The Dodgers, and their fans, won't be content with just making it to the National League Championship Series in 2009, but I'm more than happy to be there.
The goal, from the beginning of the season, was to get to the World Series, and for the second straight year, the Dodgers are four wins away from doing just that.
This year is quite different. They are the best team in the National League, they have home field advantage and after their sweep, and the weather affecting the Rockies and Phillies series, they'll be well rested.
After being soured on this team for a number of weeks I was very impressed by their play in the Division Series against St. Louis.
The Dodgers were getting very little respect and I can't recall any so-called "expert" actually predicting them to win. But they battered Chris Carpenter, they won game two when they had no business doing so (and in the playoffs, you need one of those occasionally) and in game three they put their foot on the throat of an opponent who was knocked down.
I was very impressed with the fight they should in that second game and more impressed with the way they took care of business in the next game.
Now they await the Phils/Rox winner, and to be honest, I don't really care who they play. After thinking they didn't matchup with the Cardinals very well, I am very confident in this team.
Manny Ramirez is coming alive, Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier are locked in and guys like Casey Blake and Ronnie Belliard are putting together good at-bats.
The rotation should be well setup, and if Hiroki Kuroda is able to pitch, then things are looking good.
We'll be talking NLCS very soon.
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