OCTOBER 31 - DAY TWO - THE PARADE
It was one of the best days ever for Philly sports fans. Over 2 Million of us have memories that will last a lifetime. Let's just hope it is not another 25 years before we get to do it again!!!
World F*#king Champions!!!
OCTOBER 30TH - DAY ONE OF THE WORLD SERIES PARTY
2:04PM
Been reading and surfing all day, after accepting congrats from my pal Mud. Ya gotta love it when a Mets fan picks the Phils and is right. Keep in mind, he is a total Mets fan, and called this in March.
Reading Marcus Hayes today in the Daily News, he connects two dots; Brad Lidge dropped down after the last out in the same spot where Tug McGraw's son, Tim, spread his ashes the other night. Even being 4+ years gone, Tugger got to be in on the party.
The first year I went to spring training was the year when McGraw, a long time hero, was diagnosed with cancer. We were supposed to hang out at the Palm Pavillion, with his buds from the Plumstead in Media that March. Lidge acknowledged to Hayes that he thanked God, and the last man to clinch a title for our Phils. As if this whole ride wasn't already cool and cosmic enough.
See ya on Broad Street, Tug!
12:47PM
Disturbing, the stories of people overturning cars and the like in last night's Phillies win aftermath. People who would take advantage of maxed out police presence to do such things, or rob a pizza guy at gunpoint (it happened, trust me) are the worst examples of what Philly is about. They are not Philadelphia sports fans, but their actions paint us all unfavorably. No more nonsense please. Let's just enjoy the good vibes and the parade.
10:28AM
Just got back from getting round one of my Series stuff. Saw Ricky Bo on Comcast last night in a red tee with the trophy. Hadda have one. And more...
The mood is indescribable. You know it has been a long time between titles when the feeling of euphoria crashes over you like wave for the first time as a kid down the shore.
Plans underway for Friday, is EVERYBODY going??? You bet. Halloween is Brother Wiz's b-day. He thinks the parade is for him...LOL! I don't know what the next 24-48 hours will be like, but being exhausted and hungover and feeling this good, I can only imagine how much fun we're in for.
Hate seeing jackasses standing on a flipped car in Center City. Imagine you're the ones who do that and the guy whose car it is shows up, and he is 6'6", 275, and built like Juqua Parker...
Debbi is playing "Philadelphia Freedom," and it never sounded so good. My pal Mud, a diehard Mets guy who picked us to win it all, is calling. Gotta run...
OCTOBER 29TH - GAME 5 2/3 OF THE WORLD SERIES
10PM
Lidge is lights out and it is OVER, the Phils are World Champions!!!
See ya at the parade on Friday!!!
8:36PM
Grant Balfour looks to be staying in to pitch for Tampa, and all of their players are wearing ski masks...wusses!
Here we go...
8:32PM
1st pitch coming up...Madson going in the 7th...waiting to find out who will pinch hit...
7:49PM
Did John Bolaris just predict snow flurries at game time???
7:09PM
I am settling into the studio with the #1 album of 102.9 Day 1978, The Stones "Some Girls." "When The Whip Comes Down" is playing from that album, and the surge of energy hits me, this is tonight's theme song. Time for a good ole South Philly ass whippin'....GO PHILS!!!!
2:10PM
Getting ready to go to my appearance today at Best Buy in Deptford, and I realize how much more fun all of our events have been lately. Who says that a winning baseball team doesn't have a positive impact on the region's psyche? I have some clear evidence...
Been trading email with the Phillie Phanatic today. Seems like he is all set (green long johns, check!) and ready to rock the Rays tonight. Let him know how good he's been looking on Fox, and how he has been getting strong play on the telecasts.
Also sent him this little picture...
OK, time to get a move on. There's a championship to be cheered for tonight...have fun, wherever you go, and be safe after Lidge turns out the lights. It could be a long, crazy night.
11:37AM
Oh no, not again!!! Looking at doppler radar just now, and there's a bunch of lines of now and snow/rain mix, moving rapidly towards us from central PA. The winds are whipping out there now, but are SUPPOSED to die down by 8PM.
Is it possible that the longest game (almost 3 days now) in World Series history could be extended again? I sure hope not. It's a shame that so many people who had their world lined up to Monday night may miss the game, or miss seeing it with their family (like me).
One thing will take care of all of the anxiety, disappointment and trepidation...ONE MORE WIN...git r done, Phillies!!!
8:21AM
An eery calm is in my head this morning. The winds howl outside, and it is is cold...take THAT Tampa Bay...but I feel like eevrything is going to be alright and the champagne will flow tonight. Of course, Bud Selig hasn't held a press conference yet today.
Y'know, I haven't taken the Rays players and coaches to task, but Joe Maddon their manager has really come off as a whiner in the last 24 hours. The beer thing, the mustard packet thing (even though all condiments at the ballpark are served via central kiosks), the Cole Hamels thing, the smug attitude about the top of the 6th counting. Hey, Joe, guys from Hazelton don't whine in public!
OK, sorry for the typos, the first cup of coffee is still going down. The Rays will go down later today...unless Mother Nature has other ideas...
