April 12, 2011 and our Phillies open up a 3 game series against the Nats. I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling real good about it. On paper, our candystripers ought to sweep the series - even with Blanton scheduled to take the ball in game one.
The Phillies bats have performed very well in the first three series, while the Nats have performed, well, like the Nats. The Nationals are not a good team despite the signing of Jayson Worthless who starts tonight's action batting .200 with 1 RBI which was a home run. The team is hitting .177 with runners in scoring position, so whats the problem?
Only those who have been drinking barrels of Kool-Aid would tell you that the Phillies can and will continue their torrid pace for the entire season. Those of us who have put the Kool-Aid on hold know that the Phillies bats will get cold at some point, allowing a team like the Nats to win games against them. There will be the game where a pitcher no one but his parents have ever heard of will throw a 2 hit complete game while striking out Superstar in 3 out of his 4 at bats. At some point, Contreras will blow a save by allowing a 4 run bottom of the ninth, and Jimmy Rollins will tweak a muscle and have to be replaced by Martinez. All teams have down stretches - I just don't want it to come yet. I want Blanton to pitch Worthless very high and tight, and I want him to feel bitch slapped by his former team. I have no problem with his taking the money (all of us would) but his comments about our team and we the fans must not go unpunished. He needs to have to hit the dirt, early and often.
I am nervous about this series, but I will tune in and will be as optimistic as I can be.
Washington, as you should know, has had other franchises in its history. [There were Olympics, Blue Legs & Statesmen, but mostly just a whole lot of Nationals and Senators. Depending on how you define these things, there have been six different major league teams in DC to call themselves the Nationals and three teams called the Senators - Editor] Primarily, people remember the two Senators franchises that played in the American League. The earliest of the two teams actually recorded several AL Pennants and World Series wins with lineups that featured HOFers Walter Johnson, Joe Cronin, Heinie Manush, and Goose Goslin. The last pennant came in the 1930's, after which the team spiraled downward towards permanent futility. There was a saying that went something like this, "Washington is first in the hearts of America, and last in the American League." I assume the saying was referring to George Washington given the lack of love the city and those who work there have earned throughout the decades. [This teams was actually officially named the Nationals between 1905 & 1957 and, even though everyone called them the Senators, writers would sometimes refer to them as "The Nats" - Editor]. This version of the Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961, and were replaced by an expansion team that took the name, but not the records and history of the first team. This new version of the Senators [Who, inexplicably, were also sometimes referred to as "The Nats" - Ed.] featured two time HR champ Frank Howard, and were managed for a time by Ted Williams. In the ten years they played they managed just one winning season and moved to Dallas, becoming the Texas Rangers. The current Nationals happen to be better than the last teams of the former Washington clubs, but they still suck.
I am always nervous when the Phillies play a team that should be easy fodder, and this series will be no exception. Blanton needs to focus and not blow a lead like he did in his last start. If he does, then I will have to dispatch him to 3rd & Indiana for some R&R.
Historically, this is a week to remember. On this date in 1945, Franklin Roosevelt died in Warm Springs GA and, on this date in 1861, Confederates led by General P.G.T. Beauregard shelled Fort Sumter to begin the Civil War. The commander of the fort, a Major Anderson, had been Beauregard's artillery instructor at West Point, and the Confederate stayed at the Point as Anderson's assistant after his graduation. Later this week, on April 14th, we will have the anniversary of Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater, just five days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th. I'm hoping that historians will remember this week as the week that ended the Nationals' hopes for a good season after being swept badly by the team from the greatest city in the world.
Meanwhile 300 miles to the west, my beloved Pirates are fading. The team gave Pittsburghers a few days of hope, but it seems as if they want to have yet another piss poor season. Pay attention to this team as they could very well break the record for consecutive losses before this season is over, providing thousands of empty seats in PNC Park. Maybe we should plan a road trip to see the Phillies play the Bucs and plan to sit behind the dugout.
The greatest athletes in the world are about to play basketball for real as the NBA playoffs get started, and the Flyers now know that it will be the Sabres who eliminate them in the first round. Of course the long suffering fan is being negative, but the last time our team of America-lite players brought home the Cup, many of you hadn't even been born.
That I am writing this at the ungodly hour of 5:53AM means that I woke up way too early. Today begins my second day of attempting to be a non-smoker. Maybe that is why I woke up too early. As of this moment I could smoke a towel, but despite the craving, so far so good.
I was OK yesterday until I came home from teaching the kids how to dance. The voice told me that I was doing good so far, but questioned my strategy of trying the cold turkey trip. The voice told me that I should start by just cutting down. The voice told me that the gradual way could work - that I would feel better, ya-da-ya-da and all that bullshit. The rational me told the voice to shut the fuck up. The rational me knows that the gradual way would cause me to fail, and I do not want to fail.
Anyway, given the nice weather, I took a walk and ended up walking the dog. I walked the little shit longer than he had ever been walked before. Dogs sort of know when their walk is over and almost instinctively know to head home. We ended up sitting on a park bench at 62nd & Cedar for at least half an hour watching the cars drive by. To my eye, every driver had a cigarette, as did every passer by. The hood is not the best place to try and quit smoking.
When I finally got home I was not the happiest or most pleasant person on the planet. I don't expect today to be any better, so I'm hoping not to have to deal with any assholes today. I know the fuse is short, but at least I got through the first day. I even managed to eat properly - meaning that I didn't eat the crap I'm not supposed to in an attempt to mediate the craving for nicotene. Tracee's mother quit cold turkey several years ago and told me that the second day would be worse than the first. I'll let you know. I do know that keeping busy will help, so I'll do some cleaning and walking and hating mankind, but I'm determined to get through the day.
That's it for today. Here's hoping that you enjoy your morning coffee, wherever you get it! See ya.
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