Even with worries, Phillies bring great expectations

The Phillies are about to play games that matter. Finally. The wait is over.

But what have we been waiting for, exactly?

In a city with a unique regional dialect - where jeetyet and other mashups are commonly understood substitutes, the words hope and expectation were foreign to the natives and hard to pronounce for a long time. Only in the last few years were they added to the local lexicon.

In retrospect, the transition was quicker and smoother than any of us could have anticipated. For 25 years, we braced for the worst, then wrapped ourselves in the inevitable disappointment like hobos pulling ratty despair blankets over our heads to shield ourselves from the cruel, cold, endless sports winters. We got used to it after a while. It was what we knew.

And then, 2008. And then, success. And then, the parade. And then, suddenly, finally, mercifully, things changed. A town once known for negativity has become something altogether different. For Phillies fans, the World Series is no longer some distant destination - a too-far oasis beyond some impossible-to-reach horizon. It's much closer now. We know the way, and we expect the Phils to take us there without much trouble - like a quick weekend trip to the Shore. Pack the kids in the car. Hurry now. No need for snacks. We'll be there before we know it.

Ah, but therein lies the rub. Certainty and confidence are new to us, and only now are we starting to learn their attendant danger. When Cliff Lee returned to Philadelphia, he might as well have had a treasure map in his hand - a bunch of winding dashes and dots that promised to lead the entire city on a wonderful adventure to secure everyone's favorite type of booty: a World Series championship. (OK, fine, the favorite kind of booty for everyone not named Pat Burrell.) Turns out the journey hasn't been as easy as we anticipated. Just getting from Clearwater to Philadelphia proved perilous.

That was one ugly stretch of spring training. The fan base still seems optimistic and rightfully so. But if you have friends who say they aren't worried - just a little - about the season and the inevitability of a title, they're either lying to you (and themselves) or they went into communication blackout for a while and missed what recently went down.

The perfect, pristine Phillies facade suffered a few cracks in the Florida sun: Domonic Brown couldn't catch a break at the plate - until he broke his wrist. Placido Polanco was healthy, then not healthy, then sort of healthy. Chase Utley spent most of spring training talking about his knee and rehab and surgery rather than taking ground balls or swinging a bat; he'll start the season on the DL. Thanks to shoulder issues, Brad Lidge's Grapefruit League heater could have slipped past a state trooper's radar gun without getting him a speeding ticket; he'll start the season on the DL, too.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Utley, the Phils went out and got Luis Castillo - only to release him shortly thereafter. So much for that. And while Lidge is on the mend, Charlie Manuel said he would go with Jose Contreras - not Ryan Madson - as his closer. I remember having Contreras on a fantasy baseball roster a long time ago. I think I was in middle school then.

Fold all that into the usual questions about Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez and the Jayson Werth-less lineup and the bullpen and the bench and the Phils' being the oldest team in baseball . . . and . . . and . . . and. Lots of ands. It's the ands that make people nervous. Just a little.

And yet the vibe heading into opening day and that glorious first pitch remains largely positive. Despite the hiccups, despite the creeping concerns, Phils fans seem unremittingly optimistic about the season. And so am I. And so are the oddsmakers, come to think of it. The Fightin's were installed as the favorites to win it all shortly after Lee returned. They remain the favorites at 13-4, according to Bodog.com. Even with all the unforeseen and unpleasant developments, you still have to like their chances to win the World Series. If I had to pick right now, there's no other team in baseball I'd rather risk my (not-so) hefty Page 2 check on.

So maybe the season won't be quite as smooth as we thought. That's fine. Phils fans can handle a few bumps, just as long as the potholes don't break down the bandwagon and prevent the Phils from reaching (and winning) the World Series. Those are the expectations. There's no going back now.

On I-95, as you head south from Cottman and approach the Vine Street Expressway, there's a tourism bureau billboard that says it all nicely: "Dear underdog: That's not me anymore. - With love, Philadelphia XOXO"