Phillies' playoff years (1980, 1981, and 1983), nor did the Phillies seriously contend in the Mets' playoff years (1986 and 1988). The Mets were the Majors' worst team when the Phillies won the NL pennant in 1993, and the Phillies could not post a winning record in either of the Mets' wild-card-winning seasons of 1999 or 2000, when the Mets faced the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series. The rivalry intensified in

neg: 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season series, was named ALCS MVP. The Rays now stood only four wins from their first world championship, with only the Phillies in their way. Philadelphia won the NL East division title, disposed of the Milwaukee Brewers in their division series in four games, and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in five games. The Rays had home field advantage because of the American League's win in the 2008 All-Star Game. In Game 1, Rays starting pitcher Scott Kazmir did not get off to a good start to the Rays' first ever World Series game, giving up a 2-run home

neg: Milt Thompson (baseball) only coaches not fired from the organization in 2005. As the hitting coach of the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, he earned his first World Series ring of his long career in baseball. The Phillies would return to the World Series in 2009, where they lost to the New York Yankees in six games. Having played for the 1993 National League Champions, Thompson joined Larry Bowa and John Vukovich as the only Phillies in franchise history to go to the World Series as both a player and coach for the club. On Thursday, July 22, 2010, Milt Thompson was relieved

neg: 2008 National League Championship Series Billingsley, who in his second bad outing of the series was knocked out of the game in the third inning after giving up three runs. The Phillies added two more runs when Rafael Furcal committed three errors (two on the same play) in the fifth inning. Manny Ramírez, in another strong performance, did manage to bring the Dodger Stadium crowd to life with a home run in the sixth inning. However, the Dodgers never threatened after that, and the Phillies won the series in five games. Winning pitcher Cole Hamels was named the series MVP after winning both of his

neg: 1973 World Series in last place, the Mets got healthy and hot in September, ultimately winning the division with a mere 82 victories, marking the only time between 1970 and 1980 that neither their rival Philadelphia Phillies, nor the Pittsburgh Pirates, won the division. The final standings: At 82–79, the 1973 New York Mets had the worst record of any team ever to play in a World Series. They had only the ninth-best record in the 24-team major leagues, behind the Oakland A's, the Cincinnati Reds (who they beat in the National League Championship Series), the Baltimore Orioles (who were defeated by Oakland

neg: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season The Phillies opened the season against the Washington Nationals at home on March 31. They failed to win any of their first three series, losing two of three against the Nationals and New York Mets, with a four-game split against the Cincinnati Reds between those series. The Phillies won their next two series against the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros. After dropping a second series to the Mets, the Phillies finished the month with 15 wins and 12 losses. They did not achieve a three-game sweep against any team in the opening month, nor were they swept. By winning

neg: Francisco Cervelli Francisco Cervelli Francisco Cervelli (born March 6, 1986) is an Italo-Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he played in MLB for the New York Yankees. The Yankees signed Cervelli as an international free agent in 2003. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2008, and played on the 2009 World Series championship team that beat the Philadelphia Phillies. He also played in the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classics for the Italian national team. He was acquired by the Pirates on November 12, 2014. Francisco Cervelli Navarro was born in

neg: 2009 Philadelphia Phillies season 2009 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies' 2009 season was the 127th season in the history of the franchise. The team, managed by Charlie Manuel, began their sixth season at Citizens Bank Park and defense of their 2008 World Series championship on April 5. After collecting a third straight Eastern Division championship, the Phillies won their second consecutive National League pennant for the first time in franchise history; however they were defeated by the New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series. The Phillies posted a second consecutive winning April to open the season with an 11–9 record, but the

neg: 2008 World Series 1980, he told WCAU-TV that "this is bigger...the biggest I've ever seen." In 2010, Philadelphia sports fans picked both of the Phillies' World Series wins as the two greatest moments in Philadelphia sports, picking the 2008 championship as the greatest moment. The Phillies returned to the World Series in , the first defending champion to return to the Series since the 2001 New York Yankees. During that season they finished first in the National League East with a 93–69 mark, and eliminated the Rockies and the Dodgers in the NL playoffs. They would lose to the Yankees in six games.

