2008 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series
between the American
and National League
s for the championship of Major League Baseball
. The Philadelphia Phillies
as champions of the National League
and the Tampa Bay Rays
, as American League champions
, competed to win four games out of a possible seven.
The Series began on Wednesday, October 22, and (after weather delays had postponed the end of Game 5) concluded the following Wednesday, October 29. The American League's 4–3 win in the 2008 All-Star Game
gave the Rays home field advantage for the series, meaning no more than three games would be played at the Phillies' stadium, Citizens Bank Park
. The Phillies won their second championship in their 126-year history, taking the series four games to one and brought the city of Philadelphia a championship after 25 years. This was the first postseason series lost by a Major League Baseball team based in the state of Florida; previously, the Rays and Florida Marlins
were 8–0 in post-season series.
The Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the National League's Divisional
and Championship Series
, respectively. The team won its position in the playoffs
after its second consecutive National League East
title. This was the Phillies' first World Series appearance in fifteen years. The Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the World Series after defeating the Chicago White Sox
and the Boston Red Sox
in the American League's Division
and Championship Series
, respectively. The team earned its first trip to the postseason in franchise history after winning the American League East
title, only one season after finishing in last place. Since each team had come first in its respective division during the regular season, this was the first Series since 2001 without a wild-card team.
with a 9–6 record following the midseason hiatus. The Phillies posted the best road record in the National League
, at 44–37. Philadelphia traded sweeps with the Los Angeles Dodgers
in August and went 13–3 in their last 16 games, to win National League East
title for the second consecutive season. They defeated the Milwaukee Brewers
in the Division Series
3–1, and the Dodgers in the Championship Series
, 4–1 to book their place in the 2008 Fall Classic. This was the Phillies' first World Series appearance in fifteen years.
(the last Monday in May) after finishing in last place the previous season. The team went 16–10 in June, but lost seven consecutive games leading up to the All-Star break. In August, the Rays lost seven games to finish out the month with an overall record of 84–51. The team concluded the season, albeit with a 13–14 record in September, by winning the American League East
title for the first time in franchise history. The Rays beat the Chicago White Sox
3–1 in the American League Division Series
. In the American League Championship Series
, Tampa Bay defeated the Boston Red Sox
in seven games (4–3), to advance to their first World Series in franchise history.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at Tropicana Field
in St. Petersburg, Florida
The Philadelphia Phillies scored the first runs of the Series when Chase Utley
hit a home run
with Jayson Werth
on base in the top of the first inning. The Phillies loaded the bases in the second inning, but were unable to score when Shane Victorino
was thrown out at home plate by B. J. Upton
. The Tampa Bay Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning; however, Upton grounded into an inning-ending double play
and the score remained 2–0. The Phillies extended their lead when Carlos Ruiz batted in Victorino in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning, a solo home run from Carl Crawford
pulled the Rays within two runs. The Rays added their second run the following inning when a double by Akinori Iwamura
scored Jason Bartlett. Tampa Bay starting pitcher Scott Kazmir
was removed after six innings; J. P. Howell and Grant Balfour
combined to shut out the Phillies for 1⅓ innings. Ryan Madson
relieved Phillies' starter Cole Hamels
in the eighth inning, pitching a single perfect inning. In the top of the ninth inning, two Phillies' runners reached base. Tampa Bay's Trever Miller
was brought on and threw four pitches—striking out Ryan Howard
—before he was relieved. Philadelphia stranded two runners, on second and third base, and entered the bottom of the ninth inning ahead by one run. Philadelphia's Brad Lidge
struck out the first two batters he faced and retired the third batter to get the save.
Tampa Bay scored the first runs of the game in the first inning when Akinori Iwamura and B. J. Upton scored on consecutive ground outs by Carlos Pena
and Evan Longoria
respectively. The following inning Upton singled, scoring Dioner Navarro
. Rocco Baldelli
attempted to score from second base, but was thrown out by right fielder Jayson Werth, keeping the Rays lead at 3–0. Cliff Floyd
extended the Rays lead to four runs after leading off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single, advancing to third base, and scoring on a Jason Bartlett sacrifice bunt. Rays starter James Shields shut out the Phillies through 5⅔ innings, before being relieved by Dan Wheeler
who pitched an additional scoreless inning. Eric Bruntlett
hit a home run in the top of the eighth inning to bring the score to 4–1. The Phillies added a second run in the top of the ninth inning, but were unable to score any more runs; Tampa Bay's win tied the Series at one game apiece.
Saturday, October 25, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The third game of the Series was delayed for an hour and 31 minutes because of rain. Country music star Tim McGraw
, son of Phillies reliever Tug McGraw
, spread his father's ashes on the pitching mound of Citizens Bank Park, prior to the game's start. The Phillies scored in the bottom of the first inning after Jimmy Rollins
led off with a single and eventually scored when Chase Utley
grounded out. In the next half inning, Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford
doubled, stole third base and scored on a Gabe Gross
sacrifice fly to center field. Carlos Ruiz gave the Phillies their second lead of the night when he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Starting pitchers Matt Garza
and Jamie Moyer
pitched six and 6⅓ innings respectively. The 2–1 score remained unchanged until the sixth inning when Chase Utley and Ryan Howard
hit the 14th back-to-back home runs in World Series history. Crawford scored his second run of the game in the top of the seventh inning when he was batted in by Gross again. Dioner Navarro
continued the rally by scoring on a Jason Bartlett ground out—bringing the score to 4–3. In the top of the eighth inning, B.J. Upton led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error to tie the game. Eric Bruntlett
was hit by a pitch
leading off the bottom of the ninth, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a throwing error. Tampa Bay intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases hoping to turn a triple-play and prevent a run from scoring, and brought in Ben Zobrist
from right field to play as a fifth infielder in front of second base. However, Bruntlett scored the winning run on Ruiz's 45-foot infield single, the first walkoff infield single in World Series history, giving the Phillies a 2–1 lead in the series.
