2008 World Series Champion Phillies: Where Are They Now?

48 for 48; the sublime double play to clinch the NL East; Matt Stairs moonshot at Dodger Stadium; the endless rain in the World Series; and, of course, Eric Hinske's swing-and-miss that ignited the celebration throughout Philadelphia.

2008 was a special season for the Phillies and the city. It ended a 25-year championship drought in Philly and, as it turned out, was the high point of a five-year run by the Phils.

Eight years later, just Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz remain from the World Series team. So what are the other members of the 2008 squad up to?

We have the answers.

Starting lineup

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
Rollins' career appears to be coming to an end. On Friday, the Chicago White Sox designated the shortstop for assignment to clear way for top shortstop prospect Tim Anderson. He signed with Chicago in spring training on a minor-league contract before making the team. In 41 games with the White Sox, Rollins hit .221 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

If this is the end for the 37-year-old, his résumé will make for a strong case for the Hall of Fame, but he may miss out because of the steroid era. His Phillies career came to an end after the 2014 season, when the team shipped him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he spent one underwhelming campaign.

Still, Rollins has an MVP award, three Gold Gloves and a World Series ring to his name, as well as being the Phillies' all-time hits leader and is 45 hits shy from reaching 2,500 in his career.

2. Jayson Werth, RF
Now sporting a long beard with shaggy hair and a big contract in the nation's capital, Werth's career is on the decline in Washington. After emerging as a key player for the Phils during their run — he hit .296 with 27 homers and a league-leading 46 doubles in 2010 — the rightfielder left Philadelphia in the winter of 2010 for a $126 million deal with the Nationals.

With the Nats, however, Werth never lived up to his contract aside from a couple of solid season. He's still an everyday player for the Nationals and provides some pop for the NL East-leaders. This season, he's hitting .239 with 10 homers — tied for third on the team — and 33 RBIs.

3. Chase Utley, 2B
Utley is still around and still trolling the New York Mets, and like the cornerstones of the 2008 team — Rollins and Ryan Howard — his career is on its last breathe. The 37-year-old, however, is enjoying a bit of resurgence this season with the Dodgers, which acquired him last season from the Phils at the trade deadline. Utley is hitting .259 with four homers, 20 RBIs this season with L.A. In the postseason last year, Utley slid hard into the Mets' Ruben Tejada, breaking the infielder's leg. As a result, MLB amended its rules for sliding.

Like Rollins and Howard, Utley is on the bubble for the Hall of Fame and probably will be on the outside looking in. Though he has a 63.6 career WAR at the time of publication — better than any player on the '08 team and superior to every other second baseman of his generation — Utley's greatness has always been underappreciated outside of Philadelphia.

4. Ryan Howard, 1B
Howard is still here and he has just been relegated to the bench in favor of 24-year-old first baseman Tommy Joseph. Howard is hitting .150 with nine homers and 20 RBIs this season. He will, however, serve as the Phillies' designated hitter during their brief two-game set in Toronto that starts Monday night. He's making $25 million this season and will move on after the season, as his contract allows the team to buy him out at $10 million instead of picking up his $23 million option.

5. Pat Burrell, LF
The Phillies' last No. 1 overall pick before the team drafted Mickey Moniak on Thursday night, Burrell's last Phillies' at-bat was a good one — a double in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. Eric Bruntlett replaced the lumbering Burrell as a pinch runner and scored the winning run.

Burrell signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 and hung around the majors for a few more seasons. He even won another World Series — in 2010 as a member of the San Francisco Giants. He signed a one-day contract with the Phillies on May 19, 2012, to officially retire as a Phillie. He worked as a special assignment scout for the Giants for three years before retiring in 2015. He made the Phillies' Wall of Fame, too, in 2015. He also gave us this in 2015 and we are forever thankful for that.

