No. 3: The Phillies are 2008 World Series Champions, Oct. 29, 2008
You probably think putting the team's World Series-clinching moment at No. 3 on this list is crazy, but here we are.
After being unceremoniously swept by Colorado in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, the Phillies nevertheless seemed to be on the right track to compete for years to come. And while hardly anyone expected things to break the right way the very next season, that's what makes it so fun. Just like the previous year, they overcame the Mets in September, although this was a much milder collapse by Big Apple standards. (Cole Hamels still twisted the knife a few months later, though.)
The Phillies finished with 92 wins and met the Brewers in the first round. They took that series 3-1, then finished off the Dodgers 4-1 in the NLCS to set up a World Series date with the Tampa Bay Rays, who had done the Phillies a favor by upsetting the Red Sox in the ALCS.
For once, it felt like the Phillies were in the driver's seat and a championship was in their grasp. They took full advantage, winning three of the first four games to set up a chance to clinch in Game 5, which would be their final home game of the series.
It's a well-worn bit of Phillies history that every fan knows, but Game 5 began on October 27, 2008 only to be delayed two days by torrential rains, which set up a unique "sprint to the finish" scenario in a tied game. Thanks to big hits from the likes of Geoff Jenkins, Pat Burrell (in his final Phillies game), and Pedro Feliz, the Phillies jumped back on top and they led 4-3 after eight innings. It was Brad Lidge time.
After a regular season where Lidge converted all 41 of his save opportunities, he had been a perfect 6-for-6 thus far in the playoffs, locking down the majority of the Phillies' 10 victories to that point. With a man on second base and two outs, Eric Hinske stepped in to face Lidge, with tens of thousands at Citizens Bank Park and millions more at home on the edge of their seats, waiting to erase a quarter-century of playoff misery in Philadelphia sports.
Take it away, Harry.
And just like that, a generation of Philadelphia fans had their first title.