Three-peat to Repeat Links

As we all know by now, the Phillies defeated the Astros 10-3 last night behind the power of the bats, led by Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino at the top of the lineup, and a helping hand from Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Pedro Feliz. Since the Braves lost shortly before the Phils put the Astros to rest, the Fightins were already National League champs, but it just wouldn't have been as satisfying without a victory of their own. And they got it, winning the National League East for the third straight year.



Time to turn that three-peat into a repeat. That's right, bullpen problems or not, this team should settle for nothing less than remaining World Fucking Champions.

In honor of this great feat, it's time for the links, all Phillies style …

-Yes, the NL East is all wrapped up, as is a playoff birth, but there are still things to root for in the remaining games:

*NL's best record for home field advantage throughout the NL portion of playoffs (Dodgers- 93 wins, Phillies- 92 wins, Cardinals- 90 wins).

*Jayson Werth to score 5 more runs and collect 3 more rbi to reach 100 for each category.

*Jimmy Rollins to get on base safely via walk or hit. He needs 3 more points to get to a .300 on base %.

Of course, The Fightins are all over this:

-A nice screen grab:



-A tremendous tribute to HK:



We miss you Harry.

-L.A. and Franzke on the call:



-Jayson Werth, unlike Will Smith, actually lights up his victory cigar:



-Wheels gets a shower:



-Then there is everything over at The700Level as well. Enjoy.

-Todd Zolecki comes through with some great images:







-Quite possibly the best line of them all:

Three-straight division pennants and a world title is the reality in which we live. No matter how hard we're pinched, we will not awaken to David Bell grounding into his second double play of the game.

And thank god for that.

-Classy, classy move by Charlie Manuel to put in Brad Lidge for the final out:

Against the Astros, Lidge came in for one pitch, a Lance Berkman(notes) grounder to first base that put the fans at Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.
"I was praying I'd get into the game," said Lidge, who got a nice ovation when he entered. "I'm thankful to Charlie for putting me in. Despite my season, Charlie had my back all year."

…

"I wanted him to pitch in front of the crowd and they responded," Manuel said. "It was good for him."

-More great images in this slideshow.

-And 'Duk adds his thoughts:

Phillies 10, Astros 3: Hey, they got themselves a dynasty in the City that Loves the Brothers. Three straight division crowns for the first time since '76-77-78 — the Schmitter, Lefty and Bull Luzinski Era.

-I'm going to have to say, this is a little overly negative from dmac, no? I mean, even I'm not bitching the day after they just clinched their third straight NL East title. He does make some good points though.

-Some more good quotes:

"You having fun?" All-Star second baseman Chase Utley asked fans who stayed for the party. "There's gonna be a lot more coming."

…

"We didn't assume but we expected. There's a difference between the two," pitcher J.A. Happ said. "There's a whole lot more coming up, when we return."

-Hef, a dirty Red Sox fan, is not as impressed with what the Phils accomplished last night:

Phillies 10, Astros 3:  THE PHILLIES CLINCHED A DIVISION WIN LAST NIGHT!!! (/makes wanking motion…/doesn’t give a shit)

I'd be bitter too if my team couldn't even beat the shitty Rays last October. Glad my favorite team had no trouble at all finishing off those frauds in 5 games.

-Charlie Manuel wasn't in a celebrating mood:

“I’ll celebrate when we get to the big one.”

So will I, Charlie. So will I.

-More on Manuel.

-The Phils got contributions from everyone last night, from Rollins to Ruiz to Pedro to Kendrick to Eyre to Lidge.

-On the struggles the Phils endured this season, only to come out as division champs earlier than the last two years. Oh, and they're still a confident bunch, despite the injuries and question marks:

"If we play like we can, we can beat any of them. I look at those three teams and it don't make any difference who we play," Manuel said, referring to Colorado, Los Angeles, and the Central Division champion, St. Louis. "I think we've got the best team in the league."

-Rich Hofmann on his game:

"This is what I came here for," said leftfielder Raul Ibanez, one of the handful who did not experience the World Series of 2008. "I came here because it's a great ballclub. But I didn't realize how special a club it is until I got here."
It was never going to be like last season. Everybody knew that if they listened for a second to their hearts. The drought had been so long before the 2008 championship, and the rush to the finish line had been so thrilling, and the parade had been, well, perfect. It was an all-senses experience that would not be repeated.
But there was a championship to defend, and a new set of realities for the people of this city to acknowledge. It was the first time in a quarter-century that Philadelphians were experiencing a championship afterglow - and you could sense a struggle at times with the emotions. They began the season bathed in a perpetual happiness. By September, that had morphed - through Lidge's struggles, mostly - into a cloud of perpetual concern.
Whatever the new normal for Phillies fans is, we really do not know. All we know is this, what happened last night.

-The Phillies are good, and some humor at the end there too.

-Win it for Harry:

2009 NL East Champions from Kevin McGuire on Vimeo.

It's been quite an up and down season, but when it's all said and done, the Phils will be in the postseason to defend their World Series crown. Let's go win one for Harry, win one for Raul and Chan Ho and Ben Francisco and Cliff Lee and all the other Phillies who weren't part of the ride last season. Because everyone loves a parade.

LET'S GO PHILS!!!!!