6. Shane Victorino, CF
Always smiling, moving and chattering, Victorino's grand slam off then-Brewers starter C.C. Sabathia in Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS elicited an ear-splitting roar from the Phillies' faithful at Citizens Bank Park. Five years later, the "Flyin' Hawaiian" was at it again, blasting a salami in Game 6 of the World Series for the Boston Red Sox, where he won his second championship. Since leaving the Phillies in 2012, Victorino has played for the Dodgers, Red Sox and Angels. The MLB-best Chicago Cubs recently released him.

7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
Third base has pretty much been a revolving door for the Phillies since Scott Rolen's departure in 2002, though it appears Maikel Franco may finally change that. Felix manned the hot corner for the 2008 season and even delivered the game-winning RBI hit in Game 5 of the World Series. Felix is now retired from baseball. Feliz last played in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010. After that, he spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons playing for the now-defunct Camden Riversharks.

8. Carlos Ruiz, C
Ruiz is still with the Phillies, though he's in a backup role with Cameron Rupp. On July 14, he'll reach his 10th year of service in the majors. "Chooch" still handles pitchers well, though his offensive production has declined. He could be attractive to a contending team come July and see his Phillies career come to an end.

Starting rotation

1. Cole Hamels
Hamels' trade to Texas last season signaled the start of the Phillies entering full rebuild mode. The 2008 World Series MVP is 5-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 12 starts with the Rangers this season. The 32-year-old netted the Phils a handful of top prospects, including Jorge Alfaro, Jerad Eickhoff (currently with the Phillies), Jake Thompson and Nick Williams.

2. Brett Myers
Myers not longer plays baseball. Instead, he makes bad country music and even raps a little bit. Myers was not always a fan favorite in Philadelphia, but he was always a team player. A starting pitcher by nature, Myers was willing to move to the bullpen as the team's closer in 2007 before returning to the rotation in 2008. Myers went on to play for the White Sox, Astros and Indians before retiring in 2013.

3. Jamie Moyer
Moyer retired in 2012 at the sprightly age of 49. He jointed the Comcast SportsNet broadcast team as a color commentator in 2014 and left after one season because of his desire to spend more time with his family. Moyer continues his work with the Moyer Foundation, in which he founded in 2000 with his wife, Karen. 

4. Joe Blanton
Blanton was acquired in July 2008 from the Oakland Athletics to replace Adam Eaton (more later) in the rotation. Blanton provided a significant upgrade and pitched well for the Phillies. His most memorable moment in Phillies pinstripes is his home run in Game 4 of the World Series against the Rays. He left the team in 2012 and bounced around the majors, from the Dodgers to the Angels to the Pirates. He's now back with the Dodgers, pitching out of the bullpen. He has a 2.43 ERA in 28 games with the Dodgers this season.

5. Kyle Kendrick
A true No. 5 starter, Kendrick deserves some credit for generally giving the Phillies more than expected from that slot in the rotation. His time with the Phils ended in February 2015, when he signed with the Colorado Rockies. The righty, like countless pitchers before him, didn't adapt well to the elevation at Coors Field. He joined the Braves this past offseason, signing a minor-league contract. He was released on March 12.

6. Adam Eaton
His career unceremoniously ended in 2009.

Bullpen

Tom Gordon
Already 40 years old in 2008, Gordon's career was coming to an end. "Flash" Gordon left the Phillies after 2008 and joined the Diamondbacks in 2009. He spent most of the season on the disabled list, finishing his stint there with four earned runs in just 1⅔ innings. He was released in August 2009 and never played against in the majors. He's now retired.

Clay Condrey
After appearing in 56 games with the Phillies in 2008 with a 3.26 ERA, Condrey had his best season of his career in 2009, appearing in 45 games with a 3.00 ERA. The Phillies let him walk after the season and the reliever signed in Minnesota, but never pitched for the Twins. He's out of baseball.

Scott Eyre
Eyre was traded to the Phillies for Brian Schlitter in the middle of the 2008 season and went on to be a solid reliever in his 19 games that year. He stayed in Philadelphia the next season and was actually the team's top reliever, posting a 1.50 ERA in 42 appearances. The Phils didn't re-sign him after 2009 and let him walk like Condrey. He retired in 2010.

