Well, congrats to the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, their fans, and the great City of Philadelphia itself, on their defeat of the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 Monday Tuesday Wednesday night, by a score of 4-3, thus securing the franchise's second World Series Championship, their first since 1980, and the first major sports championship for any Philadelphia team since 1983. The Phiting Phills went 11-3 in the playoffs, losing just one game to the Brewers, Dodgers, and Rays, respectively. An impressive and admirable run, to be sure.
There are many of us who find it hard rooting for the Mets and Phillies, thanks to those years the Buccos spent in the NL East, but I found it much easier this time around. Perhaps it's because I do enjoy the city of Philadelphia, but I think it's more likely that it aggravated me that the Rays were so close to winning the World Series only ten years into their existence. Also, any city with teams in every major sport deserves to win one every so often, and Philly had been waiting 25 years to celebrate. I'm sure they'll keep booing everything and everyone, and they'll maintain their generally miserable personalities as sports fans (third only to Boston and New York), but I'm alright with Southeastern PA getting some time to celebrate.
(Those of you who are interested can check out Deadspin for various quotes and stories about the goings-on in and around Philadelphia after last night's victory. Always good times.)
The sabermetric community (and some in the baseball community at large) have been complaining about the managing of Joe Maddon and Charlie Manuel throughout the World Series, and rightfully so. Among other things, letting J.P. Howell bat in the waning innings of an elimination game just to let him pitch to one bater (ONE BATTER!) in the bottom half of the inning, and he didn't even get the platoon advantage! That's not to excuse Charlie Manuel's consistent use of Pedro Feliz against right-handers late in the game (or anytime, really) throughout the playoffs. Just awful managing. I could write about this for days.
Finally, in other Pirate-related news, I did something completely irrational and probably incredibly misguided today. That's right, I put down a deposit for a partial season ticket to see your Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in 2009. I don't know if it's because I just love baseball THAT much, or I just hate myself THAT much, but now that I'm back in Columbus I'll be taking in at least 20 games next season. Shoot me now.
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