Before Baker began his stentorian journey through Charlie Manuel's Game 162 lineup, he introduced a number of Phillies employees being honored for their fine work. Many of those fine folks had to be mystified by several thunderous ovations that accompanied Dan's perfect enunciation of their names - and by the blizzard of rally-towel waving that accompanied them.
Coincidentally, another run, or two, or three was being posted on the field level, out-of-town scoreboard in rightfield.
Jamie Moyer, 3 years, 4 months and 7 days older than the 41-year-old Glavine, had finished his warmups and was walking in from the bullpen. The Mets trailed by a five-spot. It was 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the Year of Our Manuel 2007. Moyer claims he was unaware when he prepared to throw his first pitch to Nationals leadoff hitter Felipe Lopez that the Mets had dug themselves into a hole deeper than the excavation for their new stadium.
So it was that the first home clinching of a regular-season title in Phillies history, a 6-1 kiss on the lips, defied the immortal words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over until it's over."
How about no worse than "Half over?"
A day that dripped with tension when the sun rose into a cobalt blue sky had lost its menace before MVP-in-waiting Jimmy Rollins greeted righthander Jason Bergmann with a leadoff single, stole bases No. 40 and 41, then skated home on Chase Utley's sacrifice fly. Half the loaf had already been baked. Unless the comatose Mets could knock Lazarus out of the record book with an epic comeback, the worst thing that could happen was a playoff game here this afternoon against a team they had left manacled and supplicant after eight straight floggings.
The Phillies' Day of Jubilo had turned into a champagne brunch for 44,865 crazies who probably screamed themselves to sleep last night.