neg: Shawn Riggans in 2008, appearing in 44 games and hitting a .222 average with 6 home runs and 24 runs batted in while serving as the back up catcher to Dioner Navarro. The Rays would win the American League pennant that year, defeating the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series and the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, before falling to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series. Though Riggans made the postseason roster, he did not appear in any games during any of the series. Riggans would again receive some playing time at the

neg: 2008 National League Division Series second Phillies hitter in their history to hit two home runs in a playoff game, the other being Lenny Dykstra. He is also only the fifth National League player to hit two home runs in a series clinching game, joining Steve Garvey (1974 NLCS), Johnny Bench (1976 World Series), Fred McGriff (1995 NLDS), and Carlos Beltrán (2004 NLDS). 2008 NLDS (3–1): Philadelphia Phillies over Milwaukee Brewers 2008 National League Division Series The 2008 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2008 National League playoffs, began on Wednesday, October 1 and ended on Sunday, October 5, with the

neg: Ryan Howard of the season to earn their first postseason berth since the 1993 World Series. The Phillies were swept by the Colorado Rockies (who had won a one-game playoff against the San Diego Padres for the NL Wild Card) in the 2007 National League Division Series; Howard homered off Jeremy Affeldt in Game Two, but struck out seven times in his other 11 at-bats. On February 21, 2008, Howard won an arbitration case against the Phillies, and was awarded $10 million, the most ever for a victorious player and tied for the most ever awarded. The Phillies had offered $7 million

neg: 2008 National League Division Series 2008 National League Division Series The 2008 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2008 National League playoffs, began on Wednesday, October 1 and ended on Sunday, October 5, with the champions of the three NL divisions and one wild card team participating in two best-of-five series. They were: The underdog Dodgers swept the Cubs to advance to the NLCS, while the Phillies defeated the Brewers by three games to one. The series marked the first postseason series victory for the Dodgers since winning the 1988 World Series, and the first such victory for the Phillies since

neg: Charlie Hayes Charlie Hayes Charles Dewayne Hayes (born May 29, 1965) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and current coach for the GCL Phillies. Hayes played in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, and Houston Astros from 1988 through 2001. He was a member of the Yankees' 1996 World Series championship team that beat the Atlanta Braves. He batted and threw right-handed. Played for the South Region champions ("Hub City" from Hattiesburg, Mississippi) in the first round of the 1977 Little League World Series. The San Francisco

neg: Paul Owens (baseball) Green, the Phillies beat Houston in an intense NLCS and then defeated the Kansas City Royals for the team's first world championship. On July 18, , Owens again decided to don a uniform and run the Phillies from the dugout as well as from the front office. He fired manager Pat Corrales—even though Philadelphia was in first place at the time, albeit just one game over .500—and led the club to 47 wins in 77 games. They then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the NLCS to win the Phillies' fourth pennant. During the World Series, the

neg: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 season was the 126th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 92–70, first in the National League East. In the post-season, the Phillies won the World Series; this was the first major sports championship for Philadelphia since the 76ers swept the 1983 NBA Finals. During the season, they were managed by Charlie Manuel. The Phillies opened the season by posting their first winning April since 2003. They also scored 60 runs over 5 games in late May in a sweep over the Colorado Rockies

neg: 2013 Kansas City Royals season streak by a Royals pitcher over 13 starts since Kevin Appier in 1994-95. On April 5, Alex Gordon and Chris Getz each hit a bases-loaded triple, allowing the Royals to rally and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 13–4, spoiling the Phillies' home opener with a sellout crowd of 45,307 at Citizens Bank Park. The interleague matchup was a rare one between teams who first met in the 1980 World Series. The only other visit to Philadelphia by the Royals came in 2004. After getting a total of 17 hits in their first three games against the Chicago White Sox, the Royals

