In 1951 $100,000 was a ton of money. In Philly, teachers cops and firemen all made between 3 and 4000 a year. The Inquirer cost a nickel and was a great paper, unlike todays .75 for a rag.
In 1951 you could go to Shibe Park and see either the Phillies or the A's for under .50 for a bleacher seat, and programs were a dime.
In 1951 the Phillies signed their first bonus baby, a guy out of Michigan named Ted Kazanski. He was a strapping 17 year old who stood 6'1" and weighed 175lbs. He was everybodies all-everything infielder in his home state of Michigan,and was labeled as can't miss by the Phillies. It was thought by the Phillies brass at the time that he would blossom as a perennial all-star and would lead the Fightin's to the promised land, a place they had tasted only the year before when the Whiz Kids managed to make it to only their second world series where they were swept by the Yankees.
Kazanski toiled in the minors for only two years before making his Phillies debut 1n 1953. Imagine how excited Phils fans were when he drove in 4 runs in his first game. That was the high point in Kazanski's career - his first game. After his first season his average was .217, which by the way was also his final career average. The year the Phillies spent 100 large to sign Kazanski, the then NY Giants debued a guy from Alabama. This guy had his first major league at bat against the Phillies. This guy would make perhaps the greatest catch and throw in the 1954 world series. He was the greatest player I have ever seen play,and he didn't use steroids like his godson did a generation later playing for the same franchise. If you still don't know who I am speaking of you should plan to watch a hockey game this weekend because you are not a baseball fan.
Ted Kazanski, a name long since forgotten here in Philly , but the guy who was Juan Bell before Juan was born will always be remembered by me - I had his baseball card. He was a bum, but a bum who got to do something all off us would give an arm to do. He was in the "show"!
When the first pitch is thrown out Saturday night it won't be Robin Roberts vs Johnny Antonelli. Sal Maglie and Curt Simmons aren't going to be in the dugout waiting for their game two starts. Nobody will get into the park for a half a buck, and some fools will spend $200 or more to stand and watch Halladay battle Lincecum. By game time Penn State will have more than likely lost another Big Ten game (they did real well against the MAC though) and Fat Andy will be practising saying "we have to better" for the 38th time.
Don't get me wrong, I want the Phillies to win the NLCS as much as the next guy. I want these guys to go through the Giants aces like shit goes through a goose, but I don't feel warm and fuzzy about this series. First of all,Halladay will not pitch another no no. Trust me he won't. Oswalt can be gotten to, and who knows whether Hamels will still have the magic he displayed the last month of the season. The guy could have a lap dog moment and have a suicide inning where he gives up a quick 5 runs. And what about Lidge? He has had a tremendous second half of the year, but he is Brad Lidge- meaning that he is quite capable of putting lots of Giants on base in the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies haven't exactly lit the Giants staff up this season. If Lincecum brings his best "high" heat Ryan Howard is likely to strike out seven times in 4 abs. Raul (I am not a hairdresser) Ibanez could set a new record for hitting into double plays, and what happens if Utley starts throwing the way he did a year ago?
After Lincecum, we get the joy of seeing Sanchez.This guy has owned the Phillies this year. To left-handed batters he is like a terminator. Shit, if Cain is on we could be in big trouble counting on Blanton to make things right in game four. Feel good about that do you? And we better hope that Cowboy Joe West isn't calling balls and strikes. If gets the usual hair up his fat butt Charlies guys could have trouble getting the strikes called on the paint that they need.
Now remember that I have suffered most of my life with the guys in the candy stripes. I remember when they would lose by four runs and that was considered a good game. I remember Ted Kazanski, Ted Lepcio, Jim Greengrass, Bob Bowman, and all the other lovable losers of my youth. I understand that all of those disappointments may have jaded me, but I am compelled to tell it like I feel.
Adding to my discomfort was Ryan Howard's appearance on the Letterman Show. The bum hasn't hit a home run in how long? It took a lot of nerve for this guy to do the Top Ten before even one critical at bat in the NLCS. I would like someone to remind him that he is getting paid $125,000,000 to get hit home runs and get clutch hits, not show us 9 different ways of striking out. Sometimes this guy swings the way Pat The Bat did during most of his time here. It's time for Ryan to step up and carry this team on his back. He can start by learning to hit the opposite way when the Giants put on the Howard shift. There won't be anybody on the left side of the field, so how about giving it a shot big guy. We used to have a first baseman here who was able to lead us to the promised land. He is the same guy who knocked current Giants manager Bruce Bochy on his ass during a game against the Astros. Rose hit him so hard, the guy could never play well again. Give us that kind of attitude Ryan and stop trying to be cool like Mike Schmidt. We need the angry black guy thing. We need Barry Bonds attitude.
I have already been told by the lady I'll be watching the game with that she doesn't want to hear one fuck out of my mouth. I've been told not to call any of the Phillies faggots when they fail to produce. She wants these guys to win as much as the rest of us, but she needs to understand why this long suffering fan gets as crazy as I do when I watch them play.
I'll try to behave, but that will depend on the effort I see from the candy stripers on the field.
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