Rich Hofmann: Status, stats still growing for Phillies' NLCS MVP Howard

THE TEMPTATION toward anticlimax exists, absurd as that sounds. The second time around for the Phillies is not the same as the first.

From a distance, the celebrations last year seemed more like destinations. The celebrations this year seem more like steps. The accomplishments last year seemed monumental. The accomplishments this year seem incremental.

The thrills were the same and the ballpark was the same, all red, all rollicking, all roar. When the Phillies got done dismembering the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff last night at Citizens Bank Park, 10-4, the scene was as you would expect. You could have closed your eyes at 11:47 p.m. and still accurately pictured the rush to the mound to greet pitcher Brad Lidge. You have seen it.

You have felt it. You know.

But even with that, there was always something beyond. And now the Phillies' eyes can rightfully focus on what the city's eyes have been focused on for a year. Now they can all look, finally, hungrily, toward another World Series - led by their most valuable player, Ryan Howard, who hit .333 in the National League Championship Series, with two home runs and eight RBI.

On a team of seemingly starving champions, Howard might just have looked the hungriest of all.

"We've still got one more step to go," Howard said, his head covered by a

National League championship hat, his eyes covered by swim goggles, his person covered in champagne.

"It's something I've been saying," he said. "You just try and take it all in stride. The first step is making the playoffs. The second step is trying to get to the National [League] Championship Series. The third step is trying to get to the World

Series. We've achieved our third step. The next step is just going out there and trying to win.

"We've been a confident team all year. We've just believed in ourselves and

we're going to continue to believe in

ourselves."

Howard continues to forge a reputation that likely will endure, long after he is done. This is not to begin a Hall of Fame conversation, because he is miles away from that - and he did get a late start in his career. What this is, simply, is to

acknowledge what everyone has already seen around here: that Howard has become a money player at the money time of the year, and he has just extended that ability as the Phillies have extended their seasons.