Phillips, like Fall Classic heroes Don Larsen, Luis Sojo, Brian Doyle and David Freese, went from near anonymity to writing the first page of his obituary on the national wires.

ARLINGTON, Texas — This is a story about why Brett Phillips was the right person for the baseball gods to tap on the shoulder and decide, “You, young man, the career .202 hitter without an at-bat in 17 days and without a hit in 29 days, will live forever in World Series lore.”

Friday was my birthday, an event I would never expect to be on the radar of Phillips as the Tampa Bay Rays prepared for Game 3. After the Rays finished batting practice, the entire team cleared the field except for Phillips. I was standing on the Dodgers’ side of Globe Life Field, the first base side, well past first base. I looked up and saw Phillips