Welcome to the first day of summer.
Congratulations, you survived another winter. And another wet, cool spring.
Bring on those lazy, hazy crazy, days of summer.
Unless, of course, you're a Phillies fan.
For you, summer is over.
Yes, even before it began.
This morning, on the first day of summer, your Fightin' Phils find themselves 25 games under .500, 20 games back in the National League East.
This comes after another of their special collapses last night, giving up 7 runs in the 11th to fall to the Cardinals, 8-1. You want to declare a moral victory in that the Phils managed to hang dead even with the Redbirds for 9 innings, be my guest.
Me? I'm taking this personally.
These Phillies have robbed me of one of my most prized rites of summer. Oh, I still retreat to the deck when I get home at night, hoping to squeeze out the last few drops of sunlight.
But I am hard-pressed to take my little radio with me so as to listen to the Phils.
They don't seem to care, why should I.
Well, I guess it still beats listening to Chris Matthews talk over his guests on 'Hardball.'
The Phillies are now 22-47. They have won one game in two weeks.
A week ago young GM Matt Klentak was telling us Michael Saunders could heat up and "carry this team on his back for a month." Yesterday Saunders, given a guaranteed $9 million deal by Klentak as one of his big off-season acquisitions, was carrying his bags to the door, designated for assignment by the team. Saunders hit .205 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 61 games. He struck out 51 times. He was joined by struggling reliever Jeanmar Gomez.
But Klentak did not call up any of his high-profile young players for a shot at 'The Show.'
Instead he tapped outfielder Cam Perkins and left-hander Hoby Milner from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Those IronPigs, by the way, continue to be red-hot, leading the minors.
Maybe we should adopt them for the summer.
Because aside from that, for Phillies fans, summer is over.
Even before it began.
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