!Viva Rolen!
While Curt Schilling's bum ankle is apparently enough to scuttle his postseason dreams--and my own hope of seeing his BoSox dethrone the Yankees--the other prominent ex-Phillie active this October announced his bid for baseball immortality with two big home runs last night as St. Louis went up two games to none over Houston in the NLCS. Scott Rolen's slump is evidently over, and he is two victories away from getting the national stage he's long deserved.

On Philliesphans.com, there's some reverse schadenfreude that this guy, who so signally dissed the Phils organization when he left in 2002, is now getting his propers as one of the best in the game. Not here: I LOVE that Scott is shining this post-season, for two reasons.

First of all, whatever happened with the guy in his last two seasons in Philly, Scott Rolen really embodies a lot of what's best about baseball. He plays hard, he plays hurt, and he plays the game right. He gets the most out of his (very considerable) natural talent: superb baserunner, good situational hitter, marvelous defender. And he's clearly become a leader.

Second of all, every accomplishment Rolen notches is another argument in the case against the profound idiocy of Ed Wade, Dallas Green and (not that it matters any longer) Larry Bowa. Look what these guys did in pushing one of the best players in the game out of town... and look what Wade got in return for his grievous mishandling of the Rolen endgame.

My fantasy this October was Scott and Curt facing off with the big trophy on the line. Doesn't look like that will happen, but I'm still hoping for Rolen heroics that help highlight the misdeeds of Ed Wade before a national audience.

Actually, with both Rolen and Albert Pujols, under-30 cornerstones signed long-term in St. Louis, this could become an annual sight. Hopefully Wade will be long gone by the time they're done creating autumn memories in the postseason.