10 Reasons why the Philadelphia Phillies winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

The latest entry for the Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game series will be for the Philadelphia Phillies.

A lot of these entries have been for long shots or teams that are pretty much dead right now (I'm looking at YOU Indians, Giants and White Sox.)

But now it is time for one team that not only has a shot, but should be the prohibitive favorite against any team.

The Phillies were picked by many people (including yours truly) to win it all. And frankly it would be stunning if they didn't. Now if you are the kind of person who doesn't like offense, pitching and power, then the Phillies aren't for you.

Today they clinched a playoff berth.
With 95 wins and 16 games left, they are a cinch for 100 wins.
If they win 102 games, they will have the best regular season record in franchise history.

And with the memory of last year's stunning loss in the NLCS against San Francisco fresh in their minds, they have gone all in.

The Phillies are the Big Bad Wolf. They could turn the Red Sox or Yankees into underdogs.

So they are another big market Northeastern team with unruly fans using their deep pockets to buy another championship!

What could there POSSIBLY be to root for with a Phillies World Series title?
PLENTY!

10 Reasons why the
Philadelphia Phillies
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. Another World Series title would make Charlie Manuel's Hall of Fame candidacy very compelling.

Charlie Manuel seems like a cool guy. A classic "Gold Ole Boy" Southern manager who has tamed the wild Philadelphia fanbase and delivered the city's first Championship in a quarter century.

While the classic Hall of Fame manager seems to be a strategist or a fiery, who can deny the results. With a clinched playoff spot this year (and assuming the Division is inevitable) he will have 5 straight Division Titles, back to back pennants and the 2008 World Series title.

Throw in the fact that his Phillies zoomed past the Mets in the wild 2007 Division race and Manuel could be the best manager in the team's history. Who is ahead of him?

(He also has another Division Title as a manager of the Indians.) If he wins another World Series title, his Cooperstown resume would start to look convincing.


2. Another title would shine light on the new "Core."

Jimmy Rollins has been a Phillie for 11 plus seasons. Chase Utley has been a Phillie for 9 seasons. Ryan Howard has been a Phillie for 8 plus seasons. Cole Hamels has been a Phillie for 6 seasons. Ryan Madson has been a Phillie for 8 plus seasons. Carlos Ruiz has been a Phillies for 6 seasons.

They are all home grown players who have been together for all 5 Division Champions. Throw in Shane Victorino who came over to Philadelphia after making his big league debut with the Padres and you have a core of players who have been together through many different Octobers and give the Phillies a sense of stability with the franchise not seen since the Joe Torre Yankee days.



3. The redemption of Ryan Howard's contract.

Speaking of that core, Ryan Howard has been much maligned since signing his long contract extension. I understand the deal emotionally. Having him play the bulk of his career in Philadelphia would mean that Phillies fans could invest some emotion in the big guy. And he is no doubt one of the more likable stars in the game.

But with his numbers declining (except RBI... the REASON he is paid so much) and the age of sluggers suddenly getting good again seems to be over, the deal looks like it might be an albatross for the next 5 years.

Ahh but what if he helps the Phillies earn ANOTHER World Series title? You could say "Sure he's over paid and slipping, but that's the price for an MVP, 3 pennants, an NLCS MVP and being part of 2 of the only 3 World Series titles in team history."


4. Speaking of redemption, Philadelphia fans can show themselves in a better light.

You might not like it, Phillies fans, but you have one of the worst reputation in sports. I know not ALL of you booed Mike Schmidt... or Santa Claus for that matter. I know not ALL of you got tased or threw up on a little girl. But enough of you have to give Philadelphia sports fans a bad rep.

Want to change that? When the Phillies win the World Series, cheer. Clap. Stomp your feet. Have a great time. But don't riot. Don't flip cars over. Show some class. And you can say "Yeah, I'm a Philly fan. At least I'm not a Vancouver fan!"


