Well, there goes 2008.  A good ride, but talk about a flame-out at the end.  They showed why they were a .500 team…and ironically it went back to Furcal.  He was a big wild card last year on defense, and he showed the same thing tonight.  I really wonder ont he signing for him.  I think he is a great catalyst, but I honestly think the defense was better up the middle without him.  Now I can’t say that Berroa can hit, but he didn’t throw it away like Furcal did.  The other guy that just didn’t have it together (other than Blake DeWitt…he gets a free pass this year) was Martin.  It wasn’t talked about a lot, but he wasn’t the same catcher at the end of the year.  He did start throwing more guys out, but his hitting was really spotty.  He calls a good game, but he did seem to wither…especially behind Manny.

Manny – thanks for the memories.  What a fantastic couple of months.

We’ll see what pitchers are signed this year.  That was obviously the weak point (Along with a hitter behind Manny).  Perhaps C.C., but it will be a different look team, that’s for sure.

Well – long to 2008.  It all started with the Coliseum this year, and now the Playoffs.  And just to make sure I didn’t get arrogant, my Giant fan co-workers were predicting a Phillies win tonight and rubbing it in…not because they like the Phillies, but because they don’t love the Dodgers.  Such is life up here.  Here’s hoping we smoke the Giants again next year.

They fought and fought…but that last homerun killed the mood.  Joe Torre was quoted as saying that one game can change the momentum.  More like one swing.  The Dodgers took the momentum last night, tonight, it was the mammoth homerun.  I do say mammoth because in itself it represented the momentum.  The air when out of the sails as that ball was crushed.  I think they can win tomorrow night…but winning 2 in Philly is a tall order.  Derek Lowe did all he could, and my boy Casey Blake came through again.  Manny is just unstopable.  If Martin had hit anything tonight, the game would have been different.  He had some close ones, but they didn’t go through.  Here’s hoping they can fight through.

Yeah – so the Phillies seem to be exposing a weakness that Dodger fans shouldn’t find that totally surprising – the pitching.  The Phillies are lights out, the Dodgers aren’t.  Manny is still Manny, but if you can’t pitch in the playoffs…especially to the pitcher, it will be a long night.  I’m not too worried as the Dodgers beat the Phillies only at home this year…and likewise for the Phillies.  Not too much has changed in the playoffs.

My boy Casey Blake doesn’t seem to be doing much.  He needs to hit.  Had Nomar hit the game winning homerun, he might have been re-signed next year.  We’ll see now.  He looked pretty bad against those sliders.  At least they’re both doing better than Ryan Howard.  He would be hearing a lot more if the Phillies were losing.

So I grew up in Southern California and my Grandpa and Aunt are huge Angel’s fans.  The cool thing was that since they weren’t in the same league as the Dodgers – I could cheer on both teams.  I think things have changed a little in the last few years because now the Angels are good…before they weren’t.  Now I think fans choose one or the other down there.

Anyway, I really thought the Angels would win the world series this year.  They had a great team…but tonight, they are done.  Stinkin Red Sox.   Suddenly a Manny/Jason Bay reuion could happen.  I thought at one point tonight, if the Red Sox lost, that they would blame it on Jason Bay not being Manny.  Wouldn’t you know it that Jason Bay doubled and scored the winning run.  Life is truly ironic.

Now it’s Dodger go time all the time.  Thursday night it starts.  Go Blue – 4 wins more to the big show.

Who would have thunk it?  I knew they were good, but I didn’t think they would thump the Cubs that well.  Suddenly we are 4 wins from the World Series and they have a legitimate shot.  Especially with this “new” playoff lineup.  They get to the playoffs and put together a lineup that they didn’t use all year.  Furcal is playing well and they just look sharp.  Should be a good playoff with Philly.

By the way – they did well enough to get a title bar in the San Francisco Chronicle…but no article until the second section.  Bay area football still got the top spots…