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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

'Tis the season for baseball superstition, so let me say that I believe my blog post on Monday about a  singing-songwriting World Series umpire  brought good luck to the Phillies, who won Game Five that night, 8-6.

Ergo, there is a now a cause-and-effect connection between my blogging about World Series music-related things and the Phillies' success at the ballpark.

So allow me to make another musical connection.

Click here to listen to a polka called "The Fightin' Phils,"  written by the now-defunct Delaware County String Band. The strummers composed the ditty in 1950 when the Phillies last battled the Yankees for world domination.

Sadly, it did not bring the Phils any luck back then, as the Yankees clobbered our guys in four games.

But that was then, this is now, and my blog has proven that, in 2009, this blog has the power to determine game outcomes. This blog, and maybe my friend Kate's lucky socks.

Anyway, give the song your ear, but be patient. The band plays the entire thing, all the way through, before the singers jump in. When they're finished, the band plays the song all the way through - again. Then the whole thing repeats ...  and repeats ....and repeats...

So steel yourself.

And if you want to listen to "The Fightin Phils" in a public venue, head on down to the Polish American Center at 308 Walnut St., where "The Fightin' Phils" is playing on almost-continuous loop. The center's Michael Blichasz tells me that visitors go batty with joy when they hear it.  Love of string-band music is apparently very big among my Eastern European brethren. 

Wanna sing along?  Here are lyrics.

The Fight, Fight, Fight-in Phils! It’s a tough, tough, team to beat.
They’re out to win, win ev-’ry day. Every victory is sweet.
Watch ‘em hit that ball a mile; play a game that’s packed with thrills.
Get Pa to bring your Mother, Sister and your Brother
Come out to see the Fight-in’ Phils. The fight, fight, fight-’in Phils.

Posted by Ronnie Polaneczky @ 9:43 AM  Permalink | 5 comments
Comments   
Posted 10:35 AM, 11/04/2009
potus
I'll take your word for it.
Posted 11:00 AM, 11/04/2009
BallGirl61
Sound great to me!
Posted 11:38 AM, 11/04/2009
K_Ball
PLEASE STOP!
Posted 02:21 PM, 11/04/2009
pj katauskas
Simply dreadful!
Posted 02:22 PM, 11/04/2009
MIDGETS
I was 9 years old in 1950,and still hum the song during baseball season,because I only remember the words to the first two lines. The phillies lost in four but all the games were very close.The first game was lost 1-0. the next two games were just as close and the last game was lost 5-2. That Yankee team won five World Series.
5 comments
About Ronnie Polaneczky
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with,. “Yeah, so what happened was…”

Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob, or Mary, and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are far too direct for that. They just say “Yeah, so what happened was…,” and then tumble into a tale they’re desperate to tell a perfect stranger (me) in the hope it will be told to a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, precisely where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with my fellow citizens in a way that no other job would allow. Well, okay, no other job that I’m remotely qualified for.

That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”, which, to me, has become the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.


Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs and two cats in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams at night of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.


Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green