When Raul Ibanez made postseason history by becoming the first player to tie a game in the ninth inning with a homer and then win it with a walkoff home run in extra frames Wednesday night against the Orioles, it was probably a bittersweet feeling for most Phillies fans.Ibanez, who is one of the classiest players in baseball, was a fan favorite during his three seasons in Philadelphia. The soft-spoken Ibanez, who took over for Pat Burrell in left field in 2009, made no secret of his desire to sign a new contract with the Phillies after his deal expired in 2011. But Ibanez didn’t receive an offer from the Phillies, so he signed a one-year, $1 million dollar deal with the Yankees.Ibanez blasted 19 homers and drove in 62 RBIs in 130 regular-season games for the Bombers. And then there is Ibanez’s postseason heroics.“Ibanez is a true class act, who can still hit,” a NL scout said. “He’s been very big for the Yankees.”Ibanez’s homers were huge in the ALDS for the Yankees, but he almost did the same thing for the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLDS last year. He just missed hitting a three-run homer off of Chris Carpenter.“I was just a millimeter off,” Ibanez said after the Phillies lost to the Cardinals, 1-0, in the decisive contest.And then there is the 2012 season.“Ibanez could have made a difference for the Phillies this season,” the NL scout said. “They needed more offense than they generated.”The Phillies need some punch for next season and Ibanez will be a free agent. The odds are that Ibanez will be wearing pinstripes in 2012, but don’t bet on them being red.
