It's been 15 years...

... and my favorite team is finally going back to the World Series.

The last several years have been particularly difficult for Philadelphia fans. For YEARS... the team would come up just a few games short of getting into the playoffs. Last year they finally broke it open and got in... only to get swept in the NLDS.

They'd been building a team... but just couldn't pull it together. It looks like they finally did it. [At least to be called the best in the NL... which... as we all know, is perpetually not quite as good as the AL... so we'll see what happens next week. More on that later.]

I was two the last time the Phillies won the World Series in 1980... so I obviously don't remember that. I was five in 1983 when the Phils lost to the Orioles... so I don't remember that, either.

But I remember 1993 like it was yesterday. I loved that group of guys... long hair and all: Darren [the hottie] "Dutch" Daulton, John Kurk, Dave Hollins, Mickey Morandini, Kevin Stocker, Milt Thompson, Jim Eisenreich, Mariano Duncan, Wes Chamberlin, Pete "Inky" Incaviglia, Curt Schilling, Terry Mulholland, Tommy Greene, Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams, and of course... my all-time favorite baseball player... #4... centerfielder Lenny "Nails" Dykstra.

I remember the Hollins home run and the last out of the game where we finally beat the loatheable Atlanta Braves for the NL pennant. I remember the champagne spraying and watching all the interviews. I remember the elation.

And I remember the game 6 9th inning 3-run home run by Joe Carter off of the Wild Thing that broke my heart and crushed my dreams.

The Phils had a chance to come back the following year... except for the dumb strike that halted the season. Oh- and then Dykstra and Daulton got into a car wreck that for all intents and purposes ended their careers. For the next decade, Philadelphia fans became accustomed to singing the Eagles fight song at the end of Phillies games... showing their displeasure with the Phils and that they might as well move on to football.

Since the days of Jim Fregosi, the Phillies suffered through the leadership of Terry Francona and Larry "Anger Management" Bowa before acquiring Charlie Manual in 2005. Uncle Chollie, as he's known affectionately. Whoever would've thought that HE would be the guy to pull the players together and take them to a championship series? I giggle every time he "runs" out to mound. It makes me happy. : )

So that brings us to today. The losing-est team in sports... the Philadelphia Phillies... back in the World Series.

I cried.

Like I said... I don't have great expectations for the series... regardless of who we're playing. [At this point, Dice-K just gave up a 2-run home run in the top of the 1st.] Of course, I didn't think we'd beat the Dodgers, either since they entered the NLCS so hot. But they found ways to win... and when the top of the order wasn't doing it... Brett Myers got three hits... Matt Stairs came in and blasted a monster homer. There were heroes like Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino... but everyone contributed in some way on some day. It was a team-effort.

Can they do it again? Can they take the next five days off and come back and be up to par to compete for the title? I guess we'll see.

For the time being... I'm just gonna soak up being a Philadelphia Phillies fan.