Philadelphia took a 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Jimmy Rollins
led off with a double and scored when Pat Burrell
later walked with the bases loaded. The Phillies doubled their lead in the third inning when Chase Utley
reached base on a fielding error and scored on Pedro Feliz
's single. The Rays scored their first run when Carl Crawford hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Howard's three-run home run in the bottom of the inning brought the score to 5–1. Tampa Bay's Eric Hinske
hit a pinch-hit
home run to bring the Rays within three runs, but Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton responded with a home run of his own to re-extend the lead to four; it was the first time a pitcher hit a home run since Ken Holtzman
in the fourth game of the 1974 Fall Classic. Blanton pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits to acquire his first win of the Series. Jayson Werth hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning—the Phillies third of the game—to bring the score to 8–2. Later in the inning Ryan Howard's second home run, and fifth RBI, increased the Phillies lead to eight runs. Philadelphia's four relief pitcher
s combined for three shutout innings, giving up one hit. Due to the late completion of the previous game, Games 3 and 4 each ended on the same calendar day.
Monday, October 27, 2008 (started) and Wednesday, October 29 (completed) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia scored in the first inning for the third consecutive game, taking a 2–0 lead when Shane Victorino batted in Jayson Werth and Chase Utley. Tampa Bay cut the lead in half in the fourth inning; Carlos Peña doubled and was batted in on Evan Longoria
's single, both players' first hits of the Series. The Rays then tied the game in the sixth inning when B. J. Upton scored from second base on a Peña single. The game was suspended after the top of the sixth inning due to rain, making it the first game in World Series history not to be played through to completion or declared a tie.
After the game was suspended, umpiring crew chief Tim Tschida
told reporters that he and his crew ordered the players off the field because the wind and rain threatened to make the game "comical." Chase Utley agreed, saying that by the middle of the sixth inning, "the infield was basically underwater." Rain continued to fall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, further postponing the game to Wednesday, October 29.
The game resumed with the Phillies batting in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins
led off with a double and was bunted to third by Rollins. Jayson Werth then batted in Jenkins to take the lead for the Phillies, 3–2. In the top of the seventh inning, Rocco Baldelli re-tied the game at three runs with a solo home run. Later in the inning, Utley faked a throw to first, then threw Bartlett out at home for the third out in a play later described as having saved the Series for the Phillies. In the bottom of the seventh, Pat Burrell
led off with a double. Eric Bruntlett, pinch-running for Burrell, scored on a single by Pedro Feliz to put the Phillies up by a run again, 4–3. In the top of the ninth, Brad Lidge
gave up a single and a stolen base, but was able to strike out Eric Hinske
to win the World Series for the Phillies.
Under normal conditions, games are considered to be official games after five innings, or four and a half if the home team is leading at that point. However, post-season games are operated by the Commissioner's
Office, thus are subject to the Commissioner's discretion of how to handle the scheduling of the games. So, with rain in the forecast for Philadelphia, Commissioner Bud Selig
informed both the Rays and the Phillies management before the game began that a team would not be allowed to clinch the Series in a rain-shortened game.
Because of the rainfall, Game 5 was suspended after the top of the sixth inning. Rain continued to fall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 28, and the game ultimately resumed on Wednesday, October 29, at Citizens Bank Park. Official MLB records will show that even though the game was finished on October 29, the game was officially played two days earlier, and was completed on that date.
This was the first game in World Series history to be suspended
. There had been three tied games
in the history of the World Series: 1907, 1912, and 1922, all of them called due to darkness. In general, no ties would be needed under modern rules, which provide for suspension of a tied game and resumption of it at the next possible date. Weather has caused numerous delays and postponements in Series history (notable postponements beforehand coming in 1911, 1962, 1975, 1986, 1996 and 2006), but never any suspended games before 2008.
Although not officially a suspended game, the most notorious postponement of a World Series due to natural events was the 1989 World Series
in which the start of Game 3 was delayed ten days, the longest in World Series history, due to the Loma Prieta earthquake striking the San Francisco Bay Area
.
Several Nevada sports betting agencies treated the suspended game as a completed game and a win for the Phillies on Monday, October 27. Under Nevada house rules, the final score of a baseball game is determined by reverting to the last completed full inning, and the Phillies led 2–1 at the end of the fifth inning. Game 5 side bets on Philadelphia were paid off while bets on totals and run-line bets were refunded.
During the following offseason, Selig's interpretation of the rules became codified, as the 30 Major League Baseball club owners approved a rule change stipulating that all "postseason games and games added to the regular season to determine qualifiers for the postseason" become suspended game
s if they are called before nine innings are played, regardless of whether the game would otherwise qualify as an official game
, or the score at the time the game is called. The game is resumed when conditions permit at the same location from the point of suspension.
) defeated the Tampa Bay Rays (American League
champions) by four games to one, played in St. Petersburg
and Philadelphia from Wednesday, October 22 to Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
Sunday, October 26). Game 5, begun on Monday, October 27, was suspended after 5½ innings and resumed Wednesday, October 29. Wet weather which affected Game 5 continued into Tuesday in the Philadelphia area, as Major League Baseball officials studied radar data to determine when Game 5 of the World Series would continue under conditions deemed "appropriate." Up to this point, there had never been a rain-shortened game in Series history, and this was the first suspension. As a result, had it been necessary to play them, Games 6 and 7 in St. Petersburg, originally scheduled for October 29 and October 30, were postponed until a later date.
