Though some Phillies assert that 2007 is ancient history, Ryan Howard still tastes the bitterness of that sudden exit.
"It's in the back of our minds," the first baseman acknowledged. "We remember what happened in '07, and we're going to go out there and try not to let history repeat itself."
The Phillies redeemed themselves by winning the World Series last year, which buries 2007's dismal showing even deeper in the memory bank.
"That was 2 years ago," second baseman Chase Utley said. "No matter who we're playing in the first round, we're going to go out there and fight."
Still, they wouldn't be human if they didn't remember being outscored and outexecuted by a Rockies club that went on to sweep Arizona in the NLCS before being swept themselves by the Red Sox in the World Series.
Indeed, before and during last year's championship run, a number of Phillies mentioned how losing to the Rockies actually served as a helpful lesson in postseason baseball. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins mentioned yesterday how the Phillies are better prepared today to deal with the rigors of October than they were at this time 2 years ago.
"We all have a real good idea of how to approach things," he explained. "It still is baseball, but the concentration level that it is going to take to perform on this stage . . . I think that comes only with experience; knowing how to go about handling yourself and being mentally prepared."
And if they can exact a measure of revenge for 2007's early exit, that would be fine with the superstar first baseman.
