Philadelphia Freedom

Last night something happened in Philadelphia. It was more than just a win. It was more than a World Series championship. It was a giant sigh of relief. A weight was lifted off an entire fan base. After 25 years of no championships for a city, years of almosts wons, years of letdowns, last night the city rejoiced. And I was lucky enough to be around for it.

After a monsoon suspended the game, Philadelphians started to think that even God was conspiring to keep them from winning a championship. The faith in this team started to wane and doubt was creeping into the city that had been smiling just days earlier. Yes, it was really odd, people in Philadelphia were uncharacteristically happy. There was a gasp of inevitability when Rocco Baldelli hit a home run to tie the game for Tampa. And then Pat Burrell crossed the plate on a hit by Pedro Feliz to take a 4-3 lead and the team never looked back. And then, last night the city celebrated.

People rushed onto Broad Street. There was much hugging and high five-ing and general good will. Yes, there was some mayhem, some banners torn down, some lights broken, a few cars flipped, and a few fires started. But the overwhelming sense was not one of a riot scene but more of a big party. For all the videos on youtube of people acting the way you would expect Philadelphians would, there were far more people toasting the city, and just being drunk, happy fans.

I was almost disappointed in the lack of destruction. I expected a little more from the city of Angryville. But maybe this is a different city now. One that doesn't boo every time something goes a little wrong. One that doesn't feel the need to destroy all the city that finally has a championship. We'll see what happens as the afterglow fades. Since the moment Brad Lidge finished his perfect season, this city has been in emotional overload. There was laughing and crying and hugs and kisses and cheers and car tipping and fires. This was a moment that changed the lives and attitudes of every Philadelphia fan.

Why Can't Us is now YES US CAN!

Congratulations Philadelphia, it's been a long time coming.

The Suspense is Killing Me

Last night was the night the Phillies were supposed to end their city's misery. Last night, the unstoppable Cole Hamels took the mound to finish off those upstart Rays and clinch the World Series. But alas, it was not to happen. Mother Nature, father Commissioner and Big Brother network colluded to play in terrible conditions. It was raining when the game started. And as the field turned to swamp and the base paths turned to bog, the game was not called.

The Phils went up 2-0 in the first inning. And it was not until B.J. Upton scored the tying run in the top of the 6th that the game was suspended. This is a game that should not have been started. It should have been delayed. But Commissioner Bud Selig gets different weather reports than everyone else. His reports only called for a little rain. But he was still worried before the game started. He told the managers that this game would not be called because of rain. I think that was the right call after a initially wrong decision.

Even starting the game earlier would have led to playing in terrible conditions. But there was no way that could have happened. Fox was not going to let this game be played in any spot other than prime time. Even if the forecast had been better. Bud Selig wouldn't have had the power to go against the mighty network that already dictates so much of the World Series schedule. Even the game that was supposed to be restarted today was not going to get broadcast until 8 pm. However, Mother Nature is still not cooperating. It is absolutely miserable today. Rain, possibly snow in some places, is pounding the area, and even if it stops the wind is gusting.

MLB has announced that the game will not be resumed tonight but will have to wait to try again tomorrow. This is much to the chagrin of the Rays. They had checked out of their hotel yesterday before the game. And the hotel was booked for tonight by the out of town fans. So they had to scramble to find a new place to stay last night. Let's hope they still have rooms open for tonight.

But back to Selig's decision. No player wants to win or lose the World Series due to a rain out. It seems unfair. And I understand Selig's reluctance to call the game. But there should be some contingency plans for bad weather. Especially as the baseball season gets longer and longer. The game could have been suspended before it was complete, which would have led to it being continued when the weather allowed. Selig waited too long to suspend the game. But suspending it was the right thing to do. Even if he did wait til the game was tied. Hamels had lost the ability to control the ball and couldn't pitch anything but fastballs. But Kazmir and Balfour both had to deal with the same conditions. And the fielding was equally as hard for the Rays as the Phillies. No one should have been playing in those conditions. It took away the pitchers' control, the fielders' grip, and the runners' speed. It was a miracle that B.J. Upton was able to run through the muck and mire to make it home.

But there is one other group that did not want this game postponed. It was the Phillie fans. They wanted to go to the game last night. They wanted to see their team win. They did not want another day off to wait to celebrate. The fans could almost taste the victory. They could sense the agony of 100 years without a championship was about to end. There would have been unhappy people in Philly no matter what Selig decided to do. Philadelphia may be pissed about the way last night was handled, but they would not have been happy regardless. The weather was not cooperative for them.

