More Wasted... Non-Effort

Last night I attended the Phillies vs. Nationals game in DC. I usually go once a series when they visit. This being the first time they were in town this year. The seats were great along the left field line; the atmosphere was great with at least 3-4,000 Philly fans there amongst the 11,000 strong crowd. The game was a good game... if you can call it that. On the way in I had the following conversation with D-ton, my accomplice for the evening, "Are you gonna be dressed warm enough for the game?"
"Don't worry, the anxiety from watching the Phillies try to blow the game almost every inning will keep me warm."
"Won't that make you angry?"
"Not until they lose. But at least then I'll still be warm from the anger."
It's like going to meet your high school Girlfriend when you know she's gonna tell you she fucked the quarterback last night and has been for a week and she just cant see it working out between you two.

This is how we think... Philly fans that is. Now there are multiple types of Philly fans, some old and new all graced with the same skepticism, however... some choose to vent it during the game, unlike me. I'll speak before and after but never during... except... well i'll get back to that.

So we go into the game with great seats playing the lowly Nationals in front of their Marlins-esque crowd looking to have an enjoyable evening at the ball park. Phillies jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning when the always unreliable Rod Barajas hit a single followed by the more unreliable Pitcher Adam Eaton crushing one to the fence. A double that scores the "Donkey Kong from Mario Kart"-esquely slow Barajas from first, only because the outfielder misplayed the ball off the wall. Then Eaton melted down in the bottom of the inning. After a HBP, and a line drive off his hand he gives up a 3 run shot to Schneider. Right before that HR my buddy Chris just happened to point out Schneider had 5 rbi's this year without actually getting a hit on those rbi's. Needless to say... the phillies broke that streak for him. The Nationals later capitalizing on base hits brought in another run on a sac fly in the 3rd.

The Phillies 1-4 batters finished the game an incredible 2 for 21. Both hits coming from Victorino. This game was deemed worthy of the title the "Toilet Bowl". The Phils came into the game leaving a 122 LOBs in 12 games, first in the league, while the Nats were second with 115 LOBs but in 14 GAMES! So as this seemed impossible to avoid... it was. There was even a fan in the lowest section near 3rd base who had a sign that read "Phillies LOB: (insert number here)." Phils wound up with 9 (as predicted) and the Nats with 13 so we won... that battle.

I digress, as Philly sports always does, the Phils staged a comeback late in the game. After a hit by burrell and a double by rowand pinch hitter Greg Dobbs singled in two runs. Then after a second hit Rollins came up with 2 on and 1 out and managed to hit in to a double play (part of his 0 for 6 night). Then as one could have predicted, the Phils managed to stage a 9th inning comeback... after a leadoff single by Burrell and the most obvious substitution in MLB on a daily basis, Pinch runner Bourn for Burrell, (I wish I could bet on this in baseball, the line would have to be around -900) followed by a hit by Helms, the Phillies had Rowand at the plate. A sac bunt, which I didnt like, moved them over to 2nd and 3rd 1 out for Ruiz. Ruiz hits a groundball up the middle to 2nd baseman Belliard to score Bourn and tie the game. Then they strand the guy at 3rd. Don't worry in the 10th they did the same thing.

In the 12th the most exciting moment of the game came when a line drive foul ball found its way to the empty section next to me where I ran over and picked it up capturing my second career foul ball and my 3rd career television appearance (cool shots, Phillies vs. Orioles) as verified by one of my groosman seconds later via text message.

Then the epitome of the Philadelphia Sports fan way of life became even clearer than ever. As newly acquired (for player to be named later; shouldn't this read: for free cause he sucks and if you want him jesus just take him already) Francisco Rosario approached the mound a random Philly fan stopped next to me and said "this is it, this guy sucks, I guarantee we don't make it out of this inning". He went back to his seat, in the first row (clearly moved down as did we) and I proceeded to watch an infield single followed by a double down the line which led to 2nd and 3rd no out. He turned back to look for me and we caught eyes and he just raised his hands as if to say, "see?". It was obvious, that even after every other pitcher the phillies had (except gordon) that there would be a weak link in the chain... and that guy knew it. The next batter worked a 2-1 count and i couldn't help myself. I turned to D-ton and said, "this is it... this is the last pitch of the game," sure enough the next pitch was a sac fly to win. The Phils lose again in the ritualistic "bend you over and show you who's boss" manner. I wish you could press charges for Emotional Rape.

Needless to say they are 3-10 the worst team in the Majors and we still have 149 more games of this. Every time they came up in a spot they blew it. Howard looked terrible, Rollins looked worse and Utley simply looked like he was going through the motions. This team clearly doesn't want to be on the field anymore than we want to be watching them. Its almost as if they have that same conversation as I did on the way in. Their anxiety will keep them warm but at the end of the day, it'll only be anger. Doesn't that thought process have to stop somewhere??? So we wait for that one guy who decides, to step up and say, I'm gonna change the game... until then I'll continue to pursue the legal possibilities of emotional rape.