No better time to be a Phils fan

His face lit up like it was Christmas morning, 10-year-old Patrick Clearkin strode into Citizens Bank Park yesterday carrying a homemade poster that read: "EAGLES??? WHO??? IT'S PHILLIES SEASON!"

The sign's other side thanked his dad for the tickets and his mom "for letting me miss school" in Maple Glen, Montgomery County.

Anybody who has been listening to too much sports-talk radio and thinks this is a football town should have accompanied Patrick into the belly of the red-shirted, towel-waving, hungry, desperate, bellowing, beer-swilling (with proper ID) beast that is Phillies Nation in full roar.

Michele Clearkin, the best mom in the whole world according to Patrick, said that her son had gotten the inspiration for his poster from his brother, Brendan, 24, who passed on Eagles tickets so he could stay home last Sunday and watch the Phils win the National League Division Series on TV.

Brendan and other brother Daniel, 21, made it Clearkin Family Night at the Phils - four psychodramatic hours that left them and 45,000 fellow-diehards happy and emotionally exhausted. The Phils beat the Dodgers, 8-5.

Mark and Karen Wolf, of Allentown, who came to celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary and Pat Burrell's birthday with daughters Amanda and Ali, have known Burrell since he wore No. 40 for the Reading Phillies.

"He would make eye contact with us a lot and he gave us two broken bats," Ali said. "I had the biggest crush on him. OK, OK, I still do."

Randy Farrow, a TV repairman from Magnolia, Del., brought six buddies and the seven Homer Simpson masks that his "Ryan's Homers" have been wearing in the bleachers for three seasons.

The Homers - Chris Audesirk, Jonathan Ruch, Steve Loew, Jerry Farrell and James Streapy, all of Quakertown, and Max Motkowski, of Birdsboro - wore the steamy masks throughout the summerlike afternoon every time Howard came up to bat, then quickly tore them off and gulped air and Bud Lite.

Speaking of Bud Lite, judging from the beered-up, geared-up crowd, the Budweiser brewery and the maker of Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins jerseys may be the only two companies in America to survive the current economic tsunami unscathed.

Meanwhile, Lou Pasqualicchi, Carolyn Bonacci, Dan Owens and Jeanine Cirba, all of Scranton, sitting in the left-field stands, serenaded Burrell with a four-part harmony "Happy Birthday" when he came to bat in the 2nd.

He struck out looking, but moments later the Phils rallied for four runs. "It just took awhile for our positive vibe to travel from here to home plate," Bonacci said.

All four love the erratic slugger Burrell. "We've stuck with him through all the bad times," Pasqualicchi said. "That's the kind of work we put in as true fans."

"That's what love is, right?" Bonacci said. "Besides, he's a Libra, like me."

The Phils were in and out of trouble throughout the four-hour marathon before a spectacular catch by centerfielder Shane Victorino and Brad "Lights Out" Lidge drove a stake into the Dodgers' heart.

Despite their problems, no Phillies got booed. Sorely tempted at times, Phillies Nation remained faithful.

As Bonacci said, "That's what love is." *