Gonzo: Win over Rockies a measure of sweet revenge
When I was a kid, my dad advised me not to hold grudges. He saw revenge as a powerful but ultimately empty motivator.
When I was a kid, my dad advised me not to hold grudges. He saw revenge as a powerful but ultimately empty motivator.
Dad was the exception in our clan. Most of my family never forgets even the smallest slight. (My grandmother is still sore over all the times I whipped her in Scrabble.) We just file the snubs away and dust them off when the time is right for reprisal. I believe most therapists would find that approach entirely healthy.
It's been two years since the Phils were unceremoniously dismissed from the playoffs by the then-sizzling Rockies. A lot has happened since then. The Rockies got swept in the 2007 World Series and didn't do much of anything last season. The Fightin's, in case you're just now waking up from your protracted soap opera-esque coma, won it all last year.
A lot of people - fans and players alike - believe payback shouldn't be an issue since the Phils got to hold that swell parade. That makes perfect sense. Truly. When you finally get the girl and the happy ending you always wanted, why obsess over the jock who momentarily pushed you out of the way and went to the prom with your secret crush?
Because I'm a small, petty man, that's why. I freely admit it.
Thanks to yesterday's convincing 5-1 Phils victory, I feel a little better now. Colorado received the first installment of what I hope will be an embarrassing, series-long comeuppance. Take that, Rockies - and have some more in Games 2 and 3 if you wouldn't mind.
"We won the World Series last year," Jayson Werth reminded me. "I think that took care of anything that had to do with [revenge]."
I get it. I do. This is all a little (probably a lot) irrational, but I can't help it. After the Phils made the playoffs two years ago, I was consumed by the prospect of postseason glory. Then the Rockies crushed those hopes and delayed the celebration. That was difficult; I've never been a patient man.
Yesterday, after two years, the intermission was lifted and the Phils began to repay the wrong they (and we) suffered in 2007. My dad used to say revenge will keep you up at night, but I'm not so sure. So far, it feels like a pretty comfy place to rest your head.
Kevin and Michael Bacon, who form a band cleverly billed as the Bacon Brothers, sang the national anthem yesterday. That prompted me and my buddy Doyle to wonder if we could play the ever-popular (if frustrating) Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game with one of the Phillies. Then we started talking about how Paul Bako is sort of the Kevin Bacon of baseball since he's played for 11 franchises in his career - tying him for the MLB record among catchers.
All of that resulted in an hourlong conversation and the creation of a new hybrid that we've dubbed the Bako/Bacon Game. Here's what we came up with: Bako plays with Jimmy Rollins. Rollins played with Bobby Abreu. Abreu played for Joe Torre. Torre was in Analyze That with Robert De Niro. De Niro was in Sleepers with Kevin Bacon.
Boom. Six Degrees of Bako/Bacon.
Feel free to play at home. (Copyright pending.)
After the game, Charlie Manuel seemed as surprised as everyone else that Cliff Lee stole a base. (Lee said Davey Lopes saw something and encouraged the pitcher to run if he believed he could make it.)
When asked what he thought about the steal, Manuel didn't hesitate: "I thought, 'What the hell's he doin'?' "
A quick programming note: If you're a regular on our weekly Philly.com Fantasy Football chat, today's discussion will start at 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. to accommodate our Phillies coverage. . . . That was an awfully long triple by Jayson Werth, but does anyone else think he probably should have scored on an inside-the-park homer? Looked like he Cadillaced it a little bit coming out of the box. . . . If you're attending Game 2 today and you want to work out some pent-up frustration, an outfit called the Asian World of Martial Arts is holding a tailgate party in Lot K at Citizens Bank Park. Starting at 11 a.m., they'll provide a grappling dummy (complete with a Rockies jersey) for fans to kick, punch and tackle. . . . An interesting memo on protocol from the Phils to the media included this line at the end: "Should you have any questions or concerns, please do hesitate to contact [us]." I don't think that was a typo. . . . Last year, Geoff Jenkins was a Game 5 (Part II) hero. This year, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the division series. Maybe next year the Fightin's can find a spot for him on the grounds crew. . . . It was pretty windy at yesterday's game (maybe you heard). A lot of trash ended up getting blown onto the field, but despite the fact that the wind was pushing the ball out to right, most of the refuse seemed to get swept into the Rockies' dugout. Seemed fitting somehow. . . . So much for the inconvenient afternoon starting time: Game 1 attracted the largest crowd in the history of Citizens Bank Park. Give yourselves a pat on the back. You earned it.