We were supposed to be past all this.
Didn’t the Phils vanquish our loser mentality when they sashayed down Broad Street two years ago? Didn’t that World Series crown chase away the demons of decades of losing?
The Phils followed up their championship season by storming right back to the Fall Classic last year, only to fall to the hated New York Yankees.
Still, we managed a smile, content in the knowledge we had left the era of loveable losers behind.
Right up until Saturday night.
Right up until Ryan Howard looked at that called third strike, with runners on first and second.
As the Giants danced onto the field to celebrate a National League pennant, all the old feelings of inadequacy came rushing back.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Phillies, now armed with the best pitching in baseball to come with their potent offense, were supposed to waltz back to the World Series.
But their offense turned impotent. They made uncharacteristic gaffes, both in the field and on the bases.
And they were left to once again sit and state as another team celebrated.
It is ironic that Howard should be the final batter in the Phils’ 2010 campaign, a season by the way in which they led the majors in wins with 97.
If I had told you before the post-season that Howard would hit a lusty .313, you no doubt would have been busy checking StubHub for World Series ticket availability.
But if I also had told you that Howard would not hit as much as a single home run – in fact would not drive in any runs at all – you would have felt that sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach all over again.
Howard looked at strike three, thus sealing his ignominy as the only cleanup hitter in recent Major League Baseball history to fail to drive in a run in the postseason.
The Phillies – and their fans who have packed Citizens Bank park for the last 100-plus games – surely did not see this one coming.
They had scratched out a win in San Francisco to stave off elimination and return the series to the friendly confines of South Philly.
They got a serviceable start from Roy Oswalt, who also pitched in relief on Wednesday night.
But after posting two runs early in the game, the Phils’ offense again fired blanks.
All of which led to Howard’s at-bat in the ninth.
Less than 24 hours after the Phils fumbled their chance to force a game seven, the Eagles literally did the same.
Leading the Tennessee Titans 16-7 and driving for what appeared to be a kill shot at the Titans’ two yard line, a botched handoff beteween Kevin Kolb and LeSean McCoy gave the Titans a reprieve.
What happened next we’ve seen a million times. The Eagles unfurled a parade of penalties, poor play calls, questionable defense and then watched as the Titans ran off 27 fourth quarter points to rout the Birds.
A city that desperately needed a pick-ke-up after as depressing a Saturday night as you can imagine instead was greeted by another kick in the gut, courtesy of their NFL team.
Again, we’ve seen this all before.
You’ll be happy to know that Andy Reid takes full responsibility for all the mistakes, that he needs to do a better job of putting players in position to make plays, and that he will “clean up” all those penalties.
Red October just became Dread October.
Gang Green morphed once again into Bird Brains.
And Philly fans once again curse their fate. Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.
Didn’t the Phils vanquish our loser mentality when they sashayed down Broad Street two years ago? Didn’t that World Series crown chase away the demons of decades of losing?
The Phils followed up their championship season by storming right back to the Fall Classic last year, only to fall to the hated New York Yankees.
Still, we managed a smile, content in the knowledge we had left the era of loveable losers behind.
Right up until Saturday night.
Right up until Ryan Howard looked at that called third strike, with runners on first and second.
As the Giants danced onto the field to celebrate a National League pennant, all the old feelings of inadequacy came rushing back.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Phillies, now armed with the best pitching in baseball to come with their potent offense, were supposed to waltz back to the World Series.
But their offense turned impotent. They made uncharacteristic gaffes, both in the field and on the bases.
And they were left to once again sit and state as another team celebrated.
It is ironic that Howard should be the final batter in the Phils’ 2010 campaign, a season by the way in which they led the majors in wins with 97.
If I had told you before the post-season that Howard would hit a lusty .313, you no doubt would have been busy checking StubHub for World Series ticket availability.
But if I also had told you that Howard would not hit as much as a single home run – in fact would not drive in any runs at all – you would have felt that sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach all over again.
Howard looked at strike three, thus sealing his ignominy as the only cleanup hitter in recent Major League Baseball history to fail to drive in a run in the postseason.
The Phillies – and their fans who have packed Citizens Bank park for the last 100-plus games – surely did not see this one coming.
They had scratched out a win in San Francisco to stave off elimination and return the series to the friendly confines of South Philly.
They got a serviceable start from Roy Oswalt, who also pitched in relief on Wednesday night.
But after posting two runs early in the game, the Phils’ offense again fired blanks.
All of which led to Howard’s at-bat in the ninth.
Less than 24 hours after the Phils fumbled their chance to force a game seven, the Eagles literally did the same.
Leading the Tennessee Titans 16-7 and driving for what appeared to be a kill shot at the Titans’ two yard line, a botched handoff beteween Kevin Kolb and LeSean McCoy gave the Titans a reprieve.
What happened next we’ve seen a million times. The Eagles unfurled a parade of penalties, poor play calls, questionable defense and then watched as the Titans ran off 27 fourth quarter points to rout the Birds.
A city that desperately needed a pick-ke-up after as depressing a Saturday night as you can imagine instead was greeted by another kick in the gut, courtesy of their NFL team.
Again, we’ve seen this all before.
You’ll be happy to know that Andy Reid takes full responsibility for all the mistakes, that he needs to do a better job of putting players in position to make plays, and that he will “clean up” all those penalties.
Red October just became Dread October.
Gang Green morphed once again into Bird Brains.
And Philly fans once again curse their fate. Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.
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