ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Geoff Jenkins will never forget the day the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to advance to the World Series.
That day – last Wednesday – began for Jenkins more than 18 hours before Phillies catcher Carlos Ruíz squeezed Nomar Garciaparra's foul popup for the final out, setting off a wild celebration at Dodger Stadium.
Jenkins, a 1992 Cordova High School graduate, had felt like celebrating long before the start of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. At 2 a.m., Jenkins was awakened by his wife, Jennifer, who told him, "It's go-time."
It wasn't supposed to be "go-time," but Jennifer Jenkins delivered their son, Justyce Tyler, 3 1/2 weeks early, at 12:59 p.m., less than 4 1/2 hours before the first pitch.
It is the Jenkinses' second child. They also have a 21-month daughter, Logan.
"At 2 a.m., I was running around, looking for a hospital," Jenkins said. "By 10 p.m. I was drinking champagne. It was one of the greatest days of my life."
Jenkins made it to Dodger Stadium at about 3:30 p.m., under orders from his wife, less than two hours before the game.
"Between winning the game and spraying the champagne, the whole day was just a dream," said Jenkins, who did not play in the clincher. "It felt like I was in a movie or something."
Jenkins has waited his entire career for tonight, when he'll be introduced with the rest of the Phillies before Game 1 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jenkins, 34, spent his first 10 seasons in Milwaukee, never coming close to the postseason, before signing a two-year, $13 million contract during the offseason with the Phillies.
Jenkins had one goal in mind last winter as a free agent: He wanted to be on a winning team.
"If I was younger, it might have been different," he said. "But as a guy who has been around for a long time and never been in the postseason, having the chance to get here was my No. 1 goal."
Jenkins had gone 1,349 games without a playoff appearance, the third-longest such drought among active players.
"He played all those years in Milwaukee, then he leaves and goes to the playoffs," said Phillies relief pitcher Scott Eyre, a former Giant. "That has to be a great feeling. You have to be excited for guys like that, who have waited so long for this opportunity."
But the situation in Philadelphia is somewhat different for Jenkins.
Jenkins was an everyday player with the Brewers and averaged 21 homers a season. This season, Jenkins was a part-time player and batted .246, tying his career-low with nine homers, to go along with 29 RBIs. Jenkins lost his outfield platoon job with Jayson Werth in late August and had just nine at-bats in September.
Despite just two at-bats thus far in the postseason, Jenkins couldn't be happier.
"We have a winning formula going, and when you have that, you've got to stick with it," he said. "I'm not at all upset. I'm enjoying it as much as anybody, just being in the dugout and cheering everybody on and going nuts that way. I'm enjoying it as much as I would if I were out there every day."
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