5. Roy Halladay is great for baseball and deserves to be a champion.

As we move past the Steroid Era and pitchers are becoming more and more dominant, it would be nice to see the BEST current pitcher get a ring.

Halladay could win his third Cy Young this year (although it will probably go to Clayton Kershaw) and last year showed his greatness with a regular season perfect game and a playoff no hitter. Today he threw a complete game shutout to clinch a spot in October. He's already a Hall of Famer. He is lacking the ring and he'll join Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia, Cole Hamels, Jon Lester, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter as current aces who are also World Champions.


6. Cliff Lee's bad ass-ness needs to be celebrated.

In 2009 World Series against the Yankees, Cliff Lee casually caught a pop up while barely moving his body. He just was so cool and non chalant. That's how he plays the game. He is good. He KNOWS he is good. And he'll just shut you down on HIS terms.

And those terms also means being a cool customer after being traded from the Indians to the Phillies to the Mariners and to the Rangers in two years. And cool in saying "Thanks but to thanks" to the Yankees money and declaring Philadelphia the place to win.

Like Halladay, Lee is one of the stars of post steroid pitching. And save for his two games in the World Series last year, has been as exciting a big game pitcher as you will see in baseball. He should be a champion.



7. Juan Samuel would get his World Series ring.

In the mid 1980s, Juan Samuel was the best second baseman in the National League not named Ryne Sandberg. He was part of the 1983 National League Champion Phillies and looked like he was going to be a staple in Philadelphia for a long time.

Then he went to the Mets, fetching Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell, which turned out to be one of the best deals in Phillies history. Samuel is a baseball lifer. He's been a coach and briefly managed the disastrous Orioles last year before Buck Showalter arrived.

The three time All Star has been in professional baseball since 1980 but has never been part of a World Series winner. The current member of the Phillies coaching staff has earned it.


8. A World Series ring for Brian Schneider, the last Expo.

There are very few Montreal Expos left in baseball. Schneider is one of them and he played for the team as MLB was screwing the franchise sending them to San Juan, not letting them call up players in September even while Frank Robinson was putting a winning product on the field. When baseball sent an All Star team to Japan after 2004, the Expos last season, Schneider represented the team. When he returned, they were the Washington Nationals. So by definition, Schneider was the last ever Expo.

He's now Carlos Ruiz's backup and probably won't see any action in the post season. But it would be nice to see one of the remnants of that lost team be rewarded.



9. Another title would make this the greatest Philadelphia team in history

If the Phillies win the World Series this year, which Philadelphia team would be better in history than this squad? The Dr. J/Moses Malone 76ers? The Broadstreet Bullies? The Jimmie Foxx/Lefty Grove Connie Mack led A's?

This Phillies team might be better than them all.

And sometimes it is GOOD to see greatness unfold and the best of something emerge.



10. Sometimes it is good to have the best team win.

Yeah, underdogs are fun to see win. A little team that could like last year's Giants or the 2006 Cardinals beating the odds can be appealing. But there are other times it is cool to see a team that is clearly the best in the sport take the title and the crown.

Sometimes seeing a champion who was the best from start to finish can be more satisfying than simply honoring whichever team happened to get hot over three weeks. This Phillies team was designed to win the whole damn thing and they played like it since April. There is something to be said for that.

Is there any doubt who the best team in baseball is? Then by definition they deserve to win the World Series!



Oh I know this will be a hard sell for a lot of you. Philadelphia is as bad as New York and Boston in terms of gluttony in many people's eyes. (The Phillies payroll is now bigger than the Red Sox!) But trust me, the world won't end if the Phillies win the World Series. And in many ways, it could be a very cool thing.

Show some brotherly love, my dear readers.


If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
CHICAGO WHITE SOX

CLEVELAND INDIANS
DETROIT TIGERS
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
NEW YORK YANKEES
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

5 Reasons Why I Am Happy Omar Infante Is An All Star

When Charlie Manuel put Omar Infante on his All Star Roster while leaving players like Billy Wagner, Jaime Garcia, Stephen Strasburg and Joey Votto off, the uproar from columnists and bloggers was so loud that you would have thought he punched Yogi Berra in the face right after tearing down Wrigley Field and ordering that "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" be replaced by Lady Gaga's Pokerface.

