The Final 9

By Tyler Kepner

PHILADELPHIA: For a quarter of a century, it was an agonizing cycle for Philadelphia sports fans. Hope, despair, bitterness. For 9,282 days, other places had earned the right to raise banners and hoist trophies. No U.S. city with so many teams had failed for so long.

Now it is over. Now it is Philadelphia's turn. A game that began with a deluge has washed away an epic drought. The Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series.

They did it in Game 5 on Wednesday, edging the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, in the completion of the first suspended game in postseason history.

It began on Monday, and rain and snow delayed it another day. For the chronically heartbroken, it was a catharsis worth the wait.

There is company now for Bednarik, Clarke, Dr. J and Tug in the pantheon of Philadelphia champions. Make room for the 2008 Phillies, who clinched the first major professional championship for the city since the 76ers won the NBA title on May 31, 1983.

Phillies win World Series....

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays will complete Game 5 of the World Series this evening at Citizens Bank Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:37 p.m. (et). The game will resume from the point where it left off on Monday, with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth in the 2-2 game.

Cole Hamels, who came into the game with a 4-0 record this postseason, was on the mound through the sixth inning, and he will lead off the bottom of the sixth. The Phillies, however, are expected to pinch-hit for him. The Rays last had reliever Grant Balfour on the mound.

Philadelphia holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and is hoping to wrap up a title, while the Rays aim to send the series back to Florida.

Rays, Phils to resume Game 5....

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - After rain caused the first suspended game in World Series history on Monday night, a wintry mix of snow and rain on Tuesday caused the remainder of the game, scheduled to resume on Tuesday night, to be postponed until Wednesday night at 8:37 (et).

"Snow go" for Game 5: Bad weather puts World Series on hold....

By TYLER KEPNER

PHILADELPHIA — A city that has waited a quarter-century for a major professional sports championship will have to wait even longer. The fifth game of the World Series was suspended in the middle of the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays tied, 2-2.

The Phillies, who lead the series by three games to one, were 10 outs from clinching a title in a driving rain. But the Rays tied the score in the top of the sixth, and before the bottom of the inning, the tarp was finally pulled over the infield.

The game was suspended at 11:10 p.m., after a 30-minute delay, making it the first World Series game to start and not last at least nine innings. The game is scheduled to be resumed Tuesday at 8 p.m., picking up where it left off on Monday.

Rain Halts Game 5; Will Resume Tuesday, Maybe....

By RICHARD JUSTICE

PHILADELPHIA — Dallas Green is here, smiling and relaxed, looking younger than his 74 years. Steve Carlton and Robin Roberts are around, too, still part of the family.

Bill Giles and Harry Kalas almost never miss a game. Ed Wade isn’t here, but it’s his dream — and years of his work — these Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of completing. His legacy is about to be rewritten.

They’re all part of this franchise of such rich, tortured history, this franchise of Mike Schmidt and Richie Allen and Jim Bunning, this franchise known more for its failures than its success.

Phillies thump Rays 10-2 in Game 4 of World Series....

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced on Sunday that Aramis Ramirez of the Chicago Cubs and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox are the winners of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award, as voted on by the fans.

The award, introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record, recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each league.

Aramis Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis win 2008 Aaron award....

Ryan Howard ended his home run drought and the Phillies clubbed three solo homers in a 5-4, game three win over Tampa Bay. Philadelphia leads the World Series two games to one.

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jason Bartlett could practically hear the rumbling coming down the third-base line as he tried to focus -- a fastball coming at him from the mound, and Cliff Floyd charging toward his left eye.

A thing of beauty, this was not. With Floyd asked to participate in what he said was the first squeeze play of any kind in his long Major League career, there was contact, but Bartlett's first attempt at executing the fourth-inning safety squeeze went foul.

Then, unsatisfied, Rays manager Joe Maddon flashed it down to third-base coach Tom Foley again -- a move that surprised many, but not the Rays. This time, Bartlett found grass between the white lines, and Floyd crossed the plate with Tampa Bay's final run in a 4-2 victory over Philadelphia in Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night.

"The way Joe teaches it, anybody that's on third base should score, if it's done correctly," Bartlett said. "Cliff's not that slow. He may be big and middle-aged, but he can run pretty good."

Small ball pays dividends for Rays....

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Following last night's 3-2 win in the opening game of the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to wrap up the first leg of the best-of-seven series with another win tonight. Following this evening's game at Tropicana Field, the two clubs will move to Philadelphia for Game 3 Saturday.

The pitching matchup for tonight's game has Brett Myers getting the start for the Phillies against Tampa Bay's James Shields.

Myers vs. Shields in World Series game 2 tonight....