neg: Cole Hamels Game 5 resumed the Phillies won 4-3 to clinch the World Series. Overall, Hamels made five postseason starts in 2008, going 4–0 with a 1.80 ERA. Hamels threw a total of 35 innings during the postseason, and held opponents scoreless in 28 of them; he never allowed more than one run in any of the seven innings in which he did not hold opponents scoreless. Hamels was named the 2008 World Series MVP. Subsequently, Jayson Stark wrote, The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America presented him the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" award for the second consecutive

neg: 2008 Milwaukee Brewers season were defeated 3-1 by the Philadelphia Phillies, who went on to win the World Series. The Brewers played 20 extra inning games, the most of any MLB team in 2008. For the first time in 26 years (since 1982) the Brewers reached the playoffs. They lost 3 games to 1 to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. 2008 Milwaukee Brewers season The 2008 Milwaukee Brewers season opened with optimism as the team attempted to build on the success of the 2007 season – their first winning season since 1992. With 12 games remaining in the regular season, manager Ned Yost

neg: 2012 Philadelphia Phillies season Diamondbacks, taking 2 of 3. The Phillies finally returned home for a four-game series with the Cubs, where they would split the series. Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels each finished April with 3 wins, and Papelbon was a perfect 8 for 8 on save opportunities. The Phillies finished April with a record of 11–12, their first losing-record month since going 11–15 in June 2009. However, the Phillies have experienced struggle in April before, most notably in 2008, when they would eventually win the World Series, and in 2009, when they would eventually win the National League pennant. The Phillies began

neg: Tropicana Field over the right field wall, did not reach over the wall. In October 2008, Tropicana Field hosted its first ever baseball postseason games as the Rays met the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series, the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, and the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. It hosted the on-field trophy presentations for the Rays when they became the American League Champions on October 19, following Game 7 of the ALCS. Chase Utley hit the first ever World Series home run at Tropicana Field during the first inning of Game 1

neg: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season while Cory Wade suffered the loss for Los Angeles. Dodgers fans were hoping for a comeback in game five; however, Jimmy Rollins started the contest with a leadoff homer off of Chad Billingsley, who was forced out of the game in the third inning because of a pair of Phillies runs. Philadelphia added two runs on a trio of Rafael Furcal errors in the fifth. Ramírez did bring the Dodger Stadium crowd to life with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, but the Dodgers never threatened after that. The Phillies won the series in five games; winning

neg: Sports in the New York metropolitan area the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, arguably the fiercest and most historic in North American professional sports. When the Mets beat the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, many Yankee fans attended the parade celebrating the Mets' win, saying that "anyone who beats Boston is worth coming down for." Another fierce rivalry for New York baseball fans is the one between the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. There have been 14 Subway Series World Series match-ups between the Yankees and their National League rivals; the Mets (once), and with the two teams that departed for California in the

neg: Cole Hamels that point. Hamels started Game 2 of the 2009 National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies, allowing four earned runs through five innings to take the loss. Nevertheless, the Phillies won the series, three games to one. He earned the win in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series as the Phillies beat the Dodgers, 8–6. Hamels started Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, pitching innings, allowing 5 earned runs and taking the loss as the Yankees won that game 8-5. Afterward, he told reporters, "I can't wait for it (the season) to

neg: Philadelphia Phillies 1996 Atlanta Braves to have an opportunity to defend their World Series title. The Phillies were unable to repeat the 2008 World Series victory; they were defeated in the 2009 series by the New York Yankees, 4 games to 2. In recognition of the team's recent accomplishments, "Baseball America" named the Phillies as its Organization of the Year. On December 16, 2009, they acquired starting pitcher Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays for three minor-league prospects, and traded Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners for three prospects. On May 29, 2010, Halladay pitched a perfect game against the Florida

neg: 2008 National League Championship Series 2008 National League Championship Series The 2008 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the 2008 National League playoffs, was a best-of-seven baseball game series. The series matched the NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who had home field advantage for this series due to their better regular-season record. The teams split their season series, with the home team sweeping their two four-game series in August. The Phillies won the series, four games to one. The series opened on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with the

