After all this waiting, welcome to the brink, Philadelphia.
"Best thing to happen to this city in 25 years," declared banker Chris Rumbos, 53, of Mount Laurel, making the easiest call yet of this World Series.
As was the case with Ryan Howard's towering, game-changing home run in the fourth inning - his first of two in the game - could there be any doubt?
Last night's 10-2 win both beat the devil out of the Tampa Bay Rays and put the Phillies in place to exorcise a quarter-century's worth of anxieties for their fans - with a championship that could be won at home, no less.
After J.C. Romero's game-ending strikeout of Rocco Baldelli, Rich Kollender, 39, and his son Ben, 7, stood marveling in upper-deck seats as the stadium erupted with cheers.
Rich adopted the Phillies when he moved here 20 years ago, with no way of knowing how long the drought between titles would run. Now, the Blue Bell venture capitalist doesn't mind the suffering so much.
"Totally worth it," Kollender said "This is just awesome for this city."
Tonight, the team brings a 3-1 series lead and ace Cole Hamels into the clinching game before the full house of full-throated Phanatics.
Tomorrow, the city may see the first championship parade planning of a deprived generation's lifetime.
"I just have memories of losing," said Ryan Dahn, 19, of South Orange, N.J., a Phillies devotee, like his father.
Dahn, a Princeton student, was too young in 1993 to remember the Phils' World Series appearance that year.
Last night, he and college friend Steve Baldassano, 19, of Ambler, called themselves lucky to be standing behind the outfield rail over the Citizens Bank Park bullpens to watch the Phillies' bats finally revive. "They can do some good things against this guy," assessed Baldassano, accurately, after Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine showed an early wildness.
Sure enough, Sonnanstine lasted only four innings, and Baldassano and Dahn have a midsemester break from classes to toast the prediction.
After Howard's first home run, which opened up a 5-1 lead for the Phils, Patrick and Christie Walters of East Windsor, N.J., were gleeful in standing-room spots along the first-base line. Kristie, 28, jumped and shouted with joy, and Patrick, 31, recalled the last time he saw the Phillies in a World Series.
"I came in 1993, Game 3," Patrick said, shaking his head for a moment in memory of that 10-3 loss. "Game 4 in 2008 is much better."
