In any Phillies’ debate, there always is the question of which championship team was better - 1980 or 2008?

Granted, one has to account for different times in the game itself. As a result, it can be difficult to determine which team is better head-to-head.

I have been fortunate to cover the Phillies in some capacity since 1984, and remember being in the locker room for the 1993 pennant-clinching game. I have also been a fan since the late 1960s.

So I’ll take a shot at comparing the teams and deciding which one I think was better.

Here is a position-by-position comparison (with 1980 listed first), strictly based on the year in question and not overall production as a player.

Note, there is lot of eerily similar information when comparing the teams - including the fact that both teams beat expansion teams (Kansas City in 1970 and Tampa Bay in 2008) for their titles.

FIRST BASE

Pete Rose vs. Ryan Howard

It is the motivator against the slugger. Rose (9 homers, 55 RBIs, .262) was the final piece of the puzzle and brought his aggressive nature to a mellow club. Howard (48, 146, .251) had his third consecutive blockbuster season and finished second in the season MVP balloting. He hit three homers in the World Series. Close one … HOWARD.

SECOND BASE

Manny Trillo vs. Chase Utley

Trillo was known as the defensive master at second and he had a consistent bat throughout the year as he hit a career-season best 292. He also made some pivotal fielding and hitting plays in the NLCS. Utley (33, 104, .292) surfaced as one of the best overall players in the league, and ironically had the safe average as Trillo. However, he scored 113 runs and won his third consecutive Silver Slugger Award … UTLEY

SHORTSTOP

Larry Bowa vs. Jimmy Rollins

Both were sparkplugs for their teams. Bowa (2, 29, .267) played in 141 games and stole 21 bases. He was one of the straws that stirred his team, and most forget about his glove work. Rollins (11, 59, .277) came off a league MVP season in 2007 and continued to gobble up team records in 2008. He also had his share of big hits in 2008, and was an emotional leader ... ROLLINS

THIRD BASE

Mike Schmidt vs. Pedro Feliz

No debate here. Mike Schmidt answered some leftover critics with an MVP season with 48 homers, 121 RBIs, and a .286 average in 150 games. Schmidt also hit. 381 in the postseason. Do you remember Pedro Feliz? Ha-ha. Feliz (14, 58, .249) had a serviceable season and was a key role player in the big picture ... SCHMIDT.

CATCHER

Bob Boone vs. Carlos Ruiz

Good comparison here and both underrated at their positions. Boone (9, 55, .229) never was properly credited for his handling of the pitching staff and his clutch play. Ruiz (4, 31, .219) also emerged as a leader and raised his stock among his peers. He had his share of timely plays and hits. Tough call, but grit wins out ... BOONE

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RIGHT FIELD

Bake McBride vs. Jayson Werth

Another pair of underrated players. McBride (9, 87, .309) had a solid year and strong arm. He was a consistent singles and doubles hitter and swiped 13 bases. Werth (24, 67, .273) was a true gem of a find as he had the first of four banner years. Like McBride, Werth also had a rifle arm. Both contributed in their own way ... TIE.

CENTER FIELD

Gary Maddox vs. Shane Victorino

Both covered a lot of ground in center. Maddox (11, 73, .281, 25 stolen bases) had some key hits in the NLCS and won a Gold Glove. It was his most productive year until his retirement in 1986. Victorino (14, 58, .293, 36 stolen bases) solidified himself after a breakout season in 2007. His speed was a factor to a combined 38 doubles and triples. Maddox is immortal, but in one season ... VICTORINO

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LEFT FIELD

Greg Luzinski vs. Pat Burrell

This is a parallel is many ways. Luzinski (19, 56, .228) battled injuries over the year, and Lonnie Smith surfaced as a reliable replacement. But “The Bull” strutted his stuff in the NLCS - two game-winning hits - and in the World Series. It would his last year of a momentous Phillies’ stand. Burrell (33, 86, .250) finally fulfilled his expectations as he had another blockbuster year for the fourth consecutive season. He continued his propensity for strikeouts, but he accumulated 102 walks. Burrell had good playoff run, including a key hit in the World Series. It also was his last year as a Phillie ... BURRELL

BENCH

What bench would you rather have? The key reserves from 1980 (Lonnie Smith, Del Unser, Greg Gross, Keith Moreland, Ramon Aviles and George Vukovich), or the 2008 group (Matt Stairs, Geoff Jenkins, Greg Dobbs, Chris Coste, Eric Bruntlett, and So Taguchi?

Smith (. 339, 33 SB) lived up to his potential with his speed and quick bat, as he filled the void left by Luzinski’s injuries. Unser and Gross showed their veteran savvy, especially in the NLCS. Moreland also answered his critics as a top farmhand with his versatility and pinch-hitting. Aviles was a valuable backup in the infield, and Vukovich became settled on the bench.

Stairs was the ultimate pinch-hitter with some notable homers. Jenkins (9, 29, .246), Coste (9, 36, .263) and Dobbs (9, 40, .301) provided power and were spot starters, and Dobbs was a steady and productive left-handed punch pinch-hitter (22 pinch-hits). Bruntlett was a great late-inning replacement and pinch-runner, who plated 37 runs in a reserve role. Taguchi (sound familiar?) provided relief in the outfield.

