Posted on Mon, Oct. 26, 2009
While recalling the immortal words of Ric Flair ("To be the man, you've got to beat the man"), it's time for an all-Fightin's mailbag:
We Philleans have had to endure a lot of awful World Series matchups over the years. Let's hope our ride on Turnpike Series ends with the Phils capturing the World Series Trophy after shelling out the final toll.
- Bill
Bill,
I don't understand how anyone - William Rhoden included - could look at a Phillies-Yankees series and be anything but excited about the prospect. You have two incredibly talented teams on the field surrounded by two crazy fan bases that harbor intense dislike for each other.
Ever see The Warriors? It's a cult movie from the late 1970s about rival gangs. There's a scene where one of the leaders is rallying the troops and talking about all the people they've organized to lead into battle. In a dramatic speech, he asks them "Can you dig it?" and they all scream "Yeah" in unison.
This is the reenactment (only less violent).
- Gonzo
I was screaming even more than last year. I lived through the two beatings we took from the Blue Pigs back in '77 and '78 so this was sweet payback. Now bring on the Yankee scum.
- Chris
Chris,
Nothing like employing serious hyperbole before the World Series is even under way. Well played, sir.
- Gonzo
I'm a 60-year-old man born in Philly and now living in South Jersey. My dad, a huge Phillies fan (and baseball fan in general) took me to my first Phils game in 1953 at the age of 4. I remember him telling me that the Phillies had made it to the World Series in 1950 and were swept by the Yankees. He related how upset he was when the Phils could not even win a game. Growing up in the Fifties and early Sixties, I watched as the Yankees dominated baseball and became an almost permanent fixture in the World Series. I always would say to my Dad that someday the Phils would meet the Bombers again; to somehow remove the scar of that 1950 disappointment. To me it's a childhood fantasy come true. I'll be rooting hard for the Phils, and I know that somewhere my Dad will be too.
- Michael
Michael,
That's a beautiful story about your father, so I'll share one of my own. My dad grew up in the Bronx but moved to Philly after marrying my mom. He was a good man and smart, too. As any good citizen of our fine area should, he raised me to be a Philly sports fan across the board. We watched a lot of bad baseball together when I was growing up (bad football, too), and he used to tell me to hang in there, that the teams we followed would eventually turn things around. He was right.
My dad passed away five years ago. I'd like to think he'll watch the World Series with your dad and all the other Philly fathers who left us.
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