I'm not that upset. I wasn't really that excited about going and celebrating in the cold rain that came down last night. I'm sure the fires from the riots that I'm sure will ensue if the Phillies win might have helped to keep me warm. But I had my fill of drinking outdoors in the rain at homecoming this weekend. So maybe tomorrow night will be better. And maybe tomorrow night will finally bring the celebration this city is so craving.

Talkin Bout a Ray-volution

Last night was Game 2 of the World Series. The Phillies played roughly the same game as they did in Game 1. But this time they did not have their ace, Cole Hamels pitching and as a result, the game had a very different result. Neither team was very good at getting hits with runners in scoring position. But Tampa Bay managed to get people on early and then score on ground outs. So they managed to drive in runs without hits and win the game 4-2. Jamie "Big Game" Shields managed to live up to his name and pitch 5 2/3 scoreless innings. And the young pitching star Price came out and stopped Philly for the last few innings. He even helped to increase the drama by throwing erratically to walk Utley on four pitches only to strike out the next batter, Howard.

But that kind of play was the standard for the Phils all night. The Phillies are now 1 for 28 with runners in scoring position this series. They were 0 for 13 in the first game and 1 for 15 in game 2. The Rays had similarly bad numbers but managed to score anyway. And they showed that they will keep finding ways to win. While it seems like the Phils are trying to find ways to lose.

There is one positive for me about the Phils loss. It now means that the Phils cannot sweep the Rays and end the series on Sunday night. I have an exam on Monday and therefor would not be able to join in the raucous celebration on Sunday. So thank you Ryan Howard for going 50 at bats without a home run. I know you just want to let people savor this series. The city of Philadelphia would like to enjoy this moment for as long as possible.

Tomorrow the series moves to Philly. Hopefully the home crowd will help inspire the Phightins to get some hits and actually get some runners home. This team left 11 runners on base last night. That's just sad. I can already hear the boos if this keeps up. And with the ALCS MVP , Matt Garza, taking the mound tomorrow, the Phils are really going to have to find their swing. We'll also get to see if Jamie Moyer can use his experience to shut down this young Rays lineup. Or maybe the Rays will break out like they did in Boston? If so the Philly bullpen better be ready to come out early and work hard.

I'm still pulling for the Phillies. But as I said before, I'm an Orioles fan and consequently no stranger to heartbreak. Anyway, GO PHILLIES!!

Side Note: I wrote most of this post on the way back to Maryland for the Maryland Homecoming tomorrow on the Chinatown bus. I know, it's crazy to think that cheap crappy bus now has free Wifi. But I forgot one crucial lesson when riding the Chinatown bus, never sit near the back unless there are no other seats available. The closer you get to the back the closer you get to the bathroom and the more it smells. I had forgotten this and just wanted to pass on the word. For anyone not familiar with the Chinatown bus, its a cheap bus that will take you up and down the northeast corridor from Chinatown to Chinatown. It costs $15 to go from Philly to DC or Baltimore and even less to go from Philly to New York. Despite its sometime smelly nature, its cheaper, more reliable and faster than Greyhound. I figure with the way the economy is looking, cheap transport is in pretty high demand. Plus now they have free internet. So its not all bad.

Can Both Teams Win?

I've said several times that I was glad there was going to be a Rays-Phils World Series. And while I am excited to see two fresh faces in the line up, it leaves me with a slight dilemma. Which team should I root for? My team's season is long over. So that leaves me a free agent of sorts. I have no plans on being loyal to this team after the season, but it's more fun to watch sports when you're cheering on a team. My sister and I used to watch Monday Night Football together, each pick a random team, and then cheer as hard as we could against each other. In competition, you have to pick a side. Here are the arguments.

Rays Pros: They're a miracle team. They went from last place to World Series in one season. This brings hope to all those other fans of terrible teams. The Rays are also a group of young athletes playing for way below the league average salary. I think the average Ray makes $414,000 a year. It seems like a lot of money to me, but in baseball thats petty cash. Also, this scrappy team bonded together and even got their manager to get a Rayhawk. Add to that, they kept the Yankees out of the playoffs and Boston out of the World Series. Also, I just think the American League is inherently better, mostly because its the league that the Orioles play in. Yes, I'm a homer. Oh yeah, I also love the way this team celebrates. They want to mark every minor milestone with a party. And that's a mentality I can get behind.

