I know you’re depressed this morning (like I am).  But just remember — if you’re a fan of a particular baseball team, and you devote entirely too much time and energy into following your favorite squad (like I do), you may never witness a run quite like the run the Phillies have been on for the past year and a half.  Yeah, I know you wanted that second straight World Series trophy (and subsequent bragging rights for the next year), but when it came down to it, the Yankees had three solid starters take the mound for two starts each, and we had Cliff Lee.  It’s disappointing, sure, but in a short series like this, sometimes things just don’t go your way.  The Yankees were better in the key spots all series long, and just outlasted us for six games.  No use complaining about it.

In a way, this year was more fun last.  There’s a certain confidence you get after your team wins the World Series.  In 2008, a lot of people were just waiting for something bad to happen, like they knew that Philadelphia couldn’t possibly win a championship.  This year?  Complete 180°.  No matter the situation, no matter how many runs we were down or who was up at the plate, you kinda expected the team to win.  And that, folks, is a good fucking feeling.

It would’ve been pretty sweet to take down those Yankees — especially if we could have come back from a 3-1 series deficit — but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.  But we made Harry the K proud.  And that run by the Phillies this year kept his memory alive.  Any time I see some highlights of 2009 or recall a particular game, the first thing I’ll think about is that HK patch.

Thanks, Phillies.  And thanks to every single one of you who stopped by The Fightins in 2009.  We ain’t going nowhere.

I’ll leave you with this, a post-game quote from Jayson Werth brought to us by the Twitter feed of John R. Finger:

I still fucking love this team.

I can’t believe I just typed that headline.

The greatest pitcher of your lifetime is set to take the hill tonight against his arch-enemy New York Yankees to pull the Phillies even in the 2009 World Series and force a Game 7 in the Bronx tomorrow night.  Obviously, no one on Earth could’ve predicted this situation when the season began, but I’ll be God-damned if I don’t have the utmost confidence in the man.  He’s been in these type of situations plenty of times in his career before, he won’t let those tired “Daddy” chants get to him, and you know for sure that the man LIVES for games like this.

No matter what happens though, this team has given me waaaay too much joy in the last couple years to be disappointed.   But I think they got a nice two game winning streak left in ‘em.  How say you?

Buckle in, folks, and root in those Phillies tonight.  This should be a classic.

I can’t fucking wait.

(btw, Phillies win 8-4)

New York Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher sure thinks highly of himself, don’t he?

The soon-to-be journeyman player was giving interviews from his posh locker at the Yankee Stadium clubhouse yesterday (nice newspaper clippings, asshole) with an obnoxious message on his computer screen that read, “Hello My Name Is Swagger.” I’d imagine that if you really had swagger, people would just be able to figure it out by your demeanor and, in this case, your production on the baseball field. 

If you have to post it in your locker while you are being interviewed?  You’re probably just a shitdick who thinks he has swagger.

Honest to God, even if this Swisher character had the swagger-like numbers of, say, Chase Utley, it would still be a douchey move.  But throw in the fact that he fucking sucks, and it’s borderline laughable.  Really, what are people even interviewing him for? What insight could he possibly have to offer?

Just for your amusement, check out Nick Swisher’s swaggerlicious career postseason numbers:  A .162 avg in 23 games?  Holy fuck, that’s swagger!  Howsabout a nice THREE runs batted in?  SWAGGER!  .265 SLG%?  I’m surprised he hasn’t OD’d on swagger yet!  Stupid mohawk?  TRENDY SWAGGER!!!

Dear Lord, if you’re listening, please let the Phillies beat this completely unlikeable Yankees team.

Thank you.

Ahmir Thompson a/k/a Questlove a/k/a B.R.O. the R.? of the Legendary Roots Crew had a front row seat in the Bill Giles party suite last night to watch his hometown Phillies pull within one game of the New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series. Also in the suite was the man responsible for annoying everyone with that ‘Empire State of Mind’ song and fan of the Yankees hat, Jay-Z. (also pictured, sipping out of the plastic cup) According to the gossip monger Dan Gross of the Daily News (and I mean that in the nicest way possible), the two made a little wager on the outcome of the Series.

