People who know me personally know that, for me, the Phils are something of an adopted team to root for. I’ll always be a true-navy blue, stone-cold Yankees fan until the day I die (speaking of them, how ’bout that mediocre season this year?). I’m NY-state born and raised, so that’s that. I went to college in Philadelphia in 1999 and fell in love with the city and its fans. I have always been passionate about baseball, and the Phils play in the NL, so of course I’m going to cheer for them. I got to understand the fervor and angst that Philadelphians experienced in waiting and waiting for their day in the limelight. Now that the day has come, my thoughts on a championship:
- This World Series was hardly the greatest ever, but after four years of four and outs, with a Rays team that climbed from the bottom of the heap to challenge for the title, with horrid northeast weather and a suspended game which has never happened, you have to say these games truly had some drama. Even though it was great to see Boston win its first title in forever, Chicago just about as long and St. Louis for quite some time, those games were over before you knew it. The Rays were not lively, producing few runs and barely showing in Game 4. But they took at least one game and had their own moments, so for now, the purist that I am regarding baseball fandom, I am satisfied.
- I can’t stand Bud Selig. He has made some bad decisions in his tenure as comissioner, and he is horrible at marketing his sport (his congratulation speeches sound like eulogies). And I am firmly convinced he was getting booed out there on the dais (not “Bud!”, “Boo!”). And he got lucky, LUCKY, that the Rays tied the first part of Game 5, because there is no excuse, EVER, to even consider calling a post-season game in favor of one team.
- Speaking of the suspended game, in a weird way it was good for both the Phils to lose one in Tampa and to have Game 5 split. It gave the home crowd four chances to experience their beloved team try to deliver, giving them trepidation and joy instead of utter dread and sorrow. Hindsight is 20-20, of course, and no Philly fan after Game 2 would have said “Huzzah!” to that loss, but it worked out in the end.
- Certain players got legitimized in this season and postseason. Cole Hamels went from being a young stud to maybe the next big thing in pitching. Shane Victorino went from entertaining on a local level to star on a national stage. Jayson Werth has become a bonafide, everyday starter. Moyer and Blanton proved you don’t need a Garza or a Sonnastine. Almost everyone looked good.
- The Phils once again proved something that I have always believed in. Most people will tell you that pitching wins championships, but I contend that a solid bench and great depth will take you to the promised land. You can’t count on great pitching and hitting all the time. The Rays rotation was not lights out (like my boy Lidge!), their lineup not hot. Role players that can come through in a pinch; these are the guys that seal the deal. Just when you think Matt Stairs is washed up and Geoff Jenkins was a bust, they can bring just enough out in a timely moment to get you through.
- Is Brad Lidge up there with Tug? A bit early to be making comparisons, and McGraw was there for the first title, but Lidge did look photogenic enough, so that counts. Giving Lidge the Comeback Player of the Year award is only a footnote in encapsulating his return to dominance. Hinske looked resigned to fate as he took those last three strikes. Side note on Hinske: Some guy in the chat room for the game feed I viewed said it was only fitting that an ex-Blue Jay should strike out to a Philly closer in this World Series.
- I didn’t see the Utley-to-Ruiz throw live (ARGH!), only the replay after. Teaching while watching games is a difficult task. Personally, I’ll remember that Zobrist liner to right, with one out and the runner Perez on second, picked up neatly by Werth. If Werth is not exactly there or makes a misstep, the game is most assuredly tied. And I don’t think Philadelphians could have handled the emotional drain.
- No matter who you think it favored, the umping was terrible during this series. A number of missed calls and shifting strike zones (and for both sides, too, Rays fans!). One occasional snafu is one thing, but for the first time I am leaning somewhat towards instant replay. Never for ball-and-strikes, though, the pitcher and catchers work to earn that zone.
- The only game I saw with no interruptions was Game 3. I was fortunate; the game had been delayed by rain, and my friends in Seoul and I headed to Gecko’s in Itaewon. For those of you who don’t know, Gecko’s on a Friday or Saturday night is a great place to hang out if you are a tool. It’s much better to go to on a Sunday morning, with a big-screen TV showing the game. Prices are awful too.
- Anyway, Game 3 made me appreciate all over again how fun it is to watch Jamie Moyer pitch. Even at 45, he’s still throwing the ball effectively, and that stuck out tongue was priceless. I would immediately hire him as a pitching coach if he made himself available.
- On the Fox broadcast, they replayed Harry Kalas’ call of the last out, and that was an unexpected joy. I’d take Harry the K alone over the whole Fox baseball crew any day of the week.
- I haven’t seen or heard the Patti LaBelle rendition of the National Anthem, and I don’t care to (unless you tell me it’s really funny). Hardly anybody sings it well anymore. and the fact that they are still throwing “God Bless America” into the mix is just too much patriotism for me. I’m there for the game.
- Did Fox play the Rocky theme enough? Of course it should be played from time to time, but man, is that the only thing you people can identify the City of Brotherly Love with? At least play some Survivor!
