Robert Steven Williams wants a new word to be added to the Philadelphia sports lexicon: relax.
At the start of baseball season I wrote here at the Good Men Project about my excitement and fear for what looked to be an epic season for the Philadelphia Phillies. At the moment my team has the best record in baseball. They are 22 games over .500. I’m pretty sure that’s the best it’s ever been for us at this point; if not, it’s right up there.
But what’s most surprising about this season is how many complaints Philly fans have had. There’s a constant thrum of concern about the lack of run production. Just last week, after taking the first two from the powerhouse Boston Red Sox, we failed to sweep (partly due to an injury to Cole Hamels); fans complained about the team’s inability to score.
After Ryan Howard’s ninth inning heroics last Friday in Toronto, he told the press he was tired of hearing about the gripes. “We’re winning,” he said, “that’s what counts.”
What Ryan and the rest of the nation needs to understand is that until the World Series trophy is in our hands, no one in Philadelphia will be able to truly kick back and enjoy this ride. We have a ton of reasons why.
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Believe it or not the Philly collapse of ’64 is still in the back of our minds. Some believe the Philly curse still exists. Back in May when the Phils lost four games in a row and Florida was right on our heels, true panic set in. At that time, Cliff Lee was below .500, Utley, Lidge, Contreras, Brown, and Victorino were out, and Ibanez couldn’t hit the side of a barn. This was looking like another classic Philly debacle.
At that time we also faced yet another bitter defeat on the ice. Last year, the Flyers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals.
This year, they dominated the regular season, but come playoff time, they flamed out fast. At the rate the Phillies were getting injured, we were thinking we might not even make the playoffs.
I know that sounds ridiculous, but no one has forgotten all those great Eagle squads led by Donovan McNabb that fell short. But these Phillies should be different because they’ve already proven that they can win it all.
I’ve given Yankee supporters grief all these years for their arrogance and sense of entitlement, and deservedly so I should add, but I never understood that weight of expectation they carry, especially when things go wrong. It wasn’t something a Phillies fan had to confront. Now, that weight feels like a 44-foot semi filled with Philly cheese steaks.
Come July, the Philly faithful will expect a top-flight fix. And why not? Last summer we landed Oswalt. The year before it was Cliff Lee. In ’08, additions like Mike Stairs paid big dividends in the playoffs. But since Chase Utley returned the team has settled down. They are playing at a level everyone expected. They have the best record in baseball.
Each loss this year is still a disappointment, though. Each injury brings cries for the front office to get on the phone and make a deal. I’ve become all the things I hated about Yankee fans. That’s a scary thought.
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Despite all the injuries to the pitching staff, the effort has been tremendous. At the start of the season, who would have believed that Vance Worley would be 4-1 with a 2.20 era in eight starts this year? I didn’t even know who this guy was.
Yes, the loss of Jayson Werth has created issues. Is Jimmy Rollins as good as he once was? Perhaps not, but I wouldn’t count him out. Look how things have improved since Chase came back. Yes, they still struggle to score runs, but more often than not, they win, and, as Ryan Howard says, that’s what it’s all about.
We Phillies fans need to chill. In the old days, a great season was to be mathematically in the race come July. This year it’s about how many games over .500 we are and if we can break 100 wins. Oh, how fast we forget.
The team is performing at the highest levels despite an inordinate amount of injuries. But I’m concerned about peaking too early. In a strange way, I’m glad that Atlanta is playing so well. I wouldn’t want to run off with the division so early that we lose that groove.
Despite the nerves, I am having fun. This truly is a season to savor. Come playoff time, teams will face a Philly ace each game. I can’t see how we can lose, but then again, I’m a Philly fan, I should know better. The list of what can go wrong is long.
—Photo Flickr/Mobilus In Mobili
Thanks for the note Andy — as you know, Mike should be Matt — a typo that didn’t get caught. I’m also sure you would agree that he was a welcomed addition that year.
Who’s Mike Stairs? Lame article.