Fans have a team worth rooting for

Thank you, Phillies. Thank you for rewarding our patience with an extraordinary baseball team. Thank you for reminding us what a winner is. Thank you for giving us a ballclub worthy of the most loyal fans in sports.

The current edition of the Phillies is the answer to a prayer, a collection of players who not only have exceptional talent, but are not afraid to show it in times of greatest stress. On Monday, it was Jimmy Rollins who turned around a 99-mph fastball and converted an almost-certain loss into an exhilarating victory. Last week, the hero was Ryan Howard. Before that, Cliff Lee.

I wasn’t here for the incredible run of the mid-1970s Flyers, but I can say without hesitation that no team since then has captivated this city the way the Phillies are right now. By the end of this run, they could be regarded as the best sports team in Philadelphia history.

Ever since Monday’s midnight magic, I’ve been trying to pin down what makes this team so special. We have had many gifted clubs since those Broad Street Bullies, but they have all fallen short in the defining moments of a season. What makes this team different? It’s really not that complicated. These Phillies thrive under pressure. In fact, they are 17-5 in the past two postseasons combined.

Think about it for a second. The Sixers fell apart after winning the opening game of the 2001 Finals because they were intimidated by Kobe and Shaq. The Eagles couldn’t even keep track of time — or retain the contents of their stomach — when facing their ultimate challenge in the 2004 Super Bowl. Allen Iverson and Donovan McNabb are entertaining, but they shrink as the spotlight grows brighter.

Ryan Howard doesn’t shrink. He grows into a monster as the games increase in importance. Same for Rollins, who relishes center stage. And even the lesser players — Carlos Ruiz, Pedro Feliz, Matt Stairs — seem to play bigger in October. There is a word for these players. They are called winners.

For a quarter-century, we all fantasized about a team that would do what these Phillies are doing. Team after team had neither the talent nor the character to succeed. We had coaches who couldn’t coach, players who either couldn’t or wouldn’t play, and owners too busy counting their money to bother with championships.

None of these issues haunt the current Phillies. The manager, Charlie Manuel, creates the atmosphere for success. The players can play and will play. And the owners — anonymous, for the most part — are spending the money and reaping the benefits.

For all of these reasons, I say thank you, Phillies. We have waited a long time for a team like this.

– Angelo Cataldi is host of 610 WIP’s Morning Show. He can be heard every day from 5:30 to 10 a.m. 

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