The aftermath:
- First of all, I still contend that Jimmy Rollins should be named Team Captain. I know some of you Philly folk are smarting from those “front-runner” comments, but it was a bit deserved. And at this point, Rollins in essentially the old veteran on that team, always fun on and off the field, and brought you an MVP. I remember Manuel benching him for one game earlier this year for not running hard enough, and J-Roll admitted he deserved it. It’s stuff like that that makes a leader.
- You might not want to hear this, Philly, but the club should at least make an offer to Pat Burrell. It shouldn’t be as much as the last contract, and I know Pat the Bat isn’t always clutch with his standing strikeouts and 50 year old knees. But year in and year out he still puts up decent HR and RBI numbers, and you cannot guarentee you will replace that. And don’t tell me he’s not “clutch”; you need people to produce all the time. Those runs count.
- Even as champs, the Phils still need another starter. The rotation solidified by season’s end (I don’t know if they solidified so much as coagulated), but most of the season it was a work in progress. You can be hopeful that Myers has returned to form and Blanton will grow, but Moyer is pushing his age limits and they don’t have much consistency beyond that. They need at least one more above-average starter to complement Hamels and frighten the competition into thinking this team is not a one-shot wonder. Given that they just won and are young, no one (not even C.C.) is out of reach.
- I can only imagine the level of public drunkenness, property damage and street rioting to be had tonight. And it better happen, too, Philly! You complained a lot to me with your “oh-when-will-we-ever-get-a-break” attitude! I better see videos of people in Yuengling-stained Ryan Howard jerseys, passed out on the street, or I will be displeased. A turned-over car or two is a bit much.
And now that the Phils have won:
- There will be much rejoicing.
- Let no one say that this was undeserving, or that the Phils are a weak and boring champion. I hate that kind of garbage; resentful bile from people who did not see their favored team accomplish the pinnacle. I despised the yearning these sportswriters and TV people had for an L.A./Boston series. “Oh, I can’t wait to see Manny! Will he be Manny?” Those footnotes are tiresome. I enjoyed seeing the Phils and Rays bring to fruition what has been a long road of tinkering and toiling at putting together a perfect team. Philadelphia hadn’t won a title in 25 years, and the turnaround for the Rays, the worst-to-almost-first story, will be remembered despite the loss. You can’t sell that package, Fox and ESPN? You need Manny being Manny so badly? Yeesh.
- People outside of Philadelphia spew a lot of bad publicity about this town, mostly because some inebriated bozos threw snowballs at Santa (which isn’t even the whole story). They don’t realize that these people who get into these drunken fights and engage in such clownish antics can be found in just about every major city. The difference in that Philadelphians are constantly being told that they are fat, stupid, ugly people who live in an armpit of a city that offers nothing aesthetically pleasing or, even worse, no A-list celebrities! They are constantly being painted as losers, and that’s made even worse by the fact that their teams have often been losers. Philadelphians live and breathe their sports franchises, and even when they boo one game, they come back the next. So lay off with the pretenious “Oh what a boring champion” commentary. If you need your own city represented so much, don’t even bother making a comment and go back to watching “Desperate Housewives”.
- Philadelphia, you have your championship. I’m thrilled for you. I wish I could be there and celebrate with you. Enjoy it. Enjoy it thoroughly, soak it in, and then shut up the whining for a year, because some of the those outsiders say about you is true. You are winners now. If the Eagles miss the playoffs, ignore that guttural, compelling voice in you that wants to say “here we go again” or “it’s so unfair” or other such nonsense. You’re classy, Philly, much more than people may ever know, but you tend to give off bad vibes from time to time. Stifle your “Negadelph” and “Illadelph” tendencies for the time being.
For me, personally:
- Seeing the Phillies win a championship is not like, say, the Yankees winning in 1996, the first baseball championship I could enjoy. And being in Korea cheapens the thrill a bit; I’d rather be hopping around town and mixing it up with the peeps. But when Lidge got down on his knees, I jumped out of my seat.
- I’ve longed cared about Philadelphia sports (and the Phils in particular) because I’ve wanted to see Philly win, and feel like a winner. Not being there leaves an empty feeling. I want to see my old friends and shake their hands. I want to get in Chris or Pat or Bob’s face and say, “OK, you happy, now?” in a sarcastic manner that they are accustomed to as they scream at the top of their lungs and don’t even comprehend me. I want to ask Nicole if she finally feels like her optimism has paid off. I feel a bittersweetness as I sit, so many miles away, forced to celebrate through computer keys.
- My greatest memory of the 2008 World Series will always be sitting in an empty classroom, on a Thursday morning local time, watching the game on a slow-as-molasses Justin.tv stream, following the tension and revelry and inane chat comments, while the stream host pauses from time to time to refill the bong he’s been hitting (or, to give the benefit of the doubt, a 2-liter of Pepsi), which had been placed rather close to the microphone. During the 9th inning and the ensuing celebration, I noticed the strange sounds occuring more often.
- I want to go party-harty, too. I miss you, Philadelphia. Congrats.
