Believe it or not, the Major League Baseball playoffs are practically upon us. They begin tomorrow, meaning that it was one year ago that our Philadelphia Phillies began their run that ended a month later with our fair baseball team crowned the World Fucking Champions.
This year, things haven't quite been the same. There was no dramatic come-from-behind finish to claim the division. There was no star shortstop bad-mouthing the fans. And there sure as shit wasn't any perfect closer. While there are many pieces still around from last year's improbable World Series victors, this is not the same team. But that doesn't mean the Phils can't reach the same place.
Sure the bullpen is a mess, the Rockies pose a formidable challenge, as do the all the teams in the playoffs, and repeats don't happen very often for a reason. But this team still has Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. This team still has Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino. This team still is capable of crushing the ball all over the place, and defensively, there aren't many (if any) teams better. Tomorrow, as the majority of Philadelphia fans are stuck at work and wishing they were anywhere but there, the Phillies begin their postseason title defense at 2:37 p.m. in their home ballpark, in front of their hometown fans. Major League Baseball isn't doing us any favors. Then again, they never have. Maybe, just maybe if the Phillies go out and win the whole damn thing again, we can get some respect. Only one way to find out.
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-Cory is none too pleased with the Phillies scheduled not once, but twice in a row for 2:37 game times. Bullshit.
-Neither is Dash. Seriously MLB, go fuck yourself.
-24 x 3 = 72.
-Meet the newest linebacker to work on his craft at Linebacker U:
-Leitch's take on the Phils:
As I wrote back in 2007, "anybody who says the first title just makes you hungrier is full of it." It is to the Phillies' credit that they have rejected this notion; they are going for it this year, all in, as if they didn't win last year at all. Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Ben Francisco ... the Phillies are trying to fill in all possible gaps. I have no doubt that if Roger Clemens had any interest in coming in to be the closer sometime in late July, the Phillies would have at least considered it. They have the bloodlust of a team that has never won a title before. In the past, it would have looked desperate. Now it just looks like piling on. Good for them.
Still, it's bizarre to think that the lone repeat champions this decade would come from Philadelphia, doesn't it? (By the way, Philadelphia fans don't receive nearly enough credit for avoiding the Boston plague, immediately turning into our-shit-don't-stink self-important spoiled brats after winning a long-awaited title. They're pretty much the same miserable fucks they've always been, and you have to salute them for that.)
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You have to grab what you can, while you can. Sometimes if you forget that you've won one, you might just win two. The Phillies' place in history is secure. That they don't think that's enough is impressive, and rare. Good for them.
-Hilarious.
-Whatever happened to Joe Forte?
-Yeah, that's a good block:
-I still can't believe Trotter is an Eagle again.
-I find it even harder to believe that the Eagles may be planning to play Trotter a lot:
Now, in a mind-boggling twist, Trotter is back, and he alternated with Gaither as the first-team middle linebacker yesterday. Yes, in his first practice with the team in two years, he got about half the reps as the starter.
Crazy.
-If you're worried about the Phillies not being quite as hungry, these guys are certainly itching for a ring.
-Cliff Lee is tomorrow's starter.
Let's hope it's first five games as a Phillie Cliff Lee and not the one who has been quite shaky down the stretch.
-The Juice is cut loose from his starting spot at Illinois.
-Saw this on Monday Night Countdown last night:
That is the fastest ball boy alive.
-This is for silver fox, courtesy of Mouthpiece Blog:
-More dunks:
-Yeah, I can see why you'd want to punch the Blue Jays in their faces, especially if you are a fan of the Blue Jays.
-Ed says Bob Stoops and Jim Tressel should be more like JoePa or something.
-10 numbers for the Rockies-Phils series.
-Meech lends a helping hand to 'Duk:
Winning baseball games. Specifically, 11 of them during the postseason. If my memory serves me correctly, that's what they did last year. Can they do it again? I SAY YES.
Tonight, the Flyers take on the Capitals at the Wachovia Center, with Alexander Ovechkin coming to town along with Mike Knuble returning to Philadelphia for the first time since heading south on 95. That's a nice little appetizer to playoff baseball tomorrow.
Speaking of playoff baseball, if anyone wants to call in a bomb threat to my building tomorrow (or better yet actually blow the fucker up tonight), I'll give you every last cent in my bank account so I can stay at home and actually watch the baseball game, instead of sitting in a cubicle pretending to work as I listen to LA and Franske on the radio. Thank you.
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