I even got mail and comments saying "When are you going to say something about Omar Infante?"

Yes, it was a surprising choice.

And a quick glimpse at the Braves Baseball Reference page for 2010 doesn't even list Infante as a starter. There is a Brave player who has started more games at each position than Infante, whose position is listed as UT. In other words a utility man is an All Star.

Well I must say, while I admit he wasn't on MY All Star Ballot, I don't mind that he is an All Star. And let me tell you why...

1. HE'S MULTI TALENTED

While he can't be listed at one position, he IS a starter for the Braves... he's someone who has started a six different positions in the field.

There are some players, like my beloved Big Papi, who can't even play one position on the field. Maybe the inclusion of Infante can help make the super versatile players more valued by teams and players will try and move around the diamond in hopes of making the All Star team.

2. HE ACTUALLY WILL BE USEFUL IN THE GAME

Remember the last time the National League won the All Star Game, the Yankees were in a 18 year World Series title drought, the Macarena was considered cool and there was hope for the new Star Wars prequels.

The National League hasn't had homefield in the World Series since 2001... when the Diamondbacks won in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7.

Flashy or not, it is useful for Charlie Manuel to have a guy who can fill in all around the diamond when he makes pinch hitting decisions and defensive switches.

Who knows? Maybe he can pitch and we can avoid another tied All Star Game catastrophe.

3. YOU NEED A SCRAPPY JACK OF ALL TRADES WHEN ASSEMBLING A TEAM

I'm not just talking about a baseball team. When Kobyashi was putting together The Usual Suspects or Professor Xavier was assembling the X-Men or Lee Marvin was picking The Dirty Dozen or the team from Munich was being recruited... They can't all be the cool leading man. You need that smaller and less imposing guy who can get stuff done.

Remember when Costner was putting together The Untouchables? The last one he put on the team was Oscar the accountant. He wasn't the leader like Costner or the wise Connery or the bad ass shooter like Andy Garcia... but it was his brains that came up with the idea of pinning Capone on tax evasion. They NEEDED him.

The American League is Capone. Maybe Infante will bring them down.

4. WHY THE FUSS? THIS IS FAR FROM THE WORST ALL STAR SELECTION OF ALL TIME

Kosuke Fukudome got elected to the All Star Game and he has yet to have an above average season. Josh Hamilton started when he was having a mediocre season. Jason Giambi was elected in a year where he was so horrible that Joe Torre left him off the playoff roster.

Jose Rosado made a pair of All Star teams and Roger Pavlik made the 1996 All Star Team with a 4.82 ERA... and Pavlik wasn't a "We need at least one player from each team" selection. He was on a Rangers team.

Infante is at least having a good season. And he's doing it for a surprise first place team... so he must have some value.

5. YOU KNOW HE IS GOING TO APPRECIATE IT

There is going to be no "If I Am Not Startin' I Am Not Departin'" Garry Templeton rant coming from Infante. Heck, at this point I am wondering if Infante thinks his All Star Selection was part of an elaborate of Punk'd.

I know the All Star Team isn't the Make A Wish Foundation but let's face it, it isn't life and death either. By the time Omar Infante gets in the game it will be later... when the benches are being emptied out, the likes of Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter will be in their street clothes and chances are some pitcher you've never heard of will be on the mound.

Why not have a versatile .332 hitter come to the plate?

All this attention has probably made a few Fantasy Players pick him up and hey! Now people know who he is.

Of course the greatest revenge of all could be had by Infante to his critics... and even though I am rooting for the American League, there is a scenario that I would love to see for a National League win... Infante homering in the 9th inning to give the NL the lead.

It's a stretch. But so is Infante making the All Star Game in the first place!

