For the old Statsman, the end of the 2008 season occurring in Philadelphia made perfect sense to me.

It’s where my season began, with the coverage of a pair of contractually obligated spring training games between the Jays and Phillies on the last weekend in March. And the weather was just as miserable then as it was when Brad Lidge, who has yet to blow a save in his career with the Phils, struck out ex-Jay Eric Hinske to give the city of Philadelphia its’ first sports championship since 1983 when the NBA Sixers, led by an aging Julius "Dr. J." Erving, swept away the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight.

I’m sure a couple of drinks were tipped at the Mako Club, the only place in the City of Brotherly Love that Kozy and I feel comfortable to quaff post-game.

For personal reasons, I was very happy that it was the Phillies who took the title. The happiest guy in Citizens Bank Ballpark, outside of the current members and staff of the Phillies, had to be Mitch Williams, who served up the walk-off home run to Joe Carter 15 years and six days ago at the then SkyDome. As a fan of the Blue Jays since their inception in 1977, I have always cheered for each and every ex-Jay after their days in Toronto ended.

For that reason, congrats to New Brunswick’s Matt Stairs, who was sent packing this season by the Jays after the arrival of Travis Snider, and whose two-run, pinch-hit homer in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers helped send the Phillies onto the World Series, for finally getting his elusive ring. I had limited exposure to "Stairsy" in his 230 games with the Jays, but judging by the way his Toronto teammates reacted to him on a daily basis, he is a guy that anyone would be thrilled to have their locker beside. Congrats also to Jayson Werth, a reserve outfielder with the Jays for 41 games in parts of two seasons between 2002 and 2003, whose .444 average in the World Series led all Phillies regulars, and left-handed reliever Scott Eyre, who made 66 appearances (three starts) with the Jays from 2001-02.

But my biggest congratulations go to Phillies’ bench coach Jimy Williams and general manager Pat Gillick. Williams, the Blue Jays’ manager from 1986 until he was replaced by Cito Gaston 36 games into the 1989 season, is what many would call a baseball "lifer."

Having been a player, coach and manager for 42 years, the Phillies’ championship is Jimy’s first in the Majors. As for Gillick, the architect of the Blue Jays’ 1992 and 1993 World Series championships, the 2008 season is his swan song, after close to 50 years in professional baseball. At the age of 71, Gillick is expected to retire with his contract having expired with the Phillies. Gillick’s name has been linked to the Blue Jays again now that Paul Beeston is heading the search to find a president and CEO to replace the outgoing Paul Godfrey, but with the Jays several years from returning to the playoffs, here’s hoping that the classy Gillick rides off into the sunset of retirement with his third World Series title in his back pocket.

And so the 2008 season has ended, after the longest rain delay – 46 hours – in baseball history, with the Philadelphia Phillies, winners of 24 of their final 30 games, raising the beautiful Commissioner’s Trophy to the sky with their fans going bonkers.

HEADS HELD HIGH IN TAMPA

Sure they came one step short of the greatest worst-to-first story in the history of professional sports, but the Tampa Bay Rays, and their fluctuating fan base, have no reason to think they can’t return to the playoffs next season. Led by classy manager Joe Maddon and some of the finest young talent in the game – B.J Upton, Evan Longoria, Scott Kazmir and David Price – and with the rest of the American League East in flux, the Rays have to be the favourite to defend their first A.L. pennant. I’m thinking that the Rays’ odds to return to the World Series will be considerably shorter than the 150-1 odds that Las Vegas laid on them before this season to win the World Series.

YOUR MOVE, MR. RICCIARDI

With the Phillies capturing of the World Series title, the Blue Jays are now on the clock in regards to A.J. Burnett’s future with Canada’s only team. Burnett has 15 days to exercise the opt-out clause in his current contract. Can the Jays re-work his deal to keep him in Toronto? Or will Burnett gamble on getting bigger money elsewhere and all the inherent pressures that will come with said deal?

For the Blue Jay to move forward, this will hold up any other moves that general manager J.P, Ricciardi can make to improve on his fourth place team. Perhaps Paul Beeston’s real worth will be revealed over the next two weeks.

Stay tuned, eh.