The "Hey! The Phillies Are Still In It! Story!

 It was an ordinary day.  Waiting for game number 2 of the National League Wild Card Series to end.  Not used to staying up past 11:00 pm, but there was no way I could miss the end of this game.  One of the Phillies best pitchers this year, and one of my favorite pitchers on the Phillies, Aaron Nola, was mowing them down.  The Wild Card Series games were played in St. Louis to determine which team would progress in the multi-tiered playoffs.  The first level was the best of 3 games which would place the winner of that level into the next level which in turn would take them to the World Series.  Hey! You don't think they would just take the teams with the best records, one each from the National and American Leagues, and play the World Series, as they used to do for many years.  They have to have Wild Card Series which lead to the the next level which eventually leads to the World Series.  Perhaps I missed one of the levels, but you can see that it no longer is like it was when I was a young boy who followed the Phillies!  Back then if you were the best team in the National League and the best team in the American League after regulation league play, you would play in the World Series.  Now you have to win the Wild Card Series, which is the best of three games, to play in the National League Division Series which eventually will lead you into the World Series.  I'm glad that there are so many levels to reach the top this year or my Phillies would have been eliminated a week ago.  Well, my wife Carol and I watched the second game in the best of three Wild Card Series which had the Phils playing the St. Louis Cardinals who had a better record than the Phils.  Didn't matter since the Phils won game one and needed one more win to advance to the next level.  Well, game 2 began and before long Bryce Harper, the Phils DH (designated hitter...which means he only has to bat and not play defense, hit a 435-foot home run.  You know how far that is???  He most certainly was due for a hit such as that in my eyes, but that's another story for another day.  The HR was all the Phillies needed since one of their best pitchers, Aaron Nola, held the Cardinals in check for most of the game with his variety of pitches he offered them.  11:00 pm arrived and the game still hadn't been decided, so Carol and I decided to stay up a bit longer to see if the Phils would score a few more runs.  Eventually the Phils scored another run and by 11: 30 I was able to turn off the TV and close my eyes.  The Phils had won the game and advanced to the next level.  Can hardly wait until Tuesday when they will play the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta to decide whom will move on to the next level.  Eventually the World Series will begin on Friday, October 28....and end by Saturday, November 5.  Just hope it doesn't snow in Philadelphia by that time if they make the World Series.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.