Want to feel old? I seem to specialize in that these days.
Sports used to be a respite from the aging process. Not anymore. I now realize I am actually older than all these athletes I used to idolize. In fact, I could probably be their father. For some reason, when you're the youngest in a family of five kids, it's tough to get your hands around the fact that you are advancing in years.
Take last night for example. Standing out on that chilly Citizens Bank Park mound for the Phils was one Jonathan Pettibone. He is all of 22 years old.
Last night he became the first player to appear for the Phillies who was born in the '90s. That gets your attention when you were born in the '50s.
It could be worse. Consider the plight of Phils' manager Charlie Manuel. When he finally hung up his cleats, ending a pretty solid playing career, and decided to try his hand at managing, one of Manuel's first stops was in Orlando as manager of the Twins' Double-A affiliate.
On his pitching staff was one Jay Pettibone. That would be Jonathon Pettibone's father.
Sorry, Charlie.
Jonathan had a very good outing last night for the Phils, even though he didn't figure in the decision. Pettibone went five and a third innings, giving up two runs on six hits. One of those runs came on a first-inning homer. Most impressively, he did not walk a single batter.
You can check out Dennis Deitch's account of the game, which the Phils went on to win 3-2, here.
In the meantime, I'll be trying to grasp the concept of someone born after 1990 playing in the major leagues.
Yeah, I'm old.
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