What if the Phillies Played the San Diego Padres in the 2007 NLDS?
With the sports world at a bigger standstill than one will see on I-95, we are getting creative here at Phils Nation.
What will follow in the coming weeks is a “what if” series featuring famous decisions, plays, or games involving the Phillies.
We hope you enjoy them in this stressful time.
The first question we attacked was “what if the Mets didn’t collapse in 2007?”
Next was “what if Ryan Howard didn’t get hurt?”
Now, we attack the 2007 NLDS.
In 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East and made the playoffs for the first time since 1993. They were subsequently swept by the Colorado Rockies in the National League Division Series. But the Rockies weren’t necessarily the only opponent they could have played. So that got me thinking – what if the Phillies instead played the San Diego Padres in the NLDS that year?
First, some background. The Rockies and Padres were tied for the Wild Card spot with identical 89-73 records. Remember, the second wild card wasn’t added until 2012.
The teams played each other in game 163 to determine who would win the wild card and advance to the playoffs. And since the Arizona Diamondbacks were the number one seed, and Major League Baseball prohibited division rivals from playing in the NLDS, the Phillies played the winner of game 163.
The game was one for the record books, taking 13 innings to decide the outcome. The Padres took an 8-6 lead in the top of the 13th, only to see future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman blow the save and the Rockies walk it off on a controversial play. Matt Holliday – whose name can’t be invoked around me anymore without enraging me – tagged from third, slid headfirst, and was ruled safe. The Rockies win.
Did he touch the home plate? Many camera angles appear to show he didn’t, and since there was no replay in 2007, the call on the field would not be reversed.
(This writer emphatically believes that not only did he not touch home plate, but there was no possible way for him to do so with catcher Michael Barrett blocking the plate.)
The rest is history. The Rockies were all of a sudden the hottest team in baseball. They swept the Phillies in the NLDS and swept the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, bringing their streak to 21 wins in 22 games. Justice was ultimately served, however, as the Boston Red Sox ended up sweeping the Rockies in the 2007 World Series.
But what if Hoffman didn’t blow the save? What if the umps got the call right and called Holliday out at home? What if the Phillies played the Padres in 2007?
Instead of the Rockies being the hottest team, that title could have belonged to the Phillies. Winning the division on the last day of the season, after an epic collapse by the New York Mets, should have given them the momentum to make it to the World Series.
In fact, I think their roster matches up well with what the Padres most likely postseason roster would have been. The Padres rotation could have included Greg Maddux and David Wells, both in the twilight of their career, Chris Young, an average pitcher, and Jake Peavy, who would only get one start since he pitched game 163. Instead, the Phillies hitters were stymied by the likes of Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, and a good Rockies bullpen.
The Rockies offense was loaded, with guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Kazuo Matsui, and the dreaded Holliday. San Diego, while good, wasn’t quite up to the level of the Rockies stars, including players like Adrian Gonzalez, Brian Giles, Marcus Giles, and Khalil Greene. That doesn’t give one the sense of fear that Colorado’s hitters did.
So, I believe the Phillies would have been able to beat San Diego and would have given Arizona a run for their money in the NLCS. Ultimately, the Red Sox would still have won the World Series, but 2007 could have been an even more memorable year for Philadelphia.
Does all of this matter, though? The Phillies made up for it by winning it all in 2008. That might not have happened if they won in 2007, and their mini-dynasty might not have materialized. Maybe they don’t trade for Brad Lidge after the 2007 season, thinking what they have is good enough.
Still, it’s fun to think about. But that doesn’t change the fact that the name Matt Holliday causes me to go off on a tirade, thinking about what may have been. And he never touched home plate.
Featured Image: @baseballinpix
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