What is it with folksy good ole boy managers and Pedro Martinez in Yankee Stadium?

I don't think there is a Phillies fan alive who wouldn't have taken 6 innings 2 runs by Pedro Martinez in his Game 2 outing. Especially with a completely rested bullpen to throw innings 7, 8 and 9.

So when Pedro came out to start the 7th, I was surprised.

This isn't a second guess. I sat on my couch in South Pasadena and said "I can't believe he's staying in... take him out if he let's up a batter."

Do you know when I said that exact same sentence regarding Pedro Martinez in Yankee Stadium?

Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

I remember when he came out to throw the 8th after an entire season of going 7 innings tops, I thought "Odd... they haven't hit Williamson, Timlin nor Embree all series... take him out the second he lets up a hit."

With 1 out Jeter doubled and I said "Take him out now!"

And we all know what happened.

Well tonight I said the same thing... and when Jerry Hairston Jr singled I said out loud "OK, go to the pen."

And another gray haired good ole boy manager let him in a hitter too long.

The Yankees eventually scored that insurance run that gave the Yankees breathing room they would need.

Imagine the 2 runners on base in the 8th for the Phillies with only a 1 run deficit.

Imagine Ryan Howard coming to the plate representing the tying run... or Matt Stairs coming up with Ibanez at second as the tying run.

Well it is too late now...

The Phillies got the split in New York but on Halloween, the pressure falls back on the Phillies shoulders. They can't fall behind 2-1 and face Sabathia.

I was going to declare this is the beginning of a great series... but 2006 began with a split. The Cardinals won game 1, the Tigers won game 2 and it looked like it might be a long series.

Nope done in 5.

Last year the Rays and the Phillies split and it looked like the series was going to go on for a while. It did, but that was because of the rain delays and suspended games!

But if the Yankees and Phillies exchange wins in Games 3 and 4... this might turn into a classic.

Just let's hope Charlie Manuel squashes the Grady Little within.

Did Lidge's save give ANYONE confidence?

So Charlie Manuel brought in Brad Lidge in a one run playoff game in the 9th inning at Coors Field.

He's a braver man than me.

And a quick glance at his line score makes you say "Hey! Maybe he turned a corner! Maybe the Phillies can rely on Lidge."

COME ON!

Did you SEE that inning?

More than half of his pitches were balls... he put two men on and was behind everyone. Yes he got the save, but are you REALLY going to trust him with a one run lead again.

Yeah, I've been harsh on Lidge. A 7.21 ERA with 11 blown saves can open a guy to criticism.

Charlie, do Phillies fans a favor... find a new closer NOW!

Lidge is out as closer?

Oh no!

Was there a problem?

I mean anyone can have a bad string of games... for 5 and a half months.

Good call Charlie. Now the Phillies have a legit shot of repeating.

And maybe the Devil can have time to collect.

He didn't do it AGAIN did he?

I saw the Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game against the Phillies.

I thought "Oh Dear God! LIDGE!!!!"

I checked the game and nope... it wasn't Lidge. It was Ryan Madson.

Just as I advised Charlie Manuel to do.

Man! Repeating is TOUGH, isn't it?

Hey Charlie Manuel... I don't think the Lidge thing is a fluke

It's not a bad streak...
It's not a fluke hit or two...

Brad Lidge is having one of those horrific seasons that can not be underestimated!

Let's recap his line from last night:

No innings pitched... three batters faced.... three hits... three earned runs... one walk off homer.

And he did it against the Pirates. The POST TRADE DEADLINE Pirates.

Luis Cruz and his whopping 32 career games led off with a hit.

Career minor leaguer Brandon Moss followed with a hit.

Andrew McCutchen, the rookie in his 70th game, hit the walk off. 

It's one thing when Tazawa lets up a walk off to A-Rod.

It's another thing when a World Series veteran gets schooled by rookies and quadruple A players.

His record is 0-6.

He has blown 9 saves.

His ERA is 7.33.

