Well it's come to an end, this crazy, long, strange trip that began when I left my snow-covered neighborhood in February for the kinder, friendlier environment of Clearwater, Fla., beginning with watching young Domonic Brown take a swing against Roy Halladay on the first day of live hitting.

No one really hit that day. Hitters were tracking pitches.

The last day of the season was somewhat similar. Not a lot of offensive highlights from the Phillies, who going into the season, were supposed to be a team that did just the opposite with seven former All-Stars.


Ryan Howard watched strike three from Brian Wilson to end the game and the season.

The offense unachieved all season - every player save Carlos Ruiz - and it's a shame because it's hard to imagine entering a postseason with three starting pitchers as talented as Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt and two bullpen pieces as hot as Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge.

But it happened. As Charlie Manuel likes to say, winning isn't easy. (Even if the Phils made it look easy in 2008).

So they'll reboot and hope the bats show in 2011. The core of the team is getting older, the lineup is flawed, but with the aforementioned pitching, they should once again be an NL favorite.

Here is Charlie Manuel right after tonight's game. Thanks so much for reading all season and keeping up with my nonstop (excessive) tweets, too. [Seriously dude, 10,000 in one season???]



(There is also video of Ryan Howard talking postgame on the front page at delcotimes.com)



*photo by Eric Hartline, Delco Times staff (his work also appears in SI this week).