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

Chase Utley waited through a one-week layoff, the lineup introductions and the Backstreet Boys' take on the National Anthem.

And then, just 14 pitches into the 2008 World Series between Utley's Phillies and the Rays, he used one swing of the bat to prove rust would not be a factor in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Utley's two-run homer off Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir in the first inning set the tone for the Phillies' eventual 3-2 victory at Tropicana Field.

Not bad for an at-bat that began with a bunt attempt.

"I guess it turned out pretty well," Utley said.

Utley's homer sets tone for Phillies....

The Rays have completed a stunning run to their first pennant, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox 3-1 Sunday night behind Matt Garza's masterful pitching in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

There's going to be a seventh game to decide which American League team goes to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-2 to even the American League Championship Series at three games apiece.

The Red Sox pulled off the major leagues' biggest postseason comeback in 79 years, beating the Rays 8-7 Thursday night to stave off elimination in the AL championship series.

Sporting News staff reports


If the World Series goes to a Game 6 this year, then presidential nominee Barack Obama will be the reason for the game's delayed start.

Major League Baseball agreed Wednesday to push back the start of Game 6 by about 15 minutes to allow a television commercial Obama plans to run on Oct. 29 — the Wednesday before the Nov. 4 election, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Obama's campaign purchased the same half-hour of prime time — from 8-8:30 p.m. ET on CBS and NBC (a deal with ABC is still in negotiations). FOX, which has broadcast rights to Game 6, planned to air a pre-game show, and the first pitch is usually thrown at 8:22 p.m.

Obama ad would delay start of World Series Game 6....

Defending champions the Red Sox have Wednesday off to ponder the past and prepare for Thursday night's fifth game after their second consecutive blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays tied the ALCS with Boston at a game apiece, after B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly ended a contest in which the two teams combined for a postseason record 7 homers.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched out of trouble all game long and led the Red Sox to a 2-0 win over the Rays in game one of the ALCS.

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

ESPN and the new MLB Network will televise the entire slate of 39 World Baseball Classic games next year from March 5-23, it was announced on Tuesday.

ESPN will televise 23 games of the tournament in the U.S., including the semifinal and final games, across ESPN and ESPN2, and on its Spanish-language platform ESPN Deportes.

The MLB Network, which will launch on basic cable to a record potential audience of 50 million homes this Jan. 1, is slated to broadcast 16 of the Classic games.

MLB Network, ESPN to televise Classic....

For the first time since 1993, the Phillies are in the National League Championship Series. The Eastern Division champs advanced with a 6-2 win over Milwaukee in Game Four of the divisional playoff.

The LA Dodgers are on to the next round of baseball's playoffs, after beating the Cubs 3-1 to sweep the series. Milwaukee kept its' hopes alive, defeating Philadelphia 4-1. But the Brewers still trail two games to one.

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Jerry Manuel is getting another chance to right the New York Mets.

After replacing Willie Randolph in June and falling just short of a playoff berth, Manuel was given a two-year contract Friday that includes a club option for 2011.

"Jerry did a very good job taking over the club midseason, and we believe that he is the right person to manage our team and lead us to the postseason," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement.

Manuel gets two-year deal to continue to manage Mets....

J.D. Drew belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning, leading Boston to a 7-5 win over the Angels. The Red Sox lead the best of five series two games to none. The Rays beat the White Sox for a 2-0 in their playoff series.

Japan's Akinori Iwamura hit a go-ahead home run for Tampa Bay to help the Rays beat the White Sox 6-2 and take a 2-0 lead in their opening round playoff series.

By Marty Noble / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- With a sense that their offseason renovations are likely to be involved, time-consuming and challenging, the Mets have embraced the concept of first things first and addressed the contract status of the person charged with making the numerous repairs. They have extended the contract of general manager Omar Minaya.
Before the term "lame duck" was heard, the club opted to add three years to the agreement Minaya signed Sept. 30, 2004, even though the Mets' three most recent seasons have ended in bitter disappointment. Minaya, who turns 50 next month, now is contracted through the 2012 season, and the club has options for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

In a conference call with members of the media Thursday morning, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon succinctly explained the impetus for the contract extension and the reason for the timing, saying "Omar's our guy," and "We felt he was the right person to run our baseball operations." He was quoted as having said "This contract extension reinforces our confidence in Omar's leadership in the short and longer term" in a statement the club released.

Wilpon added, "We obviously were not a very good team when Omar came aboard, and he's turned this thing around, and we think he deserves another chance to get us to where we want to be. ... We failed this year, and we want to get the redemption that we need and move forward."

Mets reward Minaya with extension....