First off, congratulations to the Phillies and their fans on winning the title. While I was rooting for the Rays, it is definitely good to see the trophy come back to the National League. I thought that it was a great series, but I am one of the biggest baseball fans on the planet, so any World Series is great in my book. I love the essence of the Fall Classic, and I thought that the way this Series unfolded was great and very intriguing, even if it was a short series.

I also can't help but feel good for Charlie Manuel. The guy lost his mom a couple of weeks ago. I am just a big fan of Manuel's. He's nothing but a down-home, good ole country boy, and now he has a World Series title on his resume as a manager. What a great guy.

There is one thing that I never want to hear again. I never want to hear a long layoff being used as an excuse for getting beaten in the World Series. That has been a lot of the talk after last year's Series here in Colorado, as the Rockies waited 8 days while the Red Sox only waited 2 for the World Series to begin. It is certainly a setback, but it doesn't mean that you don't have a chance. The Phillies waited 6 days while the Rays waited only 2, and the Phillies still won it convincingly. Never again will I believe that excuse when a team gets beaten in the World Series.

Finally, I have never liked the Phillies, but there are some guys on that team that I do like. As I said, Charlie Manuel is one. The other is Denver native Brad Lidge. He is probably the second best MLB player ever to hail from the state of Colorado, right behind Goose Gossage. Lidge has always struck me as a quality guy, and I don't think that I need to tell anybody that he is a hell of a pitcher. It was cool to see a local kid getting the final out of the World Series. Now the good news: Only 4 months until baseball returns!