The end arrived for this year's Phillies on Wednesday night in the Bronx. As Rollins, Utley and Howard packed their equipment in the losing clubhouse, a thought arose.
These guys aren't kids anymore.
Rollins has joked about looking in the mirror and thinking he looks old.
Utley has a few flecks of gray hair. (It happens to the best of 'em, Chase.)
Howard is two weeks away from hitting the Big Three-Oh.
Rollins and Utley are already there. They will both turn 31 before the New Year.
We're not suggesting these guys are old, but, baseball-wise, they are into their middle-age years.
So are Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz. Their opening day ages next season will be 30 and 31. Raul Ibanez's will be 37. If Pedro Feliz returns at third next season (the Phils have until early next week to decide if they'll pick up his contract option), the team will have just one position-player starter under 30 on opening day - Shane Victorino, 29.
As the off-season of 2009-10 begins, the Phillies are not necessarily a team in transition, but those days are not far away.
The Phils remind us of that great new car you always wanted. There's still a lot of good motoring left, but the miles are piling up. Maintenance is more important than ever. Change the oil every 3,000 miles. Get a brake job. Replace the clutch.
Stay on top of all this - you know, improve the bullpen, get another starting pitcher (maybe homegrown Kyle Drabek sometime next summer), upgrade the bench - and this car will keep winning.
After his team's World Series exit, manager Charlie Manuel said: "We will be back."
Rollins, who has said he'd like to see the Phillies put together a little dynasty, said he believes that is still possible.