With temperatures plummeting to the mid-40s Fahrenheit and a cold rain falling at Citizens Bank Park, some of the Phillies and Rays players opted for an "Elmer Fudd
" look, wearing specially made caps with built-in ear flaps. The caps, manufactured by New Era
, were introduced during this year's spring training
but were not used on the field until Game 5. New Era also supplied regular ball caps to both teams, which some players continued to wear despite the cold weather.
The games were televised on Fox in the United States
with Joe Buck
and Tim McCarver
(himself a former Phillies broadcaster) as booth announcers and Chris Myers
and Ken Rosenthal
as field reporters. Jeanne Zelasko
hosted the pre-game and post-game show with Kevin Kennedy
and Mark Grace (Games 1, 2) or Eric Karros (Games 3, 4, 5). Fox Sports en Español
did the simulcast of the Series in Spanish with Angel Torres
, Miguel Morales and Cos Villa behind the microphones. Fox's broadcasts were also streamed online at MLB.com
.
On radio, the Series was broadcast nationally by ESPN Radio with Jon Miller
and Joe Morgan
announcing, and a Spanish broadcast on ESPN Deportes Radio
. Locally, Dave Wills, Andy Freed
, Dewayne Staats
and Joe Magrane
called the Series in English
for the Rays on WHNZ-AM
in Tampa, with Ricardo Tavaras and Enrique Oliu working the Spanish broadcast on St. Petersburg's WGES-AM
. Harry Kalas
, Scott Franzke
, Larry Andersen, and Chris Wheeler
called the Phillies' English broadcasts on WPHT-AM
in Philadelphia, with Spanish announcers Danny Martinez, Bill Kulik and Juan Ramos on WUBA-AM. Following their contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts. MLB.com also carried the local radio broadcasts for online streaming, while XM Satellite Radio
aired the local and national feeds to its subscribers. For Harry Kalas, this series brought together a father and son calling the series for different teams, with his son, Todd
, calling the Series in English for the Rays.
For international viewers, MLB International televised the game with commentators Rick Sutcliffe and Dave O'Brien. This feed was also carried to U.S. service personnel stationed around the globe via the American Forces Network
.
Game 1 was watched by 10.1 million viewers in the United States; Commissioner Bud Selig
stated he was satisfied with the ratings. Overall viewership was 25% lower than the previous World Series. The overall national Nielsen rating for the five games was 8.4, tied with the 2010 World Series
for the event's lowest-ever TV rating.
This World Series win had significance for McCarver and Harry Kalas. Both were Phillies broadcasters in , but neither one could call the final out. McCarver was a backup commentator for Game of the Week
on NBC, but he was not part of the broadcast team that called the final out. For Kalas, MLB radio-broadcasting regulations forbade local stations from producing live coverage of World Series games, instead forcing them to air the national CBS Radio
feed of the games, prompting MLB to change the rules the following year because of what happened in 1980. In 2008, both called the Phillies' World Series win.
In Game 2, home plate umpire Kerwin Danley
appealed a call to the first base umpire after calling strike three; the first base umpire called ball four to award the Rays' Rocco Baldelli
a walk. Baldelli indicated that the calls did not come up in the locker room, and he did not believe they had an effect on the results.
In Game 3, Phillies' pitcher Jamie Moyer
threw the ball to Ryan Howard
to force out the Rays' Carl Crawford
at first base, despite umpire Tom Hallion
calling Crawford safe in the game. In Game 4, Evan Longoria
tagged Rollins at third base, though umpire Tim Welke
had ruled Rollins safe. The league admitted these errors between Games 4 and 5.
The Phillies' second World Series championship brought about a series of firsts, not just for them, but for Philadelphia. In winning their first championship since , the Phillies brought the city of Philadelphia
its first major professional sports championship since the 76ers
swept the 1983 NBA Finals
.
In summing up the firsts and given how long the city's sports fans have waited, Phillies President David Montgomery
said that "our first name is Philadelphia," and he and manager Charlie Manuel
dedicated the championship to the city of Philadelphia and the fans. Manuel also dedicated the championship to his mother, who died on the day of Game 2 of the NLCS
. Phil Sheridan of The Philadelphia Inquirer
said that the 25 years without a championship "helped define this city as a sports town for way too long. It was long enough to turn passion too often to anger. Maybe this championship will turn the vinegar back into wine," and said that the fans "waited forever and a day."
On Halloween
, October 31, approximately two million lined Broad Street
for a ticker-tape parade, making it the largest gathering for a championship parade in Philadelphia since the Flyers
won the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals. This parade had significance for Phillies Pitcher Jamie Moyer
and Phillies Broadcaster Harry Kalas
, as they both were at the 1980 parade. Moyer grew up in the Philadelphia area as a Phillies fan and whose childhood hero was Steve Carlton
, a member of the 1980 team, and whom he won against in his first Major League start. He was at both of the Phillies World Series parades, skipping school to attend in 1980, and as a pitcher in 2008. Kalas was at both parades, as a broadcaster for the Phillies. When comparing to the parade to the one in 1980, he told WCAU-TV
that "this is bigger...the biggest I've ever seen."
In 2010, Philadelphia sports fans picked both of the Phillies' World Series wins as the two greatest moments in Philadelphia sports, picking the 2008 championship as the greatest moment.