neg: Major League Baseball rivalries same time. A notable moment in their early meetings was Jim Bunning's perfect game on Father's Day of 1964, the first perfect game in Phillies history, which happened when the Mets were on a losing streak. The Phillies were near the bottom of the NL East when the Mets won the 1969 World Series and the National League pennant in 1973, while the Mets did not enjoy success in the late 1970s when the Phillies won three straight division championships. Although both teams each won a World Series in the 1980s, the Mets were not serious contenders in the Phillies'

neg: Harry Kalas their 2008 World Series championship rings. The ceremony would be part of Kalas's last home game. On May 15, 2009, during a series in Washington, the Phillies visited the White House and were congratulated by President Barack Obama for their 2008 World Series championship. The visit had been postponed from April 14, due to Kalas's death the preceding day. The President mentioned Kalas, his voice, his love for the Phillies, and his legacy. This was the second of two tributes to Kalas in Washington. On April 21, eight days after Kalas's death, then–U.S. Congressman Joe Sestak paid tribute to Kalas

neg: Dodgers–Yankees rivalry on p 245: Torre would later explain the comments as being jestful and in good humor by Torre and Larry Bowa with Rodriguez. Both teams made it to the playoffs that year, but the Dodgers lost in the NLCS for the second straight year to the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies (whom the Dodgers beat in the NLCS in 1977 and 1978 before losing to the Yankees in the World Series in both years), who would lose to the Yankees in the World Series, giving New York their first championship since Torre left as manager. The Yankees and Dodgers met again

neg: 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season record, including their Opening Day loss to Washington. The pitching rotation was led by ace Cole Hamels, who led the team in wins (3), earned run average (ERA) (2.70), and innings pitched (). Reliever J. C. Romero and new closer Brad Lidge both went the entire month without sacrificing a single run, over and 11 innings respectively. The Phillies did not achieve their first three-game series sweep until almost the end of May, taking two from the San Francisco Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks (splitting the series 2–2), the Atlanta Braves, and the Nationals, and dropping two to the Giants, the

neg: Charlie Manuel 2nd consecutive year. On October 29, Charlie Manuel guided the 2008 Phillies to their second world title. It was his first World Series ring after years of close calls (including the 1997 Cleveland Indians). He was voted by fans as MLB "This Year in Baseball Awards" Manager of the Year. Manuel reached a contract agreement with the Phils on December 9, 2008 to keep him with the team through the 2011 season. On October 21, 2009, Manuel became the first manager in franchise history to lead the Phillies to two consecutive World Series appearances. It was the first time a

neg: 2003 World Series in the fifth and Juan Encarnación's sacrifice fly next inning. With the victory, the Marlins became the first National League team since the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers, the last opposing team to win a Series championship at Yankee Stadium, to win the World Series without having home field advantage. They are just the fourth team overall to do it since the 1984 Detroit Tigers, following the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays and the 1999 New York Yankees. The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals later accomplished the same of feat, as did the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, the 2014 San Francisco Giants, the 2016

neg: 1993 National League Championship Series reasons why the Phillies got to the World Series in the first place. In the NLCS, Williams was the winning pitcher in Games 1 and 5, but only because he gave up the game-tying runs. In addition, he saved Game 4 and the clincher, Game 6 for the Phillies. 1993 National League Championship Series The 1993 National League Championship Series was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The Phillies stunned the 104-win Braves, who were bidding for their third consecutive World Series appearance, and won the NLCS, 4–2. The Phillies would go on to lose to the Toronto

neg: 1993 National League Championship Series 1993 National League Championship Series The 1993 National League Championship Series was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The Phillies stunned the 104-win Braves, who were bidding for their third consecutive World Series appearance, and won the NLCS, 4–2. The Phillies would go on to lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series in six games. The Phillies, led by outfielder Lenny Dykstra and pitcher Curt Schilling, had gone from worst-to-first and cruised to a division title with a 97–65 record, and continued the exclusive reign of NL East championships by the Phillies and the Pittsburgh