This isn't an April 7.33 ERA where you can blame it on one shellacking! This is a "Holy Crap! We may need to fake an injury soon!" situation.

Let me put it this way... let's say he throws 20 more innings this year.

And let's say he throws 20 scoreless innings to end the season. 

His ERA would STILL be 5.13, unforgivably high for a closer!

The Phillies are going to make the post season... and if Cole Hamels pitches well, they could have a solid shot to repeat.

Which is why there is NO WAY Charlie Manuel can use him as a closer in the playoffs.

None. Zilch. 

Now I heard on XM Home Plate this morning Seth Everett talking about "Well, who do the Phillies have in their bullpen who can close?"

Didn't I hear that same insane logic when the Giants were dragging Armando Benitez's fat butt to the mound night after night?

How could having Ryan Madson throw the 9th inning be worse? Lidge is literally letting up 7 runs for every 9 innings he pitches. If he is constantly brought into 1 run games, he would on average let the other team tie the game 7 out of 9 times.

Can Ryan Madson do better?

Hell, I think Ryan O'Neal could do better!

Did the Cardinals know what they had when Adam Wainwright was suddenly thrust into the closers role?

Or last year when Joe Torre decided to use Jonathan Broxton instead of Saito in the late innings?

There's talk about having Brett Myers, who has been out with a torn labrum since May, taking over the closer's role in the playoffs.

If that isn't a red flag I don't know what one is.

Seriously... I know just a year ago he was on the bottom of a pile celebrating the World Series. But that was the past. The Red Sox stayed with Keith Foulke a little too long in 2005 and it cost them the division title in the end. 

They tried Curt Schilling and Mike Timlin in the closer role, all the while not being sure what to do with this young whipper snapper named Papelbon.

Have Madson close games NOW! Have him get used to the roll. Right now the Phillies have a 7 game cushion. 

When the playoffs come around, the standings are thrown out the window and Lidge is bound to let one slip away.

Charlie Manuel was asked about this situation on MLB This Morning on XM. His answer was so evasive and round about, I am convinced he was coached by Sarah Palin.

Who I Feel Good For...

It's hard not to feel good for people when a team wins the World Series.

I bet even somewhere in our dark and uncaring hearts we Red Sox fans felt good for a player or two during the Yankees World Series titles.

(Or do you really have that much venom towards Mike Aldrete?)

So here are the people I feel best for with the Phillies World Series title...

1. CHARLIE MANUEL
This is the baseball lifer you can't help but love.
A career in baseball with a few years as a player but the rest of the time as a minor leaguer, in the Japanese league, managing and coaching in the minors. A stint in Cleveland and tons of people wanting his head in Philadelphia.

And all the while he was a calming force with that Southern voice and baseball brains... he is the real life Joe Riggins, the manager from Bull Durham. (You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.)

Guys like that should have a ring.


2. JAMIE MOYER
When Jamie Moyer first broke into the major leagues, I was a 14 year old freshman in high school living in the suburbs of Boston.

I am now a 36 year old father of twin 3 1/2 year olds living near Los Angeles.

That's a long damn time.

Let me put it another way... when Jamie Moyer broke into the bigs, Cole Hamels was a 2 and 1/2 year old baby.

He now has a ring.
Guys like Jamie Moyer deserve a ring.


3. MATT STAIRS
I've already written a Valentine to Matt Stairs, but 16 years in the bigs have come to this.

He wasn't even a Phillie until August, but like Dave Roberts in Boston, he has permanently etched his name into the sports narrative in Philadelphia with his off the bench heroics in the League Championship Series.

Now he has a ring.

It's a good thing you didn't retire Matt!


4. BRAD LIDGE

Maybe he'll never live down the Pujols homer completely.
Hell, Eckersley clinched a World Series in 1989 but people always link him with Gibson.

And I maintain that the Pujols homer was a little overrated since the Cardinals lost the next day... but don't forget Lidge also lost games 2 and 4 of the World Series including a walk off to Scott Podsednik of all people.

