Broad Street Billy: As big a fan as you are
I'M BROAD STREET Billy, I bleed Phillies Red, and I'm still hoarse from standing shoulder-to-shoulder, bottle-to-bottle with thousands of Ashburn Alley allies, screaming the homeboys on to white-knuckle wins over the Dodgers.
I'M BROAD STREET Billy, I bleed Phillies Red, and I'm still hoarse from standing shoulder-to-shoulder, bottle-to-bottle with thousands of Ashburn Alley allies, screaming the homeboys on to white-knuckle wins over the Dodgers.
I'm still sore from postgame man-hugs by total strangers, most of whom apparently lift weights.
I was at the '93 heartbreak and for all the no-cigar summers since. But this is Our Year!
And this is Your Space! E-mail me at Phillies@phillynews.com with phabulous pholktales of your phanaticism, photos of Phillied-up phamily and phamily rooms, phunny stuff, good-luck rituals and phavorite places to watch the game.
Stuff like this:
* Red Plate Specials: Eddie Rubino, owner of Ralph's Italian Restaurant, in South Philly, starts Phils specials Wednesday: Ravioli Rollins, Veal Victorino, Shrimp Stairs, Tuna Taguchi, Mussels Manuel, Linguini Lidge, Romero Primavera, Manicotti Madson, Halibut Howard, Beef Soup Burrell, Fettucine Feliz and Gnocchi Utley.
* Phils Rap: Local hip-hop duo R Marvelous, who sell their World Series rap CD, Philly-style, out of a car at Broad and South, sing: "Cole Hamels attack. Dee-fense is packed. He pitches shutout innings, man - you won't get jacked." CD, hat & shirt: $25.
* Today's Ticket Prices: StubHub.com, Game 3: Standing Room: $500 to $700; Outfield: $600 to $2,500. Infield: $550 to $8,500.
* Today's Phils Jokes: Comedian Joe Conklin says, "The city is so fired up about the Phils, I saw Chris Wheeler coming off the plane waving his rally hair! And Carlos Ruiz is playing so well that Joey Vento from Geno's Steaks said he can order in Spanish if he wants."
* Phanatical Phan: Kevin Sica, who grew up in Northeast Philly, lives in Quakertown with a wall-to-wall Phillies basement.
"You've seen that 'What's with the lamp?' commercial of a Pittsburgh Steelers room in a guy's house where the lamp is the only thing without a logo on it? My Phillies basement is a lot like that, except I have the Phillies lamp."
When he was 12, Sica's mom surprised him by taking him to the sixth game of the 1980 World Series, where he saw the Phils win their first (and only) championship.
In February, his mom sent Sica - divorced single dad, two kids - to Clearwater, Fla., to celebrate his 40th birthday at Phillies spring training.
When he returned to reality, Sica said, "My 15-year-old daughter, Amanda, was looking to redecorate my basement. I was divorced so I had nobody to tell me, 'No!' I said, 'Why don't we do Phillies?' That's all Amanda needed to hear."
They started in May and finished in June. They bought every conceivable Phillies thing. "Baseball's like an old friend," Sica said. "It's always there for you.
"The only thing missing in my basement is a player," he said. "I'd love for one of the Phils to see this. Moyer's a Souderton guy. That's right down the road. I hope he'll stop by some day."