neg: History of the New York Yankees York posted 103 wins in 2009 and beat out the Red Sox for the division title by eight games. In the AL playoffs, the Yankees defeated the Twins in the ALDS and the Angels in the ALCS, advancing to the World Series. There, they faced the defending Series champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. Behind a six-RBI effort by Matsui in the sixth and final game, the Yankees defeated the Phillies to win their record 27th Series championship. George Steinbrenner died in July 2010. The Yankees won the league's wild card berth, but their title defense was ended by the Texas Rangers

neg: Harry Kalas fans with his easy-going style, his mellow, baritone, leathery voice (which rose to great excitement upon great plays on the field or Phillies' home runs, especially in key situations), his love of the game and also his accessibility to Phillies fans, for whom he professed a strong love. During his Phillies career, he called six no-hit games, six National League Championship Series, and three World Series (1983, 1993, and 2008). However, due to MLB rules at the time, he could not call the 1980 World Series, as local broadcasters were not allowed to call games due to contract conflicts with

neg: Philadelphia Phillies the Braves. The Cardinals subsequently beat the Brewers in the NLCS and won the 2011 World Series in 7 games over the Texas Rangers. The 2012 Phillies experienced an up and down season. They played .500 ball through the first two months, but then slumped through a 9–19 stretch in June where they ended up at the bottom of the NL East by midseason. With any hope dimming, the Phillies traded key players Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants before the trade deadline. A hot start in the

neg: Mike Cervenak with a pinch-hit single up the middle, his second major-league hit. The Phillies would win the World Series in 2008. Though Cervenak was not part of the postseason roster, he did travel with the team and was in uniform for all of the club's playoff games. In November 2009 Cervenak was released by the Phillies, and on December 18, 2009 he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets. He signed a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins for the 2011 season. On June 3, 2013, Cervenak signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and

neg: City Series (Philadelphia) the cancellation of the first game. The Athletics beat the Phillies 7-4 in the first game and the Phillies won the following game 11-2. The Athletics moved to Kansas City prior to the 1955 season. The A's, now based in Kansas City, traveled to Philadelphia at the end of spring training to play the pre-season exhibitions against the Phillies. The A's beat the Phillies in the second game, 10-2, at Wilmington Park, home of the original Wilmington Blue Rocks. The Athletics continued to hold spring training in Florida through 1968 in West Palm Beach and then Bradenton. The Phillies and

neg: Ryan Howard which he also drove in five runs) as the Phillies took a commanding 3–1 series lead. The Phillies eventually won the series in five games to bring the Phillies their first World Series championship since 1980, and Philadelphia their first major sports championship since 1983; he finished second in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, behind Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals. Howard won his second Babe Ruth Home Run Award and his second Josh Gibson Legacy Award, leading MLB with 48 home runs. On February 8, the Phillies and Howard agreed on a 3-year, $54 million

neg: Ed Wade by the Houston Astros in the Draft and was selected by the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who then traded Abreu to the Phillies for shortstop Kevin Stocker. Wade was named as the Phillies interim General Manager in December 1997 and was promoted to the position of Vice President and General Manager in the spring of 1998. During Wade’s tenure with the Phillies, the team went through a major rebuild, including drafting and signing Brett Myers, Pat Burrell, future National League MVP Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and Ryan Madson; Wade also promoted future N.L.

neg: 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season double and a home run against Philadelphia starting pitcher Roy Oswalt, but also committed two of Cincinnati's four errors. The errors allowed the Phillies to score five unearned runs to take a 7–4 victory over the Reds and a 2–0 lead in the series. Displaying the form he showed in 2008 when he won the League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player Awards, Cole Hamels pitched a complete-game shutout in the third game of the series to clinch the Phillies' spot in the National League Championship Series. Philadelphia's pitchers set a Division Series record, allowing only 11 hits