The Phillies returned to the World Series in , the first defending champion to return to the Series since the 2001 New York Yankees
. During that season
they finished first in the National League East with a 93–69 mark, and eliminated the Rockies
and the Dodgers
in the NL playoffs. They would lose to the Yankees in six games.
, celebrating their 2008 season.
Mayor Rick Baker
said that the rally "really needed to be done. There was so much demand in the community. They didn't win the World Series but they won the AL. And we want to celebrate that and thank them." He and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio
addressed the fans during the rally.
Though the Rays missed the playoffs in 2009, they earned a winning record of 84–78, placing them third behind the Red Sox and eventual champion Yankees.
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
between the American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
s for the championship of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. The Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as champions of the National League
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
and the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, as American League champions
2008 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 10, 2008 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FloridaBoston won a pitcher's duel on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie in the fifth and an RBI double by Kevin Youkilis in the eighth. Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was nearly unhittable in Game 1 of the 2008 ALCS. He held the Rays hitless...
, competed to win four games out of a possible seven.
The Series began on Wednesday, October 22, and (after weather delays had postponed the end of Game 5) concluded the following Wednesday, October 29. The American League's 4–3 win in the 2008 All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
gave the Rays home field advantage for the series, meaning no more than three games would be played at the Phillies' stadium, Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
. The Phillies won their second championship in their 126-year history, taking the series four games to one and brought the city of Philadelphia a championship after 25 years. This was the first postseason series lost by a Major League Baseball team based in the state of Florida; previously, the Rays and Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
were 8–0 in post-season series.
The Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the National League's Divisional
2008 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 1:Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to...
and Championship Series
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
, respectively. The team won its position in the playoffs
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
after its second consecutive National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title. This was the Phillies' first World Series appearance in fifteen years. The Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the World Series after defeating the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the American League's Division
2008 American League Division Series
-Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox:-Game 1, October 1:Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CaliforniaIn a re-match of last year's ALDS, starters Jon Lester and John Lackey were sharp early on, each tossing a couple of scoreless innings. The Angels finally got on the board in the third, when...
and Championship Series
2008 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 10, 2008 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FloridaBoston won a pitcher's duel on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie in the fifth and an RBI double by Kevin Youkilis in the eighth. Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was nearly unhittable in Game 1 of the 2008 ALCS. He held the Rays hitless...
, respectively. The team earned its first trip to the postseason in franchise history after winning the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
title, only one season after finishing in last place. Since each team had come first in its respective division during the regular season, this was the first Series since 2001 without a wild-card team.
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia opened the season by posting a winning record in the opening month of April. The team scored 60 runs over a five game span in late May and went 14–4 into the beginning of June. The team lost 9 of 11 games to end June, but came out of the All-Star break2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
with a 9–6 record following the midseason hiatus. The Phillies posted the best road record in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, at 44–37. Philadelphia traded sweeps with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in August and went 13–3 in their last 16 games, to win National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title for the second consecutive season. They defeated the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the Division Series
2008 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 1:Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to...
3–1, and the Dodgers in the Championship Series
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
, 4–1 to book their place in the 2008 Fall Classic. This was the Phillies' first World Series appearance in fifteen years.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays also began the season with a winning record in the opening month of April. The Rays became the first team since 1903 to have the league's best record on Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
(the last Monday in May) after finishing in last place the previous season. The team went 16–10 in June, but lost seven consecutive games leading up to the All-Star break. In August, the Rays lost seven games to finish out the month with an overall record of 84–51. The team concluded the season, albeit with a 13–14 record in September, by winning the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
title for the first time in franchise history. The Rays beat the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
3–1 in the American League Division Series
2008 American League Division Series
-Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox:-Game 1, October 1:Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CaliforniaIn a re-match of last year's ALDS, starters Jon Lester and John Lackey were sharp early on, each tossing a couple of scoreless innings. The Angels finally got on the board in the third, when...
. In the American League Championship Series
2008 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 10, 2008 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FloridaBoston won a pitcher's duel on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie in the fifth and an RBI double by Kevin Youkilis in the eighth. Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was nearly unhittable in Game 1 of the 2008 ALCS. He held the Rays hitless...
, Tampa Bay defeated the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in seven games (4–3), to advance to their first World Series in franchise history.
Game 1
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
The Philadelphia Phillies scored the first runs of the Series when Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
hit a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
with Jayson Werth
Jayson Werth
Jayson Richard Gowan Werth is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right-handed.-Background:Werth was born in...
on base in the top of the first inning. The Phillies loaded the bases in the second inning, but were unable to score when Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
was thrown out at home plate by B. J. Upton
B. J. Upton
Melvin Emmanuel "B. J." Upton is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Upton is a graduate of Greenbrier Christian Academy....
. The Tampa Bay Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning; however, Upton grounded into an inning-ending double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
and the score remained 2–0. The Phillies extended their lead when Carlos Ruiz batted in Victorino in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning, a solo home run from Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
pulled the Rays within two runs. The Rays added their second run the following inning when a double by Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura is a Japanese Major League Baseball infielder, who is currently with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League...
scored Jason Bartlett. Tampa Bay starting pitcher Scott Kazmir
Scott Kazmir
Scott Edward Kazmir is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Kazmir made his Major League debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004 when he was only 20 years old and at one time held many of the franchise's career pitching records...
was removed after six innings; J. P. Howell and Grant Balfour
Grant Balfour
Grant Robert Balfour is a relief pitcher who plays for the Oakland Athletics. He has previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers.-Early life:...
combined to shut out the Phillies for 1⅓ innings. Ryan Madson
Ryan Madson
Ryan Michael Madson , nicknamed "Mad Dog", is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a currently a free agent...
relieved Phillies' starter Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
in the eighth inning, pitching a single perfect inning. In the top of the ninth inning, two Phillies' runners reached base. Tampa Bay's Trever Miller
Trever Miller
Trever Douglas Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-High school:...
was brought on and threw four pitches—striking out Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
—before he was relieved. Philadelphia stranded two runners, on second and third base, and entered the bottom of the ninth inning ahead by one run. Philadelphia's Brad Lidge
Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
struck out the first two batters he faced and retired the third batter to get the save.
