Straight to the National League East cellar. Ugh. In the past week or so I haven't even touched on the Philadelphia Phillies. But make no mistake, they are on the highest level of morbid sports fascinations for me. On the same level as the Columbus Crew and Formula 1 racing, and just above IU hoops, Notre Dame Football, and the Philadelphia Eagles. You think I'd have a winner somewhere in that group, I guess Renault F1 counts, but I have only been following them for three years, so it doesn't feel the same. At any rate, the Phils have started the season 0-4. All four losses at home. Jimmy Rollins 38 game hitting streak came to an end on Thursday. The starting pitching has been dreadful. David Bell had a terrible day at the plate and committed two errors to top it off the other night. Mike Liebrethal, the worlds most overpaid catcher, has started the season in terrible form. You want good news? Okay. The bullpen has only allowed 3 earned runs in 20 innings of work. Pretty nice, eh? The bad news, the bullpen has worked 20 damn innings in only 4 games.
The Phils are probably the most frustrating team of mine that I root for. They play in one of the nations largest markets, which in baseball usually means spending big money and occasionally winning. Yet, they haven't made the playoffs since 93. Last year they finished only one game out of teh wild card, but that was a bit of a mirage.
There are numerous blogs and message boards that express just how frustrating it is to follow this team, but this entry over at The Good Phight more or less sums it up.
There are 158 games left. I will likely see the Phils only twice in person this year. The first time towards the end of May in Cincinnatti. I just hope that they are at least around .500 by then. Ugh.
2 comments:
Scot,
It's hard to be a Phillies fan in this part of the country, of course it’s hard to be a Phillies fan in Philadelphia also.
When I first moved to the Delaware Valley, I didn’t know a soul and would often go to games at the Vet by myself. I could often make my way pretty close to the diamond. Those were the fun years of Kruk, Dykstra, Dalton, Shilling and The Wild Thing—Mitch Williams. I could have popcorn, ice cream and beer for dinner and soak up baseball. By the next year, 1993 I had made friends and bought season tickets. I saw the Phils go from worst to first. I got to go to Game 5 of the 1993 World Series. I was exciting and fun!
Maybe this is the year?
I think you are onto something. I think it's hard to be a Phils fan anywhere.
I do remember 93 very fondly though. I remember driving around in my friend Joe's car banging pots and pans after each playoff win. And I remember swearing that I would kill the first blue jay I saw every spring till the day I died after Carter's homerun. That was before I was vegan though. :)
This year, after another loss tonight, not looking so good.
Post a Comment