Game 6 has ended. The Yankees’ Mariano Rivera has gotten the 27th out and the whirlwind ride that was the Phillies’ 2009 season is officially over. Like so many of my red pin-stripped brothers and sisters, I am disappointed and exhausted. It’s a tough day to walk around Philadelphia. However, there’s also a sense of extreme satisfaction that the Phillies represented our city well.
After the magically 2008 season, the Phillies won the opportunity not many championship teams get to do: defend their title. Throughout the year, our Phightin’s were beset by injuries, slumps, the loss of Harry. They came into the playoffs with a pitching rotation in question and a patchwork bullpen. But the team took these things all in stride and always played hard, always swung for the fences. If Ryan Howard was slumping, Chase Utley stepped in. Senõr Octobre, our “Chooch,” found another gear in the postseason. And Cliff Lee was simply masterful on the mound.
And the buzz around the city was electric. From banners on Broad Street to school pep rallies, this town embraced its team, through all the blown saves and poor starts. The heart of Philadelphia and that of the Phillies were shared beat for beat. Another town will have a parade in a few days, but it was one heck of a ride.
The numbness we feel will fade. After a back-alley beating of the Giants, the Eagles will have an opportunity to grab the spotlight again, hopefully by putting a slobber knocker on the hated Dallas Cowboys. But we shouldn’t forget all the things our boys of summer have done for us and our city. The hope and cheers and late inning comebacks (albeit one or two few).
Thank you, Philadelphia Phillies for treating us to a wonderful year of baseball, one so often absent in our past. Here’s to the hope of April, and another season where the entire region takes notice of our Phightin’ Phils.
- Frank Sinatra
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