Take it away, Dan:

Roots drummer Questlove said that he and Jay-Z had a World Series bet that would involve “very public humiliation” from the loser. The Philly hip-hop hero, clad in a red Phillies hoodie, declined to get any more specific about his wager with the the Brooklyn-born superstar. They met up in Bill Giles Party Suite 78 where Alanis Morrissette, who sang the National Anthem last night, while N’SYNC’s Lance Bass and actress Joanna Garcia, hung out in the suite next door.

Although it may look like Jay-Z has the upper hand now— wait, what the fuck was Lance Bass doing there?!!!??! Seriously Phillies, do you just hand out suite passes to any mutherfucker who was famous at one point during their lives? He has absolutely no ties for Philly nor is he relevant in the world of pop culture anymore. The only possible explanation is that he’s dating one of the Yankees. Thanks a lot, Dan Gross, I just completely lost my train of thought.

Anyway, I hope Jay-Z fucking loses his bet and gets humiliated somehow. Maybe he’ll have to do another song with tha bushy eyebrowed Amil chick.

Jay-Z, Questlove have a World Series wager | Philly Gossip

Photo courtesy of Duk’s Twitter

SNOT ROCKETS!

WHAAA???

That picture of a 2-foot cake version of the late Harry Kalas showed up on the Phillies Twitter feed last night prior to the Phillies 8-6 beating of the New York Yankees. According to the Inquirer’s Gonzo, Cosmi’s Pastries made the cake in hopes of getting the FOX crew to show it on TV, thus earning the South Philly bakery some free national pub. Unfortunately for Cosmi’s, those beat reporters in the press box got their grubby little hands on the thing before any TV cameras could get near it.

Although to be honest, I highly doubt FOX would’ve shown that thing — they don’t have much time for nonsense like this when there’s some good Derek Jeter fellating to be done.

Gonzo also shares this choice line with us — when someone asked if the Harry Kalas cake was in poor taste, one of the witty beat reporters goes, “No – Harry’s delicious.” HI-YOOOOO!

Gonzo: Don’t count out the Fightin’s just yet (2nd item) | Inquirer

Also good were these two signs, shown in the first inning when A-Rod came to bat. If it wasn’t going to be a centaur joke, I’m glad it was a steroids one.

I enjoy these actual signs more than the signs that said things like “YEAH BABY” and “TUNE IN WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR THE NEXT GAME.”

After last night’s 3-1 loss to the Yankees which evened the series at one game apiece, Jimmy Rollins was asked what he thought of the supposed hostile crowd at Yankee Stadium (ya know, if they stick around for the whole thing) and you can judge for yourself, but it doesn’t sound like he was too impressed. Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse supplies the quotage:

“I was expecting some of that [Philadelphia rowdiness] here, but it was very tame and civilized, really.

“You only had one big cheer, and that was on home runs.”

Rollins was asked if this feels “more like a World Series” than last year’s Series with Tampa Bay.

“When we get to Philly, it will,” he said.

Because the atmosphere will be so different?

“Exactly.”

OH SNAP!  I’m pretty sure Jimmy Rollins just subtly called the Yankees fans pussies.  If you want to see how a real crowd acts during a World Series game, I suggest you tune into FOX around 8:00 on Saturday night.

Rollins Rips Yankee Stadium Atmosphere | AOL Fanhouse

Once upon a time, A.J. Burnett was an impressionable young pitcher on the Florida Marlins.  During his time in the NL East, he was exposed to the celebratory ways of the other teams in his division.  Specifically — the Phillies, and even more specifically — Tomas Perez.  You see, A.J. has a “brand new” gimmick this year where he seeks out the hero of any particular Yankees game that they happen to win and shoves a towel filled with shaving cream in their face. In baseball circles, it’s known as “the pie”.

And A.J. Burnett blatantly stole that move from the originator — TOMAS PEREZ.

Proof:

• Heathcliff Slocumb on So Long, Brett Myers.
• MATSUI on So Long, Brett Myers.
• scrapplegargle on So Long, Brett Myers.
• bigmyc on So Long, Brett Myers.
• will.H on An Open Letter to Non-Phillies Fan Rooting for the Phillies