The Phillies are National League champs, and the blogs weigh in

Game 5 of the NLCS had a few anxious moments, but for the most part the Phillies cruised. After the game, the team looked supremely pleased. It’s clear they wanted to win last night for their manager. Buster Olney explains:

It was tremendous to see the way the Philadelphia players responded to Charlie Manuel after the Phillies clinched the NL championship Wednesday night, each of them giving him a hug. Jimmy Rollins gave him a heartfelt hug, and then the two shared words, and another hug. Having lost my own mother two years ago, I am so relieved for Charlie that he can fly home to bury his Mom without having to worry about baseball the next couple of days.

I’ve Made a Huge, Tiny Mistake has a bunch of pics of Brad Lidge jumping up and down like a crazed monkey.

Phillies Nation links to Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas calling the last out of the NLCS, and blogger Tim Malcolm shares this tidbit:

I had a dream last night.

No, no, it wasn’t a dream about winning the World Series. Actually, I dreamed I was at a bonfire, and Charlie Manuel was there. I thanked him for the wonderful managing job he did in 2008, and he accepted it wholeheartedly. Then he taught me hitting — in an office, no less — by tossing cough drops at me as I waited with a bat.

The Good Phight offers apologies to members of the Phillies front office, including the man, the myth, the legend, former GM Ed Wade:

Ed Wade: This team, in large part, is your team.  You always resisted trading away young stars at the trading deadline, and now the team is made up of those young stars in the prime of their careers.  Five of the starting eight — Pat Burrell, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz — were all homegrown products of your time as GM.  On the pitching side, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Ryan Madson were part of your drafts and have been key parts of the run in 2008.

Finally, Crashburn Alley sums it all up with the simple opening line, “As hard as it may be to believe, the Philadelphia Phillies are the National League representatives in the World Series. Pinch yourself to validate that this is not a dream.”