Philadelphia Phillies: 3 reasons why the 2008 team was so special

The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies had big moments from role players.

I’m not sure there has been a Phillies team built quite like the 2008 team. Everyone had a role. Like clockwork, everything seemed to go their way.

In those roles, many veterans were able to have big moments. Scott Eyre was used as the lefty specialist out of the bullpen. Although no specific moment truly stands out, he made Charlie Manuel look really good with his bullpen management.

A personal favorite moment of mine came when Matt Stairs hit his NLCS pinch-hit home run at Dodger Stadium. There aren’t too many triumphant moments in sports where I can recall exactly where I was when it happened. When Stairs went yard, I was underage and at an empty bar in New York City sipping on a Coke. His home run was the moment I knew the Phillies were going to win the World Series.

As memorable as Stairs’ home run was, Geoff Jenkins had an even bigger hit. Bad weather had postponed Game 5 in a 2-2 tie. When play resumed, Jenkins got the first crack. He ripped a double. A sacrifice bunt from Rollins and an RBI single from Werth put the team ahead. While the Tampa Bay Rays would tie it back up again, Pedro Feliz had his greatest Phillies hit. A single scored the pinch runner, Bruntlett, from third base.

We like to think it’s the star players that shine the brightest in the postseason. As superb as many of them were, the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies were special. They got some huge moments from their role players, too.