Who could have guessed that Houston would be too tense a place for him to pitch but he'd be perfect in the pressure cooker of Philadelphia?

He has a clip for all time... clinching the second ever World Series title for the Phillies.
(Not that that is a consolation for Astros fans.)


5. COLE HAMELS
He's 24... he's about to become a millionaire many times over... he's impossibly handsome... he's now the darling of a passionate sports fan base... and tonight, despite the weather's best efforts to deprive him of the award, is the first MVP of both the LCS and World Series in the same year since Livan Hernandez in 1997.

And let's face it, Hernandez didn't deserve the World Series MVP. That should have gone to Moises Alou.

But the only ones to win the LCS and World Series MVPs in the same year have been Willie Stargell of the 1979 Pirates, Darrell Porter of the 1982 Cardinals, Orel Hershiser of the 1988 Dodgers and Hernandez.

Not bad company to be in.

6. SHANE VICTORINO

We are not in a glory age for nicknames in baseball... we need more cool nicknames.
So how's THE FLYING HAWAIIAN?!

That's a great nickname folks!
And guess what, with a nickname like that and the hard nose play he gave in the World Series (not to mention the grand slam off of CC Sabathia) it doesn't matter if he stinks the rest of his career or never plays in another game.

He will get standing ovations in Philadelphia as long as he is alive.

Philadelphia fans love players who play hard, win titles and have great nicknames.
Just ask Bake McBride!


7, 8 & 9. JIMMY ROLLINS, CHASE UTLEY and RYAN HOWARD

All are under 30.
Rollins and Howard each have an MVP on their mantle.
Utley will probably have one soon enough.

They, along with Hamels, are the faces of a home grown Philadelphia team that has the chance to be one of the most loved teams in that city's history.

And none of them will EVER have the "He never won the big one" label that hung over Barkley, Lindros, Cunningham, Iverson and still hangs over McNabb.

Oh yeah... all three are millionaires who play baseball for a living.


10 and 11. SCOTT EYRE AND PEDRO FELIZ

They were members of the 2002 San Francisco Giants who came so close to winning against the Angels.

At least they got rings now... not that that is much consolation for Giants fans.


12. MILT THOMPSON

He had a fine career over 13 seasons but his only post season experience was with the 1993 Phillies, who lost to the Blue Jays in the World Series.

Now, as a coach, he finally got a ring.



13. PAT GILLICK

Talk about knowing when to fold em!

His third ring as a GM (albeit using a lot of Ed Wade's pieces).
I wonder if this merits Hall of Fame discussion.







14. PHILLIES FANS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE LISTENING TO HARRY KALAS' RADIO CALL OF THE GAME

Joe Buck's call on TV was flat and disinterested.
Kalas? Full of passion and is no doubt the ring tone of many Phillies fans starting today.


15 and 16. TAMPA SUPER FANS PAT AND CHRISTIN

I'm sure there are a lot of bandwagon, cow bell buying, mohawk getting Rays fans wandering around Tampa these days.

But Pat and Christin have been Rays fans since they were the Devil Rays.
(OK, that only goes back to 2007... but how many die hard Devil Rays fans do YOU know?)

And yes, their team didn't win the World Series, but going into this season the goal was a 71-91 record (which would have been the best in team history.)

If the Rays have indeed put together a powerhouse team for the future, you know Pat and Christin will enjoy every inning.
They've earned it!


17. JOHN OATES

With fellow Philadelphia native Darryl Hall out with the flu, John finally got a solo!

Sully Baseball Endorses THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES for the World Series

Sometimes it's fun to watch a World Series when you have no real emotional attachment to either team...
You get to adopt a team for a week or so and cheer them on without the pesky "loyalty" and "invested emotion."

So the staff at Sully Baseball have given this year's eagerly anticipated ratings bonanza of Tampa Bay and Philadelphia some thought.

It would make sense for me to root for the Rays.

1. They Beat The Red Sox

If the Red Sox lost to the team that beat them, then that means they lost to the World Champion. No shame in that.

