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The Phillies have a tough act to follow … actually two of them.
One is of their own making; the other is because of circumstances out of their control.
First, what they did.
About eight months ago, the Phillies played like a World Series title was easily within their grasp. They were chalking up wins and fans were dreaming of a parade down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
They won the NL East then collapsed against the Mets in the first round of the playoffs. The Mets peaked at the right time, whereas the Phillies fell as flat as all the Big Five basketball teams this winter.
A parade was put on hold – one did happen, but we will deal with that in minute.
For the third straight year, the Phillies teased their fans only to come up short, with last year being a little farther than short, more like losing five yards on a Tush Push.
The second tough act the Phillies have to follow is that of their South Philadelphia neighbors – those Philadelphia E-A-G-L-E-S. We all can still hear the chants.
It was less than six weeks ago today that the Eagles and their fans celebrated the franchise’s second Super Bowl win with the aforementioned parade.
The Eagles did what the Phillies thought they were going to do – win a title and electrify the city.
The Eagles got to walk, ride, dance and kick field goals with beer cans (Jake Elliott) down the miles-long red carpet, while the Phillies congratulated their neighbors on social media and packed their bags for six weeks of warm weather and chasing fungoes.
A day after the parade, the self-induced pressure must have been enormous on the Phillies, knowing that their fans expect to frolic in the same type of merriment this coming November.
But a lot happens in six weeks.
Philly fans were on top of the world on Feb. 14, but then Philly’s winter sports teams brought them back to earth.
Think Sixers.
Think Flyers.
Think Big Five basketball.
Philly does have some teams playing for titles, but they are all at the high school level – Roman Catholic meets Father Judge on Saturday for the PIAA Class 6A boys basketball championship, the marquee game in the state playoffs, which feature several Philadelphia-area schools. Yep, that’s the type of title Philly fans have to look forward to right now.
So the Phillies got a bit of a reprieve but not much. Philly fans are still demanding and expect a team loaded with high-priced stars to deliver. If not a World Series title, at least more than a one-night-stand in the playoffs.
For the first 10 days of the season, the Phillies will get a bit of a break, except from their ultra diehard fans – the NCAA men’s basketball championship isn’t until April 7, so many fans will be more focused on winning the office pool rather than Nick Castellanos off to his usual slow start.
And the rest of April will see fans making Easter plans, preparing their front stoops in the city (gardens in the suburbs) and enjoying the cherry tree blossoms along Kelly Drive.
But once the flowers fall, all eyes focus on the Phillies.
If the Phillies don’t deliver a parade in November is that really the end of this team?
Some think it’s this year or do a hedge-fund maneuver – break up the team and sell off the pieces for more than they are worth as a whole.
Here’s the problem with that.
Yes, the Phillies are not the youngest team in baseball and their stars are in their 30s, but this is baseball in the 2020s.
Bryce Harper is not Mickey Mantle, who famously said, “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.”
This team could be the John Elway-Broncos of the late 1990s – lose a couple of big ones, figure out how to win the big ones, and then win the big ones.
Here’s the best part of all of this: Just like the Eagles, at least the Phillies are in the conversation. Imagine suffering through a summer of being a diehard Marlins fans (are there any?) or a Los Angeles Angels fan?
This Phillies team will be good enough to get us to early September when the Eagles open the season.
The question is: Will they be good enough to split our attention between the Eagles and Phillies in late October?
If they are, we all should feel really lucky. Not too many fans get that sort of success from their teams.