The 1980 unit was a veteran unit that provided plenty of highlights. They had plenty of clutch moments. The 2008 squad has its share of accolades and was less conspicuous. This group had more power than the other, but the 1980 bench had more experience and flexibility ... 1980 BENCH

STARTING ROTATION

The 1980 starters were Steve Carlton, Dick Ruthven, Bob Walk, Nino Espinosa, Randy Lerch and Marty Bystrom while the 2008 group was Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Brett Myers, Kyle Kendrick, and Joe Blanton.

Carlton (24-9, 2.34, 286 strikeouts) won his third Cy Young and posted a 2-0, 2.40 with 17 strikeouts in 15 innings in the World Series. Ruthven (17-10, 3.55) was a durable No. 2. Rookie Walk (11-7. 4.55) stepped in when Larry Christenson (5-1, 4.03) had elbow surgery early and returned late in the season. Espinosa (3-5, 3.77) usually provided an adequate six innings, but Lerch (4-14, 5.16) couldn’t get into a steady groove. Bystrom (5-0, 1.50) pushed the club over the top with an unforgettable September.

Hamels (14-10, 3.09, 196 strikeouts) was spectacular in the postseason, posting a 4-0 record with a 1.80 ERA that earned him a World Series MVP. Journeyman 45-year-old Moyer (16-7, 3.71) found a productive and final stop by returning back near his Souderton home. Myers (10-13, 4.55) was inconsistent all season, and Kyle Kendrick (11-9, 5.49) showed signs of maturing. Joe Blanton (4-0, 4.20) proved to be an effective pickup from Oakland in mid-July, as he won two games in the postseason, hitting a home run in a Game Four World Series win.

Both Carlton and Hamels clearly had banner years aside from the rest of the starters. The ’80 team rebound nicely after Christenson’s injury with their Band-Aid approach. Bystrom was the final piece that signaled a championship could be on the horizon. Moyer’s performance was a huge lift, Myers and Kendrick did enough, and Blanton helped stabilize the staff. The staffs mirror each other in some ways, but … 1980 STARTERS

BULLPEN

In 1980 it was Tug McGraw, Ron Reed, Kevin Saucier, Warren Brusstar, and Dickie Noles while the 2008 bullpen was comprised of Brad Lidge, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, Clay Condrey, and J.C. Romero.

McGraw (5-4, 1.46, 20 saves) had the type of clutch year the team needed. Reed (7-5, 4.05, 9 saves) played a pivotal role in short and long relief. Like Reed, Saucier (7-3, 3.42) was the real find in both roles as he was the effective lefty before McGraw, as he came into his own. Brusstar (2-2, 3.72) also developed in prompt fashion as set-up man, and Noles (1-4, 387) was efficient in long relief and as a spot starter.

“Lights Out” Lidge (2-0, 19.5, 41 saves) has the textbook closer season as he converted all seven save opportunities in the postseason. Durbin (5-4, 2.87) probably was the most unheralded of the bunch and he was the one-out difference maker. Madson arguably was among the league’s best eighth-inning stoppers, and Condrey (3-4, 3.26) also was a valid option for an inning or two. Romero (4-3, 2,75, 57 strikeouts in 54 innings) proved to be the answer for a lefty situation.

This is a comparison between more of a blue-collar crowd squaring off against more of a white-collar bunch. McGraw and Lidge were at the apex of their careers, and both had strong supporting staffs. The 80’ bullpen was a tenacious group that grinded it out all season. The `08 bunch kept the pedal to the metal to the finish. Close call ... 2008 BULLPEN

MANAGER

Dallas Green vs. Charlie Manuel

Green was the injection of bravado and courage a talented, lethargic club needed. His brash, no-nonsense approach turned the trick. He yelled at and chewed out anyone who didn’t do things that he perceived as the right baseball way. The team responded from a lackadaisical and defeated malaise that permeated since their consecutive playoff losses in the 1976, ’77, and ‘78 seasons.

Manuel was the opposite of Green, and was a players’ manager first and disciplinarian second. Fans and players revered his folksy mannerisms and personality. He guided the team to another World Series appearance the following year as well as three more consecutive division titles.

This is yet another tough decision. Green and Manuel took their teams over the top in their own approaches. The ’80 team was pulled together to their climax, while the ’08 team was the culmination of a steady stream of 86-plus win seasons since 2003. Green was more of an inspiration ... GREEN

OVERALL

The winner is ...

The 1980s team turned out to be an anomaly. A 1981 players’ strike split the season and deflated some of the momentum the World Series Championship had created. The ’80 team had a secure core with an opportune bench and bullpen. In ’08, the lineup featured rising stars and role players. They went on to be one of the league’s elite for several more seasons. The teams had almost the same regular season records (1980: 91-71; 2008: 92-70) and plenty of other similarities, including both star closers being on the mound for the final outs. In addition, both had a sentimental spot for die-hard fans.

A tough choice, but your first in almost anything has a way of resonating a little stronger ... 1980 PHILLIES

SUMMARY

Well, there you have one man’s opinion. In the final tally, the 1980 team was deeper and had a better starting rotation, while the 2008 team had a better individual starting lineup and a little better bullpen.

Either way, they were two magical years that will always be special to Philadelphia fans.