2. It's really one of the most remarkable stories in baseball history

Really! A team that has never won 71 games in its first 10 years suddenly becomes the World Champions?
That's insane!

The 1969 Mets were amazing, but they didn't have to deal with free agency!

3. They have the lowest payroll in the AL

Conventional wisdom says a team with a low payroll has no chance to have a winning record, let alone win the division over the big bad Red Sox and Yankees.


But as I said before, conventional wisdom is sometimes dead wrong. And a Rays title might shut up a lot of Salary Cap proponents.



But in the end, I've decided to root against the Rays and for the Phillies,

My reasons for Rooting for the Phillies

1. I don't like the Rays.

Not just because they beat my team. The Indians beat my team and the White Sox beat my team in the post season... and then I went on to root for them.

No, I sense a real rivalry is brewing here... and you don't cheer for rivals.

2. Phillies fans need a hug

Yeah they are mean.
Yeah they are ornery.

But they also booed Sarah Palin, so how bad can they be?





3. Philadelphia Fans need a great player to be a champ...












At least one NOT played by Sylvester Stallone.

A lot of great players have come and gone through Philadelphia since the 1983 76ers won the NBA Title.
Charles Barkley
Allen Iverson
Randall Cunningham
Reggie White
Curt Schilling
Eric Lindros
Ron Hextall
Terrell Owens

And that's just off the top of my head.
They all represented Philadelphia and none of them won a title in Philly.
Looks like Donovan McNabb will be the next one.

I don't want to see Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Chase Utley on that list.


4. There's already been enough winning in Tampa Bay


The Buccaneers won the Superbowl in 2003.
The Lightning won the Stanley Cup the next year.

Meanwhile Philadelphia is a quarter century without any title.

I wonder how cities like Cleveland and Seattle think about the fact that while their teams have gone longer than Philly without a title that Tampa will be piling them up!



5. Can baseball survive another Florida World Series title?

The Marlins won two World Series titles... and still don't have a fan base.
It's going to be different in Tampa Bay because.....?



6. I know a lot of Phillies fans

My friend, the great comic Tami Vernekoff?
She's a Philly girl who worked behind the scenes for Phillies broadcasts.

Several of my cousins including Bill Sullivan, loyal Phillies fans.

Mark Mayer, one of the executive producers at the company I work for? A dedicated Phillies fan.

A bunch of comics, filmmakers, TV producers and crew members I've met over the years have been from Philadelphia.
I like my friends to be happy.

When was the last time you met a transplanted Rays fan?


7. LESS COWBELL!









The Cowbell ringing is the most contrived and forced attempt to create atmosphere at a game since the Rally Monkey.
I am all for a sincere fan tradition.

(Few fan traditions are cooler to watch than the Yankee Stadium Bleacher Roll Call)

But ringing cowbells and having to instruct the fans when to ring them smacks of desperation.

Phillies fans have a tradition that came naturally.
It's called bile.


8. The Matt Stairs Factor

There's not a lot of star veterans without a World Series ring to root for, a la Paul Molitor in 1993.
But it is impossible not to root for Matt Stairs to get his World Series ring.





9. Charlie Manuel is a baseball lifer

Look at this guy!

That's what a manager is supposed to look like!
Out of shape, countrified, and who has been in the game forever.

Unlike Joe Maddon, who won a ring as a coach with the 2002 Angels... Manuel is ringless despite being in the game since the late 1960s.

Plus his mother just passed away.
I guess that is irrelevant in terms of baseball... but it made me sympathetic.




10. FINALLY... I was a Phillie!



Look at that windup by Right Handed Starting Pitcher Paul Sullivan...
The pride of the Weston Massachusetts Little League Phillies.

Look at second baseman R.K. Russell waiting in attention behind me.

So as a former Phillie, I must stay loyal to my old team and yell

LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!!!

Win the World Series and do the 4th place (out of 5) Weston Phillies proud!