It Could All Be Over

Tonight, the Phillies and Rays meet for what could be the final game of the 2008 Major League Baseball season. This World Series has been a letdown for many fans - the Rays were America's darling after their magical turnaround and playoff run - but not for me.

It's been tough to watch each and every inning, and I admit that I have not been able to. But what I have seen has been great. Cole Hamels has emerged as one of the best active playoff pitchers. Jimmy Rollins has proven that he is the key to everything that the Phillies do. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have finally woken up. Even Joe Blanton has elevated his game - he even managed to hit his first career home run.

And, amazing, the Phillies have scored runs. The first three games, they struggled to score. They began the series inept at clutch hitting, but still managed to score runs. Small ball is still alive, even with a team like the Phillies.

The Rays, however, have finally run out of gas. Thier two best hitters - Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria - have gone 0-for-series (0-29 combined). That's right, not one...single..hit. That's not to say they're bad hitters. Far from it. Longoria is young (he's 23 in his first big league season) and Pena is a pure power hitter (.247 average during the season with 166 K's). The Phillies have just adjusted and exposed their weaknesses.

Because of that, the Phillies are 27 outs away from winning the World Series. They are the best team in baseball. And the Rays, who had baseball's storybook season, are right there with them. Next year, they could be a scary team. Let's just hope tonight's game 5 is as exciting as the other games this season.