Rudy Seanez
Seanez played for nine teams over his MLB career and the Phillies in 2008 was his last stop. He appeared in 42 games in 2008 for the Phillies at 39, posting a 5-4 record with a 3.53 ERA. He didn't appear on the postseason roster that year, though, and left the franchise the year after to join the Angels' minor league system before retiring shortly after.

Chad Durbin
Durbin's MLB career went beyond the 2009 season, unlike many of the relievers from this squad. Durbin pitched for the Phillies in 2009 and 2010 before joining the Indians via free agency in 2011. Durbin pitched in a career-high 76 games in 2012 with the Braves and then re-joined the Phils in 2013. However, he struggled early on and finished with a 9.00 ERA in 16 games before being released in May 2013, which would be his last MLB stint.

J.C. Romero
After having one of his best years of his career in 2008, he was suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 after a positive test for androstenedione. He returned later that year and pitched in 81 games over the next two seasons. He returned to the team in 2011, but was released in June. He spent short stints for six different teams over the next year in a half, but never really was able to make it stick in MLB.

Ryan Madson
Madson has overcome adversity since leaving for Cincinnati in the winter of 2011 to become the Reds' closer. The lanky righty never appeared in a game with the Reds, as he suffered a serious elbow injury during spring training that required Tommy John surgery. He then missed the next three seasons before making his return to the majors last season with the Kansas City Royals, serving as one of the team's top relievers. He's now with the Oakland Athletics and has a 2.66 ERA with 12 saves in 25 games this season.

Brad Lidge
Lidge's career with the Phillies was one of highs and lows. He was a pivotal part of the World Series victory in 2008, going 48 for 48 — counting the postseason — in save situations. He earned the MLB Comeback Player of the Year honors that season, too. However, he struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in 2009, stumbling to a 7.21 ERA in 67 games.

Lidge followed the 2009 season up with another injury-riddle season in 2010. He did, however, convert 27 saves in 50 games. He spent parts of the 2012 season in Washington before being released in June. Lidge signed a one-day contract as a Phillie in 2013 and officially retired with the team.

Bench

Greg Dobbs
Dobbs never had another season as good as his 2008 season — .301 batting average — but he played for six more years, including the next two with the Phillies. He spent small stints with both Miami and Washington in 2014, but hit just .171 before being released by Miami.

Eric Bruntlett
Bruntlett's legend in Philadelphia can be summed up as this: A mediocre utility man and borderline major league who provided some heroics during the 2008 World Series run and a great, blonde beard. Let's recall his home run in Game 2 against Tampa, the game-winning run in Game 3 and the series-clinching run in Game 5. All three were essentially his last memorable moments of his major-league career. Bruntlett hit just .171 in 2009 with the Phillies and was released in November 2009. 

Geoff Jenkins
Jenkins capped off his 11-year career with his only season not in a Milwaukee Brewers jersey, snagging a quick World Series ring in 2008. He didn't even make it through spring training the next year, as the Phillies released him in March 2009.

Chris Coste
The famous 33-year old rookie won a ring with the Phillies in his third season, but had just one year left in his MLB career. The Phillies released him midway through the 2009 season, and he played 43 games with the Astros. He hurt his elbow in 2010 and needed Tommy John surgery, which subsequently ended his big league career. He did some TV work with CSN in 2011.

So Taguchi
2008 was Taguchi's only season in Philadelphia, where he played in 88 games and hit .220. He played six games for the Cubs in 2009, but didn't play in MLB after that. Now, Taguchi is apparently an announcer for NHK, the national broadcasting company in Japan. Not a bad gig.

Matt Stairs
Stairs was traded in the middle of the 2008 season to the Phillies for Fabio Castro. His clutch hitting was key for the Phillies in the postseason, including a home run in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. At 41 years old, he played in 2009 for the Phillies as well. He then played one year for the Padres and another for the Nationals before finally retiring in 2011 after 19 seasons in MLB. He can now be found providing color for CSN's broadcasting team.