Game 2
Thursday, October 23, 2008 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FloridaTampa Bay scored the first runs of the game in the first inning when Akinori Iwamura and B. J. Upton scored on consecutive ground outs by Carlos Pena
Carlos Peña
Carlos Felipe Peña is a Dominican professional baseball left-handed first baseman. He played previously with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.Although he was born in Santo Domingo and his family is from San Francisco de Macorís,...
and Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...
respectively. The following inning Upton singled, scoring Dioner Navarro
Dioner Navarro
Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher, who is a free agent.-New York Yankees:In 2000, Navarro was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent...
. Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Dan Baldelli is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. Because of his excellent size and speed, and in reference to his hometown, he was nicknamed, "The Woonsocket Rocket," early in his professional career...
attempted to score from second base, but was thrown out by right fielder Jayson Werth, keeping the Rays lead at 3–0. Cliff Floyd
Cliff Floyd
Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early years:Floyd was born to parents Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Sr. and Olivia Floyd. After spending 13 years as an only child, Floyd was joined by brother Julius...
extended the Rays lead to four runs after leading off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single, advancing to third base, and scoring on a Jason Bartlett sacrifice bunt. Rays starter James Shields shut out the Phillies through 5⅔ innings, before being relieved by Dan Wheeler
Dan Wheeler
Daniel Michael Wheeler is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:...
who pitched an additional scoreless inning. Eric Bruntlett
Eric Bruntlett
Eric Kevin Bruntlett is a retired Major League Baseball utility player who last played in the New York Yankees organization. He was known for his defensive versatility; he usually played second base or shortstop, but has also played left field. Bruntlett played every position except for catcher...
hit a home run in the top of the eighth inning to bring the score to 4–1. The Phillies added a second run in the top of the ninth inning, but were unable to score any more runs; Tampa Bay's win tied the Series at one game apiece.
Game 3
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The third game of the Series was delayed for an hour and 31 minutes because of rain. Country music star Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
, son of Phillies reliever Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
, spread his father's ashes on the pitching mound of Citizens Bank Park, prior to the game's start. The Phillies scored in the bottom of the first inning after Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
led off with a single and eventually scored when Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
grounded out. In the next half inning, Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
doubled, stole third base and scored on a Gabe Gross
Gabe Gross
Gabriel Jordan "Gabe" Gross is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL...
sacrifice fly to center field. Carlos Ruiz gave the Phillies their second lead of the night when he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Starting pitchers Matt Garza
Matt Garza
Matthew Scott Garza is a United States professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-Amateur career:He attended Washington Union High School and Fresno State.-Minnesota Twins:...
and Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
pitched six and 6⅓ innings respectively. The 2–1 score remained unchanged until the sixth inning when Chase Utley and Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
hit the 14th back-to-back home runs in World Series history. Crawford scored his second run of the game in the top of the seventh inning when he was batted in by Gross again. Dioner Navarro
Dioner Navarro
Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher, who is a free agent.-New York Yankees:In 2000, Navarro was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent...
continued the rally by scoring on a Jason Bartlett ground out—bringing the score to 4–3. In the top of the eighth inning, B.J. Upton led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error to tie the game. Eric Bruntlett
Eric Bruntlett
Eric Kevin Bruntlett is a retired Major League Baseball utility player who last played in the New York Yankees organization. He was known for his defensive versatility; he usually played second base or shortstop, but has also played left field. Bruntlett played every position except for catcher...
was hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
leading off the bottom of the ninth, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a throwing error. Tampa Bay intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases hoping to turn a triple-play and prevent a run from scoring, and brought in Ben Zobrist
Ben Zobrist
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Zobrist is an American baseball player currently with Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. A switch-hitter who throws right-handed, he has exhibited a versatility to play most positions with the exception of pitcher and catcher. He has been the Rays' starting second...
from right field to play as a fifth infielder in front of second base. However, Bruntlett scored the winning run on Ruiz's 45-foot infield single, the first walkoff infield single in World Series history, giving the Phillies a 2–1 lead in the series.
Game 4
Sunday, October 26, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia took a 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
led off with a double and scored when Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
later walked with the bases loaded. The Phillies doubled their lead in the third inning when Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
reached base on a fielding error and scored on Pedro Feliz
Pedro Feliz
Pedro Julio Feliz is a Dominican Republic minor league baseball third baseman for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Feliz has hit 20 or more home runs in four of his first five seasons as a starting third baseman and is an above average fielder at third base...
's single. The Rays scored their first run when Carl Crawford hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Howard's three-run home run in the bottom of the inning brought the score to 5–1. Tampa Bay's Eric Hinske
Eric Hinske
Eric Scott Hinske is a Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and third baseman currently an Atlanta Braves organization...
hit a pinch-hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
home run to bring the Rays within three runs, but Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton responded with a home run of his own to re-extend the lead to four; it was the first time a pitcher hit a home run since Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
in the fourth game of the 1974 Fall Classic. Blanton pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits to acquire his first win of the Series. Jayson Werth hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning—the Phillies third of the game—to bring the score to 8–2. Later in the inning Ryan Howard's second home run, and fifth RBI, increased the Phillies lead to eight runs. Philadelphia's four relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
s combined for three shutout innings, giving up one hit. Due to the late completion of the previous game, Games 3 and 4 each ended on the same calendar day.
