When Man Crushes Go Bad

I’m sure more than a few Phillies fans circled yesterday’s date on their trusty pocket schedule. Probably even before they circled W.B. Mason collectable truck day. I guess for this all to make sense, I need to let you know something. I don’t have a favorite all-time Phillie. Hard to believe, but true. If I was a bit older, I’m sure it would be Schmidt or Carlton. But when I really started to become a baseball junkie, the Phillies relied on guys like Dave Hollins, Tyler Green and Paul Byrd to be their All-Star game representatives.

Sure, there was and is always a player I cheered a little louder for. Someone I’d wait until their turn in the line-up passes before I go grab another cold one. Usually, it’s a player who you don’t expect much from but before you know it they are putting up some decent numbers or a scrappy guy who played balls to the wall every pitch of every out or maybe they just had a cool name. Guys like Sixto Lezcano, Randy Ready, or Marlon Anderson. More recently, it’s been Marlon Byrd and Wilson Valdez and, oh yeah, some guy the Phillies took a chance on in 2007 named Jayson Werth.

Werth missed the entire 2006 season with a wrist injury which some thought might end his career. I used the phrase “low risk/high reward” when talking about his signing. He didn’t disappoint. Well, that is until he left town for the lowly Nationals and a boat load of cash. I won’t bash him for that. I completely understand. I think back on the summer of 1994. I was home from college and working in a kitchen. I only call it work because every Friday I got a paycheck. Mostly, we laughed, busted balls and played pranks. After we closed shop, we’d take the party to the dive bar across the street. As far as working is concerned, I don’t think I ever had a better time. But when it comes down to it, if someone offered me more money I’d have left in a second. I don’t work to make friends.  I work to make money to pay bills and be able to afford the things I want to buy.  Let’s face it. I don’t understand it but not everyone likes baseball. Some of those people even include professional ballplayers. They play because they are good at it and can make a lot of money.

Everyone seems to have differing opinions on Werth’s departure. They might be glad he got paid, hate him for turning his back on the Phillies, understand why he went elsewhere but bash him because he signed with a non-contender and so on. Maybe he went to Washington because he realized he would always be a supporting character here in Philadelphia. Utley, Hamels and Howard won the World Series. He was a supporting character. So Washington gives him the chance to be “The Guy” along with Ryan Zimmerman that they will build around. I don’t fault him. No one but Werth knows exactly why he left, but I can’t condemn the guy. I’d have probably done the same.

See ya at the ball…….Oh wait, I only covered the signing there’s more.

Werth's mug shot for Philly's Most Hated

Then we get to spring training, and Werth starts running his mouth. Saying things like the Phillies were dumb because they could have had him AND Lee. That in a few season Phillies fans won’t be traveling down to Nationals Park and the coup de grâce… “I hate the Phillies.”

He joined another one of my old favorites, Lenny Dykstra, as someone I’d like to kick square in the nuts. (If you remember, Dykstra said during a Fox broadcast “I will always consider myself a Met.”) Or better yet, I’d like to take that oversized drinking glove that he wore during the parade which made him such a fan favorite and shove it up his ass.  Both Werth and Dykstra are dead to me. Dead!

Sure, he may have won the first battle, but this is a war. The Phillies sent in the guy with a broomstick (I know its fucked up I’m comparing Fat Joe to the Ethiopian army, oh well) but the heavy artillery and the medic AKA Doc is on the way.

See ya at the ballpark!

Jay Wrizight

jaywrizight@yahoo.com

“I Hope It Was Werth It"

Washington, D.C. The city that some of the world’s most powerful, influential men and women live and work. The city where the White House stands, where Congress meet and where the Supreme Court upholds the laws of the land.

It is also now known as the city that Jayson Werth calls home (at least throughout the regular season).

Oh yes, you may have heard of Mr. Werth. He was that scraggly dude from California that once played right field for the Fightins. You also may recall that Mr. Werth chose to leave the City of Brotherly love for a 7 year, $126 million dollar contract with the Nationals. That’s right… the NATIONALS. It’s ok, I’ll give you a second to collect yourself. It really IS funny.

What’s NOT funny? That Jayson Werth (undoubtedly a Philadelphia favorite) decided $126 million dollars was impossible to turn down, even if it meant selling his soul to a team that has absolutely ZERO chance at a World Series run. Maybe, dear reader, if that kind of money was offered to us (HA!) we could somewhat understand the pressures of being lured with such a lucrative offer. BUT… Since my feet are planted firmly on the ground, and I have to bust my hump in graduate school just for a shot at the career of my dreams I can’t begin to understand what that sort of offer would feel like.

Around the same time that Werth was saying goodbye to his shot at a third world series with the Phillies, another beloved major leaguer was in fact turning DOWN money to play for the Phils. This guy had a shot to play for 2 other playoff contending teams… yet turned down money to play (once again) in Philadelphia. You DO know who I’m talking about, right?!

Ohhhhhhh Jayson. Jayson, Jayson, Jayson. What happened? You don’t strike me as a political junkie, so I am going to hope there was a better reason for you to abandon Philadelphia for Washington other than for money. Does D.C. offer you more culture? I don’t think the weather is any different there than that of Philadelphia, so it couldn’t be that. Did Chase Utley threaten to cut your boys off? Hmmmmm….

The one thing Philadelphia offered you that you can’t buy anywhere… a shot at winning another world f*@%#g championship. And with that, I’ll take a guy with heart over a douche with money any day. Take THAT to the bank, sucka.

I always appreciate your comments and feedback! Email me at DiamondGirl215@PhilliesBunts.com

-xo

DiamondGirl215