Sportswriter for Montgomery Media
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With a sea of red on standing in anticipation of a Game One win for the Philadelphia Phillies over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday there was more than a series lead on the line. There was history. Roy Halladay treated the crowd of 46,000 plus at Citizens Bark Park in Philadelphia to a 4-0 win and the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history. Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series was the first and only to accomplish the feat before Doc's one walk, eight strike out masterpiece.
The aftermath of Larsen's perfecto is much different than what will or can come from Halladay's no-no. Larsen's performance basically sealed a New York Yankees championship and the only true notable cliff note in a rather pedestrian career.
Roy Halladay and the Phillies have to win 10 more games to really obtain what they have set out to do and the Halladay's career is the furthest from pedestrian, which immediately raises the question of Halladay's spot in history.
Don Larsen went 11-5 in the regular season of 1956, by far the best year of his 81-91 career over 14 years in the bigs. Roy Halladay (169 career wins), who will most likely receive his second Cy Young Award after his 21-10 season, just may have turned in one of the greatest pitching seasons of all-time. Depending on what the Phillies and Halladay do in the rest of the postseason may secure his spot in history, but he may already be in the conversation.
Some consider Pedro Martinez in 2000 to have one of the greatest single seasons of all-time and he had three less wins than Halladay. Doc had a better strikeout-to-walk rate than Christy Mathewson in 1908 and Walter Johnson in 1913, nearly the same record as Bob Gibson's 22-9 mark in 1968, the first 'year of the pitcher'. None of these men had a no-hitter during their stellar seasons and none won the World Series that year. Roy Halladay now has a chance to finish the regular season with 21 wins, a 7.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a perfect game, a postseason no-hitter and his team is the favorite to win the World Series. He does not even need the ring to collect a top 10-pitching single season since 1900 after what he did this year, but a title never hurt the resume.
Another thing Roy Halladay may now have in common with Martinez, Gibson, Mathewson and Johnson (if he did not before the no-hitter) is a plaque in Cooperstown awaiting his arrival when he retires. Roy Halladay was widely considered one of the best pitchers in the 2000s, but with three 20-wins seasons, seven all-star appearances, a perfect game, a postseason no-hitter and plenty left in the tank, a call to the hall seems appropriate. Did I forget in a few weeks he will be one of five (Roger Clemens, Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson) to win the Cy Young Award in both the American and National league? Once again, a Phillies World Series win would almost lock it up for former first round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. What a nice offseason acquisition by Phillies' general manager Ruben Amaro.
But what is the immediate effects on the 2010 NLDS for the Phillies and the Reds?
For the Reds...Many believed the NL Central winners did not have much of a chance against the Phils before the series started, but the Reds were confident. Now that Doc dialed up a day for the ages, the Young Red Machine may be all but shook. If they cannot even get a hit, how can they win the game? The proper thing for manager Dusty Baker to do would be remind them it is only one loss and it takes three to be sent to the golf courses, but I'll be surprised if the Reds can regroup from being held in check for nine innings. Not to mention Roy Oswalt, another of one of the greatest picthers of the 2000s and someone who has dominated the Reds for years, is pitching game two. Oh yea, then 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels has game three. If the Reds win one of those and your back to trying to figure out Doc.
For the Phillies...The pessimistic view would be the Phillies just peaked in game one of the playoffs. They cannot do any better than a no-hitter, yet they have to win 10 more games to really let the legendary Doctober days glisten. But with the Phillies you have a veteran team that has been to the World Series for the past two years. If the no-hitter does anything for the Phils, it just motivates them to finish what Doc starter. A few 'd' words come to mind after witnessing Carlos 'Chooch' Ruiz spring out of his crouch and throw out Brandon Phillips for the final out of the second postseason no-hitter - Destiny, Dynasty, Doctober.
WEEK 6 MONTGOMERY MEDIA HS FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS (winner in yellow)
West Catholic at Bishop McDevitt
North Penn at Central Bucks West
Calvary Christian at Springfield
Plymouth Whitemarsh at Upper Dublin
Norristown at Upper Moreland
Wissahickon at Episcopal Academy
Central Bucks East at Pennridge
Lansdale Catholic at Conwell-Egan
Harry S Truman at Abington
Souderton at Hatboro-Horsham
Owen J. Roberts at Upper Perkiomen
Perkiomen Valley at Boyertown
Spring-Ford at Pottsgrove
Phoenixville at Methacton
Pottstown at Pope John Paul II
Haverford School at Archbishop Wood
Wilmington Friends at Jenkintown
Morrisville at Lower Moreland
Academy New Church at Germantown Academy
Cheltenham at Upper Merion
La Salle at Neumann-Goretti
William Tennent at Pennsbury
Last week's record: 16-3
Overall record: 57-23
*did not predict in Week 1
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