Game 5
Philadelphia scored in the first inning for the third consecutive game, taking a 2–0 lead when Shane Victorino batted in Jayson Werth and Chase Utley. Tampa Bay cut the lead in half in the fourth inning; Carlos Peña doubled and was batted in on Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...
's single, both players' first hits of the Series. The Rays then tied the game in the sixth inning when B. J. Upton scored from second base on a Peña single. The game was suspended after the top of the sixth inning due to rain, making it the first game in World Series history not to be played through to completion or declared a tie.
After the game was suspended, umpiring crew chief Tim Tschida
Tim Tschida
Timothy Joseph Tschida is an umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League's full-time staff in 1986, and has worked in both major leagues since 2000....
told reporters that he and his crew ordered the players off the field because the wind and rain threatened to make the game "comical." Chase Utley agreed, saying that by the middle of the sixth inning, "the infield was basically underwater." Rain continued to fall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, further postponing the game to Wednesday, October 29.
The game resumed with the Phillies batting in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins
Geoff Jenkins
Geoff Jenkins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. He previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers from until and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008...
led off with a double and was bunted to third by Rollins. Jayson Werth then batted in Jenkins to take the lead for the Phillies, 3–2. In the top of the seventh inning, Rocco Baldelli re-tied the game at three runs with a solo home run. Later in the inning, Utley faked a throw to first, then threw Bartlett out at home for the third out in a play later described as having saved the Series for the Phillies. In the bottom of the seventh, Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
led off with a double. Eric Bruntlett, pinch-running for Burrell, scored on a single by Pedro Feliz to put the Phillies up by a run again, 4–3. In the top of the ninth, Brad Lidge
Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
gave up a single and a stolen base, but was able to strike out Eric Hinske
Eric Hinske
Eric Scott Hinske is a Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and third baseman currently an Atlanta Braves organization...
to win the World Series for the Phillies.
Implications of the suspension
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Office, thus are subject to the Commissioner's discretion of how to handle the scheduling of the games. So, with rain in the forecast for Philadelphia, Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
informed both the Rays and the Phillies management before the game began that a team would not be allowed to clinch the Series in a rain-shortened game.
Because of the rainfall, Game 5 was suspended after the top of the sixth inning. Rain continued to fall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 28, and the game ultimately resumed on Wednesday, October 29, at Citizens Bank Park. Official MLB records will show that even though the game was finished on October 29, the game was officially played two days earlier, and was completed on that date.
This was the first game in World Series history to be suspended
Suspended game
A suspended game in Major League Baseball occurs when a game has to be stopped before it can be completed. When a game is suspended, the remainder of the game is to be completed at a later date....
. There had been three tied games
Tie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
in the history of the World Series: 1907, 1912, and 1922, all of them called due to darkness. In general, no ties would be needed under modern rules, which provide for suspension of a tied game and resumption of it at the next possible date. Weather has caused numerous delays and postponements in Series history (notable postponements beforehand coming in 1911, 1962, 1975, 1986, 1996 and 2006), but never any suspended games before 2008.
Although not officially a suspended game, the most notorious postponement of a World Series due to natural events was the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
in which the start of Game 3 was delayed ten days, the longest in World Series history, due to the Loma Prieta earthquake striking the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Several Nevada sports betting agencies treated the suspended game as a completed game and a win for the Phillies on Monday, October 27. Under Nevada house rules, the final score of a baseball game is determined by reverting to the last completed full inning, and the Phillies led 2–1 at the end of the fifth inning. Game 5 side bets on Philadelphia were paid off while bets on totals and run-line bets were refunded.
During the following offseason, Selig's interpretation of the rules became codified, as the 30 Major League Baseball club owners approved a rule change stipulating that all "postseason games and games added to the regular season to determine qualifiers for the postseason" become suspended game
Suspended game
A suspended game in Major League Baseball occurs when a game has to be stopped before it can be completed. When a game is suspended, the remainder of the game is to be completed at a later date....
s if they are called before nine innings are played, regardless of whether the game would otherwise qualify as an official game
Official game
An official game in baseball, also sometimes called a regulation game, is a game that has progressed beyond the point at which it can be considered complete if necessary. This is approximately the halfway point of the game...
, or the score at the time the game is called. The game is resumed when conditions permit at the same location from the point of suspension.
Summary
The Philadelphia Phillies (2008 champions of the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
) defeated the Tampa Bay Rays (American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
champions) by four games to one, played in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
and Philadelphia from Wednesday, October 22 to Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
Series overview
| Game | Score (visitors listed first) | Date(s) | Location | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia Phillies – 3 | Tampa Bay Rays – 2 | October 22 | Tropicana Field Tropicana Field Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college... , St. Petersburg, Florida |
40,783 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Phillies – 2 | Tampa Bay Rays – 4 | October 23 | 40,843 | |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Rays – 4 | Philadelphia Phillies – 5 | October 25 | Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the... , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
45,900 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Rays – 2 | Philadelphia Phillies – 10 | October 26 | 45,903 | |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Rays – 3 | Philadelphia Phillies – 4 | October 27, 29 | 45,940 | |
Composite score
Weather conditions
Games 3 and 5 of the World Series were delayed by rain storms in Philadelphia, with the start of Game 3 on Saturday, October 25 being delayed an hour and 31 minutes (with that game ending at 1:47 am EDTEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
Sunday, October 26). Game 5, begun on Monday, October 27, was suspended after 5½ innings and resumed Wednesday, October 29. Wet weather which affected Game 5 continued into Tuesday in the Philadelphia area, as Major League Baseball officials studied radar data to determine when Game 5 of the World Series would continue under conditions deemed "appropriate." Up to this point, there had never been a rain-shortened game in Series history, and this was the first suspension. As a result, had it been necessary to play them, Games 6 and 7 in St. Petersburg, originally scheduled for October 29 and October 30, were postponed until a later date.
