So this is what it feels like to have your baseball team
playing out the string? Have you noticed how literally NOBODY CARES what is
happening with the Phillies right now? I can’t blame them, but it’s been a good
10 years since the Phillies didn’t play a meaningful game in September and it
just feels weird.
I catch an inning or two here and there and let my friends
know what’s happening. The other night, for instance, a haggard looking Roy
Halladay took the mound in South Beach. This is a town where three incredibly
short/long (depending on your point of view) years ago he threw a perfect game.
This start was exceptionally painful to watch. Halladay looked like Chet
Steadman after he threw his arm out at the end of rookie of the year. He topped
out at 83 on the gun and got one out before giving up two walks and had to be
lifted in the first inning. Knowing Doc, he will probably undertake a grueling
offseason regimen and find a team he can try out for in spring training, but
hanging them up is probably his best option. Depressing is the nicest word you
can use.
When I give my buddies an update; the responses range from
“who cares?” to “Riley WHY are you watching this?” If my girlfriend is around
and I have the Phillies on then I really get to hear it. She knows they’re out
of it, so what’s the point of following a team of guys you’ve barely heard of?
I say do you realize how different every night would be if the Phillies were
still in this thing?
The lineups the officially under contract for three years
Ryne Sandberg gets to trot out this last month are not exactly a who’s who of
proven talent that Philadelphians are used to seeing. Here’s a sample of names
you might see..
Cesar Hernandez
Cody Asche
Darin Ruf
Roger Bernadina
With guys like this coming out of the bullpen or making spot
starts..
Joe Savery
Ethan Martin
Justin De Fratus
Luis Garcia
Who? Exactly.
This (once, for a short time) proud franchise has fallen on
hard times so quickly. It’s hard to believe that two years ago the Phillies won
102 games and had the best record in baseball for the second year in a row.
They had the lowest ERA in Majors that year. This year, they have the highest
ERA. Not only that, they can’t hit. That’s a pretty deadly combination when it
comes to your chances at making the playoffs.
Blame can be thrown in almost every direction for this
dreadful season that actually still had promise at the All-Star break. Names
like Howard, Rollins, and Amaro are almost starting to leave a bad taste in
your mouth due to frustration. It’s hard to believe that the Phillies can make
it back to the postseason with the core that has basically let them down the
last two years leading the way. Sandberg insists he will do things differently.
We’ll see how the superrich over-the-hill guys on this team react to having a
guy who may be more Larry Bowa than Charlie Manuel running the show. There’s
hope that Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins still have not hit E on their gas
tanks, but there’s not a lot of it.
So here we sit with 4 games remaining in the season and one
Cliff Lee start left to have vague interest in. Nobody’s going to watch because
nobody seems to care. I guess I don’t blame them, but this is still my team for
better or worse. I’ll be following. I’ll be hoping against hope.
Stay tuned for a season recap complete with analysis of my boneheaded predictions from the beginning of the season.
Go Phils!
