The opening of the season is a bucket of 162 stars that we hang up in the empty skies of our dreams. But for us Phillies fans that season only started yesterday at the Mets last home-game opener at Shea. Their previous games count but they do not matter! O negative blood donated for free by Mets players and fans bathed the cold air. Or as Billy Wagner said before the game: Are we supposed to lay down because they won 8 straight?”
Make that 9, Billy.
It was a strange game. The things we know the Phillies can do, they did; Moyer pitched 6 innings ever so slowly – and gave up but two runs. Chase Utley was hit 3 times at bat, once on the baseline by Delgado, and still hit a double. The team scored all their runs beginning in the 7th inning. There was a scary collision between Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth but each of them got up and continued. Jimmy quit in the 8th with a left ankle sprain. He’s not playing tonight. By the time relievers Chad Durbin and J.T. Romero finished their turns without giving up any runs, the Phillies had scored 5. Tom Gordon guarded the grail in the 9th, getting the side out in 3. It was a swell 5-2 win for us while both the Mets and the fans were unduly quiet. But hey! They’ve been infected with the idea that they should win, that they’re entitled. It oozes from them and from the fans who booed Jimmy when he was introduced. Now the Phillies - the 12-step kids who might have been addicted to losing - before last season -take one game at a time.
The Server Makes the Meal
It was Mitch Williams, an analyst and former Phillies pitcher on Comcast, who quoted Mr. Wagner before yesterday’s game. He is very handsome in a wholesome way, the kind of looks your mother would like. He appears to be tall. He dresses pretty well, despite a bit of shine I spy in some of his garments. Omigosh! Yes. But he does have the most amazing hair. His stylist has taken his natural wave and knocked it out with a punk finish. Inspiring! What he analyzes and how he does it is anything but wholesome. He is destructively funny. “I was a lousy pitcher”, he always says in his own defense. With his wonderful timing and expressive timbre he might be giving lessons to standup types and TV hosts.
Lo Duca Lookout
Brett Myers hit Mr. Lo Duca on his left arm in the Phillies opening home game against the Nats. The fans cheered, which must have made him feel lousy. The next day during an interview with Nats commentator Debbi Taylor he allowed as how it didn’t get him down at all. “It’s what makes the game so wonderful,” he added. “They’ve really been giving it to me in the bullpen, about the Mitchell Report and all that good stuff”. He showed lots of teeth.
It’s not exactly news that I think the Mets goofed bigtime when they traded him. Fortunately I get some Nats games here in Delaware. Some of my readers have suggested that I may have an obsession with Mr. Lo Duca. Dr. Cole Porter knew a lot more about it than I do. “ I’ve Gotchoo…” he said, “Under My Sink.”
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