With temperatures plummeting to the mid-40s Fahrenheit and a cold rain falling at Citizens Bank Park, some of the Phillies and Rays players opted for an "Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
" look, wearing specially made caps with built-in ear flaps. The caps, manufactured by New Era
New Era Cap Company
The New Era Cap Company , located in Buffalo, New York, is a headwear manufacturer. It was founded in 1920 by German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch...
, were introduced during this year's spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
but were not used on the field until Game 5. New Era also supplied regular ball caps to both teams, which some players continued to wear despite the cold weather.
Broadcasting
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with Joe Buck
Joe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
and Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
(himself a former Phillies broadcaster) as booth announcers and Chris Myers
Chris Myers
Christopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
and Ken Rosenthal
Ken Rosenthal
Kenneth H. Rosenthal is an American sportswriter and reporter.Rosenthal has served as lead field reporter for Major League Baseball on Fox since 2005...
as field reporters. Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko is a journalist and sportscaster who took over as the pre-game host of Fox's MLB games in 2001 after the departure of Keith Olbermann until October 2008. She also covered pre-game for MLB 2K6, MLB 2K7, and MLB 2K8 alongside Steve Physioc...
hosted the pre-game and post-game show with Kevin Kennedy
Kevin Kennedy (baseball)
Kevin Curtis Kennedy is a former manager in American Major League Baseball and a former television host for Fox Sports' baseball coverage. He was given the nickname "The Skipper" by Fox Sports due to his prior managerial career...
and Mark Grace (Games 1, 2) or Eric Karros (Games 3, 4, 5). Fox Sports en Español
Fox Sports en Español
Fox Deportes is a cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day in Spanish...
did the simulcast of the Series in Spanish with Angel Torres
Angel Torres
Ángel Rafael Torres Ruiz , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in with the Cincinnati Reds. He batted and threw left-handed. Torres had a 0-0 record, with a 2.16 ERA, in five games, in his one year career. He was signed by the St...
, Miguel Morales and Cos Villa behind the microphones. Fox's broadcasts were also streamed online at MLB.com
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
.
On radio, the Series was broadcast nationally by ESPN Radio with Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
and Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
announcing, and a Spanish broadcast on ESPN Deportes Radio
ESPN Deportes Radio
ESPN Deportes Radio is a Spanish language sports radio network created and produced by Disney-owned ESPN. Programming includes call-in talk shows and commentary from hosts about a full range of sporting events, including soccer, American football, baseball and boxing.The network has stations in 13...
. Locally, Dave Wills, Andy Freed
Andy Freed
Andy Freed is currently one of the radio play-by-play announcers of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. He and Dave Wills have worked as the team's radio duo since 2005 and are currently signed through the 2013 season...
, Dewayne Staats
Dewayne Staats
Dewayne Staats is the play-by-play commentator for the Tampa Bay Rays' television broadcasts . He is teamed with color commentary announcer Brian Anderson. He has previously worked with analysts Joe Magrane and Kevin Kennedy.-Biography:Growing up near St. Louis, Missouri in Wood River, IL, Staats...
and Joe Magrane
Joe Magrane
Joseph David Magrane is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and is currently a color commentary broadcaster for the MLB Network. He was teamed with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats from 1998 to 2008 as part of the Tampa Bay Rays television team.Magrane served as an analyst for NBC Sports'...
called the Series in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
for the Rays on WHNZ-AM
WHNZ
WHNZ is an American radio station licensed to serve Tampa, Florida, USA. The station's broadcast license is held by Citicasters Licenses, Inc...
in Tampa, with Ricardo Tavaras and Enrique Oliu working the Spanish broadcast on St. Petersburg's WGES-AM
WGES (AM)
WGES is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish language religious format. Licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, it serves the Tampa Bay area. The station is currently owned by ZGS Communications. It is also home to Spanish language broadcasts of Tampa Bay Rays baseball....
. Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas
Harry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, Scott Franzke
Scott Franzke
Scott Franzke is the radio Play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Phillies.-Biography:His career began as a studio host for the now-defunct Prime Sports Radio Network in 1994 which led him three years later to be the host of the Texas Rangers radio pre- and post-game shows 1997-98...
, Larry Andersen, and Chris Wheeler
Chris Wheeler
Chris Wheeler is an announcer and color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "Wheels", or alternatively "Muffin" , Wheeler has been broadcasting for the Phillies on TV and radio since 1977. In 1971, he entered the Phillies organization as Assistant Director...
called the Phillies' English broadcasts on WPHT-AM
WPHT
WPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The...
in Philadelphia, with Spanish announcers Danny Martinez, Bill Kulik and Juan Ramos on WUBA-AM. Following their contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts. MLB.com also carried the local radio broadcasts for online streaming, while XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
aired the local and national feeds to its subscribers. For Harry Kalas, this series brought together a father and son calling the series for different teams, with his son, Todd
Todd Kalas
Todd Harry Kalas is a television broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is the son of the late longtime Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas.-Early life and career:...
, calling the Series in English for the Rays.
