For those of you outside the Philadelphia area, the Phillies have one of the most legendary voices calling their games in Harry Kalas. He is a Hall of Famer and here he is closing out last night’s game (that’s Chris Wheeler in the background. He knows his stuff but is kind of a choad):

After 25 years, Philadelphia has finally won a championship as the Phillies took down the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in the completion of Game 5.

The Phillies win the 2008 World Series four games to one and if anyone thinks I’m going to sit behind this computer to type out a bunch of articles this evening you are a nut job.

Cole Hamel wins MVP and Brad Lidge remained perfect as he struck out Eric Hinske to seal the deal.

What else do you need right now? Everyone played hard and never gave up and they just went out there and knew they could win and…blah, blah, blah.

I do my best to be a responsible, non-biased journalist. I really do Tonight? Screw that, I’m heading out to celebrate!

There are several important questions that have arisen regarding the exciting conclusion to Game 5 of the World Series tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

First of all, will there be a singing of the national anthem? We all know that every sporting event kicks off with “The Star Spangled Banner,” but what about when you start a game in the sixth inning?

A quick Google search didn’t turn up any results. Maybe Patti Labell mangled it enough to last for two nights.

Secondly, will there be a seventh-inning stretch? Do fans that just sat down really need a break?

The answer here is most likely yes, as someone will certainly be singing “God Bless America.” And I hate to say this, but if tonight’s performer sings like the others from this World Series, put some cotton in your ears. I’m sorry, but there must be someone out there who isn’t tone deaf and would be interested in singing on national television.

And the most important question of all? When will they stop beer sales? Typically, it’s in the seventh inning, but Peter Mucha of the Philadelphia Inquirer did some sleuthing (someone should) and found out that booze will be available until the ninth inning.

“Today is considered a new event,” Aramark spokesman David Freireich said.

Amen to that.

Monday night’s rain suspension of Game 5 was an absolute debacle. The Phillies and Rays were playing in absolutely horrific conditions for the better part of three innings before the game was finally called off after the Rays tied it at 2-2 in the top of the 6th.

Coincidence? Or was MLB absolutely shivering at the thought of having a World Series won on a rain-shortened game? We all know it’s the latter.

The game should have been stopped long before the sixth inning. Like…say…how about when a Gold Glove shortstop can’t handle a routine pop up because the wind is throwing the ball around the infield and rain is stabbing his corneas as he looks up and tries to locate the ball? Would that have been a good time to call the game?

But it is what it is. Philly, once again, can’t catch a break in any sport. Call it bad luck, call it unnecessary whining. With Hamels on the mound at home and a 3-1 lead, the city was ready to celebrate. But no, instead, they get a Wednesday night game to try to finish off the final three and half innings.

I’ve broken down several reasons why the Phillies will win this series, and several why the won’t. Let’s take a look:

Why they will win:

-The Phillies have four at-bats to the Rays’ three on Wednesday night. The game starts tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

-The Phillies bullpen has been filthy this season, and matches up better against the pen of the Rays.

-The Phillies have been finding ways to win and have proved to be the better team.

-Regardless of their production in Game 5, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria have been a waste of space for the Rays.

-With the extra day gained by the Game 5 suspension, the Phillies could have Cole Hamels ready on full rest for Game 7 if need be.

-Philadelphia is due.

Why they won’t:

-Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria are too good to be this bad in the World Series. Game 5 could be proof that they’ve put their games back together and are ready to light it up.

-If the Rays finish the Phils off in Game 5, they go back to Tampa with James Shields and Matt Garza on the mound.

-David Price could give the big lefties (Utley, Howard) fits on Wednesday night and shut the Phils’ main engine down. Going back to Tampa means anything goes.

-The Rays are too good to go out 4-1 in the World Series.

-The Phillies bullpen is due for a meltdown.

And finally…

-Monday night was their night. By not locking down the win (through no fault of their own necessarily), they have opened the door and given a young, energetic Rays team life and faith that they can win. The Rays will play with a renewed confidence that will only build as they claw back into the Series.

Obama doesn’t think anyone would notice that he supported both teams?