Rays Cons: They play in the same division as the Orioles. I wouldn't exactly call them division rivals because until this year, they were mostly just competing for the last spot in the division. But still, I shouldn't like them because of the whole same division thing. Supposedly, they also have no fans. I don't know how true this is, they do have terrible attendance, but they were terrible until this year. And most of the people in Tampa Bay are over 80, so it's hard for them to stay up for a 7:30 start time. The thing that really bothers me most is that Dickie V is their biggest fan. I had a hard time cheering for US Mens Basketball because Coach K was their coach. Well, that and I don't like pro basketball in any form. My hatred of Duke runs really deep. And while Dickie V is not nearly as bad as Coach K, he is probably the biggest Duke fan ever. On the other hand, Dickie V does talk up the ACC as much as possible, which I do appreciate since it's the best conference in College Basketball. Regardless, Dickie V still annoys me.

Phillies Pros: The Phillies haven't been to a World Series in 15 years, they haven't won in even longer and well the city is starved for a championship. Philadelphia has all 4 major sports and has gone 25 years without a championship in any of them. That's just sad. It makes you kind of want to cheer for them. Also, Phillies fans seem to be slightly optimistic this year, and less mean. Less booing, more cheering, more happiness. It's weird to see the city like this. Last year when the Phils made the playoffs, people were excited but then the Phils got swept by the Rockies in the first round and people seemed resolved to their fate. Really, the biggest thing Philly has going for it is that this is where I live. I get to celebrate with this city if they win. And this city knows how to party.

Phillies Cons: Philadelphia sports are heart breakers. They lose, they choke, and they crash and burn. They have a history of not being able to close. The Rays have no playoff history, except the one they are writing now. And that so far has been a winning one. Philadelphia sports are cursed by William Penn. It's hard to get behind a team that seems so likely to fail. Also while Phillies fans this year haven't been that bad, Philadelphia sports fans in general are among the worst. And it's hard to want the people who boo Santa to actually get a championship. Plus, I like to think he National League is inferior and if they lose the World Series again, I can believe that for another year.

Well, in the end I'll be happy for either team. But after living in Philly for a little over two years the Phillies have started to grow on me, kind of like a cancer. And I as much as I like the upstart Rays, I get to party in Philly if the Phils win. So, I guess, GO PHILLIES!

Why Can't Us?

There's something about these Phillies fans that is overwhelmingly entertaining to me. They qualified for the World Series and still there not cocky. My friend wanted a NLCS sweatshirt even before they won "just to prove they were in the playoffs in his lifetime." Now, that they've won, I wondered if he wanted a World Series sweatshirt, not just a NLCS champion one. His response, "Don't be ridiculous, you're going to jinx us." Even though they soundly beat the Dodgers and are playing great ball, there's still a cautious feeling about the World Series.

Don't get me wrong, the city is the happiest I've ever seen it. The sound of cheering filled the night last night and the celebrations went on til the early hours of the morning. But this isn't like Boston where even though they're down 3-1 in the ALCS, they still think they're going to come back and not just go to the World Series, but win it. Phillies fans know what heartbreak feels like. And while they are giving their whole hearts to their team, they're not still not really sure it's going to work out. They're wishing and hoping and praying, but not bragging. I admire that.

So congratulations Philadelphia. It's been a long time but if any Philly team deserves to make it to the big stage it's the Phillies. And I wish you hopeful, grammatically challenged fans the best.
Maybe this really is the year Philadelphia breaks their curse.

On a slightly unrelated note, I think the entire city of Philadelphia smells like cheese steaks right now. I swear to god, I live on the 18th floor of my building and my apartment right now smells like I have 10 cheesesteaks sitting on my table. The odor of cheesesteak is wafting in my window. I think this is a good sign for the Phils.

After soundly defeating the Dodgers 3-1 in the series and clinching it with a decisive 5-1 win by NLCS MVP Cole Hamels yesterday, the Phils are well situated for this series. They've shown that their pitchers can stay calm not get flustered by even big hitters like Manny. Yeah, he had a lot of hits, but he really didn't get to score that often. They were able to neutralize him as a threat. That should serve them well in the World Series.

The Phils also had solid production from their line up. Everyone on the team seemed to come up with big hits at the most opportune time. Whether it was Matt Stairs with the two run homer to take the lead in game four or Jimmy Rollins homering to start off game five. Everyone played a part. And that team mentality is important. I think Pat Burrell might have even smiled. Though I can't confirm that.

Right now the Rays are leading the Red Sox 5-0 in the fifth, so it looks like there will be a World Series of two underdog teams. I can't wait.