National League Champions!

ROCKIES NATION - NLCS GAME 4

The sad thing about the Colorado Rockies used to be that they were a bunch of good guys, played in a cool stadium in a town of great sports fans but they could never make it to the World Series because they couldn't build a team that could win in both the thin air of Colorado and on the road against sea level teams. Welp, that's a bunch of baloney. These guys could win on the moon if you dropped em there.

Is it the humidor? Is it Clint? Is it Panamanian voodoo? Who cares? We just won the Pennant!

Most Rockies fans didn't need to dig too long to find their brooms for last night's game. Many were still in the back seat of the car where they left them last week.

As Jeter said about Arod's spectactular output this April where it looked like he was on pace for 300 RBI and 100 homers: "It just isn't that easy". So true. It's actually pretty hard to have back to back sweeps in the playoffs, especially without home field advantage. But these guys are performing a high wire act the likes not seen in baseball for decades, if ever.

For the first few innings last night, it seemed like the Rocks were taking a breather from heroics and may finally drop one. Heck, they'd won 9 in a row and 20 of their last 21. You could forgive them if they took a break. That breather lasted only 3.5 innings.

MVP Matt Holliday capped a huge fourth inning where the Rocks capitalized on clutch hitting and more D-Backs mistakes (yes guys: the Rockies did outplay you). He crushed a 430 foot three run jack off Micah Owens into the nostalgic rock pile diorama. Hurdle had earlier pulled his hard throwing rookie lefty Franklin Morales for a pinch hitter. Seth Smith (the new Chris Drury?) stepped up and spun a two run double that looked like a John McEnroe trick shot. D-backs handed out baserunners on an error by the the first basemen and Kazuo "not-Hideki" Matsui continued the run parade. I liked the part where the pitcher almost knocked himself out belly-flopping for a grounder. That was funny. Then came Matt and his rockpile rocket.

Now the boys have eight days off until they meet their American League opponent. Looks like Holliday can use that hunting cabin he rented in Montana after all. He deserves it.

I want each and every one of you to go buy a Rockies 2007 National League Champions pennant and take down the Modigliani, Rothko or Pollack that hangs in the place of honor in your house. String up the pennant and leave it there until opening day.

The Rockies are champions! Bring on the World Series! Wow.

(Mike Shanahan: this does not get you off the hook.)