What’s even worse is Palin’s attempt to pander to the local teams. Here are here word-for-word comments on the Rays and Red Sox. She said the SAME EXACT THING to Phillies fans. At least Obama didn’t repeat himself verbatim. Notice in this clip that she checks her notes before telling Rays fans about how they “know how to turn an underdog into a victor.” She is so stupid.

Now you know what it feels like to be a fan.

It occurs to me, even at the quarter-life age of 24, that this year’s group of college freshmen were largely born in nineteen-ninety — to say nothing of you high schoolers.

That means that 2003 seems like a million years ago. That means you weren’t born in 1986.

With the success of the Red Sox, Patriots and now the Celtics in our Generation Y and Z lifetimes, we’ve not only become spoiled, we’ve become inundated with this new expectation that Boston has to win every year.

Don’t forget that the Celtics were a joke throughout most of our formative years. The Patriots were a bigger joke. Most living fans waited their entire lifetimes for the Red Sox to win a World Series.

We’ll lament together and hold hands at the bonfire of our baseball season going up in flames and — gasp — we might cheer for the Phillies on Wednesday. But don’t feel too bad about this loss. It sucks. It blows. Screw Tampa Bay and its fan base that stood strong at three fans last year. All that jazz. But don’t feel too bad.

In 1986 and 2003 we felt bad. We felt demoralized. All our hopes were crushed. Dreams were gone. The sun refused to shine in Boston for weeks after game 6 in 1986 and then Aaron-bleeping-Boone’s homer in 2003 opened up all kinds of wounds.

Some of you younger fans may feel that way tonight. I don’t. I think a lot of our parents will agree. Sure, it’s too bad we lost, but we lost to a better team. We lost to a group of straggly young rejects and journeymen who got together and formed something special. That’s how the Sox won in 2004, and we have nothing to be ashamed about by losing to the Rays.

With this new winning tradition comes a sad yet sure realization: sometimes we don’t.

The ALCS gets going on Friday night between the AL East division acquaintances Rays and Red Sox. Why acquaintances? Because you have to be good for more than one year in order to be rivals or foes. Shall we call it a fledgling rivalry? Well, maybe. That is if the Rays continue to be good next year and beyond, which it looks as though they should.

Some early pitching notes as we prepare to kick off (that’s actually a football thing I think):

-The pitching schedules have been announced and Boston will have the $52-million man Daisuke Matsuzaka get things started in Game 1. Was it because he’s the manager’s favorite pitcher on the team? Nope.

“It gives people rest “" not too much rest, not too little,” manager Terry Francona said. “This is probably the best way. We didn’t want one going on eight [days rest], one guy going on regular. Keep everybody somewhat in line. Rest at this time of year is huge. We’ll take advantage of it while trying not to give too much.”

Matsuzaka was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 2008, although his numbers make him sound better than he is.

-On the other side, James Shields gets the nod for the Rays. Manager Joe Maddon wants to stick with the same rotation that he used in the ALDS.

“I like it” said Maddon. “I just like it that way. It’s no different from the first round in a sense. Shieldsy in the first game, because he normally gets a little bit deeper in the game. Kaz in the second game, if he runs into a little bit of a pitch-count problem, you have the bullpen fresher [with a day off following], and then of course the next two guys. And listen, we know about Garza, but Andy has done consistently well the last month or so, so I don’t want to subtract Andy out of the mix, either. You could talk about a three-man rotation, but we really have not set up guys on less than normal rest. We’re not opposed to doing it if we need to, but for right now, theoretically perfect, we’re going to go that way.”

Shields was 14-8 with a 3.56 ERA in 2008 and is a true maverick.

-Here are the rest of the pitching matchups for the ALCS:

Game 1: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. James Shields
Game 2: Josh Beckett vs. Scott Kazmir
Game 3: Jon Lester vs. Matt Garza
Game 4: Tim Wakefield vs. Andy Sonnanstine
Game 5*: Matsuzaka vs. Shields
Game 6*: Beckett vs. Kazmir
Game 7*: Lester vs. Garza
(*if necessary)

Side note: Why do we still do the * with the “if necessary” disclaimer? Have we as a society not evolved to the point where we comprehend how a playoff series works? Just wondering out loud.