Philadelphia is a baseball city.
Well, which is it?
Aw, that's probably a trick question. Anybody who hasn't been asleep for a month probably finds himself subconsciously spelling a six-letter word that is the plural of our national bird, still finds himself unable to get a certain ditty out of his head - Hit 'em low, hit 'em high . . . - and can recite all the details of Jeff Garcia's life story by heart.
And yet . . .
The Eagles deserve the attention they get. They have won their division 5 of the last 6 years, been to the NFC Championship Game four times in that span, appeared in the Super Bowl once. The Phillies have been to the playoffs once since 1983.
And yet . . .
It wasn't always that way. In the period from 1983 to '85, when Marion Campbell was coaching the Eagles and the Phillies were coming off a time when they were going to the postseason nearly every year, it was the local baseball team that dominated the sports landscape.
And yet . . .
The Eagles, by losing to the Saints last weekend, assured that they will not be the team that triggers a championship parade down Broad Street this year.
All of which sets the table nicely for the Phillies, who will assemble for the first official workout for pitchers and catchers at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater 29 days from now.
Look, this doesn't mean that the Phillies will try any harder to win this year than they have in the past.
It does mean that every once in a while the planets align just so. And this seems to one of those years for the Phillies.
The coast is clear. The Eagles are done until training camp. The 76ers and Flyers have little to play for beyond a shot at the first overall draft choice. The Phillies suddenly have a roster chock-full of exciting young players - Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels - that fans can root for. They have been on the edge of making it to the playoffs for the past couple of years and have added a proven starting pitcher, Freddy Garcia, who could help push them over the top.
And should it all come together and result in a world championship, well, that would most likely result in a seismic shift in the football-baseball balance in the area.
"We're sitting in a good position," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle, who has been with the organization since 1992, said yesterday at the media availability that coincides with the start of the team's offseason promotional push.
"Now we need to go out and win. The fans are hungry for a winner in any sport, so we have a great opportunity. I think the city wants to embrace this club. I think people are just waiting for the opportunity."
Sales director John Weber said the demand for season tickets is an early indication of how eager fans are to get behind this team, noting that there were noticeable spikes after Garcia was acquired from the White Sox and when Howard won the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
"The landscape is what it is, but I'm encouraged by the early signs," he said. "Clearly, as each year goes by, [going so long without a championship team] gets bigger and bigger. So winning would mean everything to the fans."
Interestingly, the Phillies and Eagles are coming off similar seasons. Both were written off at midseason when a star was lost: Quarterback Donovan McNabb was injured and rightfielder Bobby Abreu was traded. Both came on strong after that. The difference is that the Eagles' surge resulted in a spot in the playoffs, while the Phillies came up short in the wild-card race.
"Everybody counted the Eagles out and the same thing happened to us," said outfielder Shane Victorino, who stepped in for Abreu. "For me, it was just like what Jeff Garcia did. I'm not going to go out and put up Bobby-like numbers. Those numbers in a few of his years are Hall of Fame type. But you play hard and you try to win."
Now the Phillies will be trying to extend that similarity until they're running around the field in late October and holding a World Series trophy over their heads.
So is Philadelphia a football city like Pittsburgh and Oakland? Or a baseball city like St. Louis, and Boston?
The answer is both. Which way the pendulum swings just depends on which team has won the most lately. And, beginning April 2 against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park, it will be the Phillies' turn to try to stake their claim. *
Send e-mail to hagenp@phillynews.com.