For international viewers, MLB International televised the game with commentators Rick Sutcliffe and Dave O'Brien. This feed was also carried to U.S. service personnel stationed around the globe via the American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
.
Game 1 was watched by 10.1 million viewers in the United States; Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
stated he was satisfied with the ratings. Overall viewership was 25% lower than the previous World Series. The overall national Nielsen rating for the five games was 8.4, tied with the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
for the event's lowest-ever TV rating.
This World Series win had significance for McCarver and Harry Kalas. Both were Phillies broadcasters in , but neither one could call the final out. McCarver was a backup commentator for Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
on NBC, but he was not part of the broadcast team that called the final out. For Kalas, MLB radio-broadcasting regulations forbade local stations from producing live coverage of World Series games, instead forcing them to air the national CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
feed of the games, prompting MLB to change the rules the following year because of what happened in 1980. In 2008, both called the Phillies' World Series win.
Umpiring
Kerwin Danley
Kerwin Joseph Danley is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1992 to 1999 and throughout both leagues since 2000. Danley has worked the American League Division Series six times...
appealed a call to the first base umpire after calling strike three; the first base umpire called ball four to award the Rays' Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Dan Baldelli is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. Because of his excellent size and speed, and in reference to his hometown, he was nicknamed, "The Woonsocket Rocket," early in his professional career...
a walk. Baldelli indicated that the calls did not come up in the locker room, and he did not believe they had an effect on the results.
In Game 3, Phillies' pitcher Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
threw the ball to Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
to force out the Rays' Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
at first base, despite umpire Tom Hallion
Tom Hallion
Thomas Francis "Tom" Hallion is an American umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1985 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2005. He is currently a crew chief. Hallion is well known for his exciting and demonstrative strikeout signal in which he...
calling Crawford safe in the game. In Game 4, Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...
tagged Rollins at third base, though umpire Tim Welke
Tim Welke
Timothy James Welke is an umpire in Major League Baseball who was named to the American League staff prior to the 1984 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has been a crew chief since 2000, and currently wears uniform number 3...
had ruled Rollins safe. The league admitted these errors between Games 4 and 5.
Phillies
Sports in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been home to many teams and events in professional, semi-professional, amateur, college, and high-school sports.-Major-league professional teams:Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams...
its first major professional sports championship since the 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
swept the 1983 NBA Finals
1983 NBA Finals
The 1983 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1982–83 NBA season.-Overview:The final piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when they acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets...
.
In summing up the firsts and given how long the city's sports fans have waited, Phillies President David Montgomery
David Montgomery (baseball)
David Montgomery is the part-owner, general partner, president, and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Phillies.-Early life and education:...
said that "our first name is Philadelphia," and he and manager Charlie Manuel
Charlie Manuel
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies...
dedicated the championship to the city of Philadelphia and the fans. Manuel also dedicated the championship to his mother, who died on the day of Game 2 of the NLCS
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
. Phil Sheridan of The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
said that the 25 years without a championship "helped define this city as a sports town for way too long. It was long enough to turn passion too often to anger. Maybe this championship will turn the vinegar back into wine," and said that the fans "waited forever and a day."
On Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, October 31, approximately two million lined Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
for a ticker-tape parade, making it the largest gathering for a championship parade in Philadelphia since the Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
won the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals. This parade had significance for Phillies Pitcher Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
and Phillies Broadcaster Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas
Harry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, as they both were at the 1980 parade. Moyer grew up in the Philadelphia area as a Phillies fan and whose childhood hero was Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
, a member of the 1980 team, and whom he won against in his first Major League start. He was at both of the Phillies World Series parades, skipping school to attend in 1980, and as a pitcher in 2008. Kalas was at both parades, as a broadcaster for the Phillies. When comparing to the parade to the one in 1980, he told WCAU-TV
WCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
that "this is bigger...the biggest I've ever seen."
In 2010, Philadelphia sports fans picked both of the Phillies' World Series wins as the two greatest moments in Philadelphia sports, picking the 2008 championship as the greatest moment.
The Phillies returned to the World Series in , the first defending champion to return to the Series since the 2001 New York Yankees
2001 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2001 season was the 99th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-65 finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Roger Clemens had sixteen straight wins, tying an American...
. During that season
2009 Major League Baseball season
The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to...
they finished first in the National League East with a 93–69 mark, and eliminated the Rockies
2009 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2009 season is a season in American baseball, in which the Rockies won their third Wild Card title, and second in three years. The Rockies drew 2,665,080 fans for the season, their highest total since 2002...
and the Dodgers
2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season sees the team defend their National League West title while earning the best record in the National League, and marks the fiftieth anniversary of their 1959 World Series Championship...
in the NL playoffs. They would lose to the Yankees in six games.
Rays
For the Rays, at the same time the ticker-tape parade went down Broad Street in Philadelphia, thousands of Rays' fans attended a rally at Straub Park in St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, celebrating their 2008 season.
Mayor Rick Baker
Rick Baker (mayor)
Rick Baker is the former mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida. Elected in 2001, he was reelected in November 2005 with more than 70% of the votes cast.-Background:...
said that the rally "really needed to be done. There was so much demand in the community. They didn't win the World Series but they won the AL. And we want to celebrate that and thank them." He and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio
Pam Iorio
Pam Iorio is an American politician and author, who served as mayor of Tampa, Florida from 2003 to 2011.Her first book, Straightforward, is expected to be released in November 2011...
addressed the fans during the rally.
Though the Rays missed the playoffs in 2009, they earned a winning record of 84–78, placing them third behind the Red Sox and eventual champion Yankees.