It's impossible to pinpoint a single reason the Phillies won their first World Series in 28 years, because virtually every player who donned the red and white — not to mention those in the front office — contributed something vital.
But I think the real turning point didn't happen in 2008, or 2007 for that matter.
It was the 2006 trade-deadline deal that sent All-Star outfielder Bobby Abreu to the Yankees for a bunch of prospects.
While the Fightin's had been in the postseason hunt most of this decade, at the time of the late-July swap the Phillies were a struggling, sub-.500 team not even close to a playoff spot. Even General Manager Pat Gillick, in an unvarnished appraisal, acknowledged when the trade was made that the team wasn't expected to contend anytime soon.
But things seemed to change for the better once Abreu left — though it certainly wasn't because the club got anything close to equal value in return.
Here's a little refresher: New York received Abreu and starting pitcher Cory Lidle for shortstop C.J. Henry, the Yankees' No. 1 pick in 2005; left-handed reliever Matt Smith; and two other minor leaguers, catcher Jesus Sanchez and right-handed hurler Carlos Monasterios.
Henry was as big a bust for the Phillies as he was for the Yankees, and is now a 22-year-old freshman basketball player with 18th-ranked Memphis. Smith, 29, pitched a bit with the Phils in '07 and '08 before being sent to the minors and undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Twenty-one-year-old Sanchez has been converted into a pitcher, and Monasterios, 22, spent last season at Class A Clearwater.
However, the Abreu deal was clearly a case of addition by subtraction, and here's why:
• The team's attitude appeared to improve dramatically once Abreu was gone. It's hard to say exactly why, because he certainly wasn't a cancer in the clubhouse, to use a hackneyed sports phrase.
But Abreu did seem to be a drag on the lineup; he clearly wasn't the offensive player he used to be, though he's since had some pretty good seasons with the Yankees.
And there was always the nagging question — fair or unfair — about whether Abreu was a "soft" player, because he'd avoid the outfield wall on deep fly balls, which fans and others thought should've been caught.
• The departure of Abreu also opened an everyday spot in the lineup for Shane Victorino, who had been the team's fourth outfielder.
The speedy, hustling Victorino has made the most of his opportunity, improving each season as a base stealer, run producer and offensive catalyst.
The 28-year-old Flyin' Hawaiian set a Phillies postseason record with 13 RBIs, including a huge grand slam off Milwaukee's CC Sabathia in Game 2 of the divisional series. The center fielder also just won his first Gold Glove, an honor that's well-deserved.
• Victorino wasn't the only beneficiary of the deal. Chase Utley inherited the third spot in the lineup when Abreu left, and has emerged as the best offensive second baseman in baseball, winning the Silver Slugger award at his position three consecutive years.
Utley, who will turn 30 later this month, was already an up-and-comer, but the Abreu trade allowed him and Ryan Howard to take over the bulk of the team's run production. His strong offensive numbers this season — including a career-high 33 home runs, which led all major-league second basemen — are even more remarkable because he compiled them while playing on a bum hip that required offseason surgery.
And who can forget his amazing defense in the postseason? I'll be very surprised if Utley doesn't win at least one MVP award before his stellar career is over.
Paula Wolf, a sports enthusiast who uses a wheelchair because of rheumatoid arthritis, is a staff writer for the Sunday News. E-mail her at pwolf@lnpnews.com.
