This is Gonna Leave a Mark

Two years in a row now, I got to see Ryan Howard make the last out to end the Phillies season. As he approached the plate, I was hoping he would at least draw a walk so he wouldn't get bashed the entire offseason again. It seemed like a lot of people in attendance were waiting for him to fail. As he lay on the ground with a ruptured Achilles I heard a guy yell, "Good, now you can retire!". How quick we forget.  I actually heard Howard Eskin say yesterday that "Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino need to choke up on the bat". So now you're a hitting coach Eskin? Aren't you the same unathletic, zit faced kid who never played a sport in your life? In your own words, you are the biggest 'Fraud' this city ever had, and that's saying a lot since Adam Eaton played here. Go back to falsely reporting injuries on the Eagles sideline like you did 2 weeks ago. The Dog Killer didn't break his hand as you reported. I can't believe you don't get called on your sh!t. I will never bash any player who helps give us a parade. The championship victory is it for me. Once you win a championship for all of us, you get a lifetime pass. In my weird mind I have more respect for Eric Bruntlett and Pedro Feliz then Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. I am 43 years old and have seen 5 championship teams in this city. There have been 172 seasons for the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers during my lifetime. Five times the Philly team was the last one standing. Jimmy, Chase and Ryan may end up elsewhere in the near future but we don't need to kick them out the door.

This team is old. Not one player under 30 in the starting lineup till Hunter Pence got here. The fact that they had a bunch of injuries the last few years is no coincidence. Maybe time is catching up to them. Maybe they did it in reverse, 2008 could have been the pinnacle for this squad. In 1977 and 1978 the Phillies won 101 games but it took till 1980 to get to the top. Do we throw this run to the curb if we only ever get the 2008 World Series championship? It wasn't that long ago that Desi Relaford was your starting shortstop. Take it from someone who has seen a lot of bad Phillies teams, this is still where we want to be, early playoff exit and all.

I will try to look on the bright side. My life isn't over, just a baseball season. I will kiss my beautiful wife and enjoy the fact that my newest addition is 6 months old today. I still have a baseball game to go to today, it's a Babe Ruth Fall ball game and I get to see the best catcher in the area not named 'Chooch'. I am not saying we can't grieve a little. They won 102 games then ripped out our hearts, but we had a better week than Steve Jobs and Al Davis. It could be worse, we could be Mets fans.
 

Keep It Classy Philly!

DB29