OCTOBER 28TH - GAME 5 OF THE WORLD SERIES
2:52PM
Well, it's official, the nightmare continues...no Game 5 finale tonight. They will try again on Wednesday night at 8PM, when the weather will be windy and cold, but not raining - guess we will see about THAT!
11:15AM
Email from my buddy Woodstock Jim:
Just a little rain? Can't believe they played the final inning through that. You gotta love the Phils chances when they restart. The Phils bat in the bottom of the 6th with Hamels spot in the line-up batting first. I'd bat Matt Stairs there and let him swing away. If the Phils score then, the regular pitching line up can be Romero, Madson, and Lidge to end the game.
10:45AM
The family is off into their day, I am sitting here in limbo, and the depth and breadth of my anger and frustration is growing by the hour, since rising this morning. Perhaps if the Commisioner had not been seated in a cozy, warm, dry, catered super box at Monday night's debacle he might have had a clue as to how treacherous the playing conditions were getting in the 5th inning.
Stripped away is the role of ace Cole Hamels, who struggled to stay on the mound (literally). I feel bad for our players. I feel bad for the fans. Mainly, I feel bad for Joe Blanton. Here's a guy who did his part to win Game 4 (even contributing the 1st homer by a pitcher in a Series since 1974 - a great Series moment, Buddy boy!)) and delivers us the perfect set up with Hamels going in Game 5, with a chance to win it all at home. Not only is last night's play wasted, but you can make a case that Joe The Pitcher's incredible game was wasted, too.
For Bud Selig to sit there, smugly, and say they'd stay until Thanksgiving to get this game played is an affront not only to fans of the game, but to the very integrity of the great game of baseball itself. He should resign at game/Series end, no matter when that is.
Should the unthinkable happen, I think it safe to say that Selig would never be able to show his smug mug in this town again...ever.
I am pouring out my frustration, and am glad I have this blog to do so, but millions of fans do not have the same outlet. So, email me (ray@wmgk.com), tell me what you're feeling, and I will post it here for you!
OCTOBER 27TH - GAME 5 OF THE WORLD SERIES
11:45PM
What the hell is going on with Bob Dupuy and "Bud Light" Selig??? These two morons looked at the same doppler radar as we all did, and decided to go forward with the disaster that turned out be Game 5 of this Series...or as I called it on the air, Paradeus Interruptus!
Worse than starting the game, was the manner in which they "allowed" Tampa Bay to tie it in the 6th inning so that they could invoke some part from deep in the MLB rule book that caused them to suspend play, something that has never happened before in Series history (There's another first for you, Bud, you idiot!) knowing full will that this Nor'easter which is raging outside my window is going to last until Wednesday.
Is there any good reason why they couldn't have stopped after 5 innings? And not just because the Phils were up 2-1. The rain was surely heavy enough at that point, and the deteriorating conditions actually helped the Rays to score the tying run.
The Inquirer's Phil Sheridan says that baseball gave in to its pimp, Fox TV, and I find it hard to argue with him on that one. MLB should be embarassed right now.
Catch ya in the morning...
4:49PM
As Elvis sang, "It's Now Or Never"....Bad weather tonight? Are you kidding me??? My wife calls on her way home from work and says she hears they are calling for rain tonight. I check, and sure enough, there's a storm front moving in. "Hurricane" Schwartz says it;ll be light rain all night, but it looks like the more they delay the game, the worse it will get. Tomorrow? Forget it...rain, high wind, and by Tuesday night, showers with with snow. Not even our northern dwelling Phils wanna play tomorrow night here, from the sound of it.
So, unlike Saturday night, it looks like the sooner they start, the better. No matter what though, if it is a 2AM finish, you know we will all be there, watching and waiting.
1:43PM
Been re-watching parts of the last couple night's games, while cleaning up the DVR to record Game 5. Don't think I could be any more juiced for game time tonight.
Then I log on to Victorino's blog, and see his entry from 2AM Monday morning where he talks about REALLY getting it after Saturday's and Sunday's games. Seeing the reaction on Broad street Saturday night. And one fan logs on to tell Shane to let his tough night go (frankly, I never saw #8 throw anything before, but his helmet might need replacing after sunday night.) and get some sleep.
I know he won't read this, but my message to Shane, and his phellow Phils is simple: Get back to being that 10 year-old kid just playing ball, and have fun tonight!
11:43AM
Just checked email, and El Perfecto, Brad Lidge, has been named DHL Delivery Man Of The Year, as the best reliever this season, as voted on BY THE FANS!
Y'know, in years past, this kind of news, delivered on such a big day might have made me nervous, and fearful of some kind of jinx. But not this year, Lidge has been the man day in and day out, and it's great to see fans everywhere recognize his role in getting our Phightin Phils to this point. CONGRATS, BRAD, YOU ARE LIGHTS OUT!
11AM
Kids are at school, the wife is at work....how can they concentrate today? They are coming with me to Chickie's & Pete's in Bordentown tonight, where my MNF Party is being converted into a Game 5 Phils party. My daughter doesn't understand why she has to miss dance class to come with me. This is what happes when your city doesn't win it all in a kid's lifetime, and our Phils are about change that.
The closest youngsters have seen to all of this is our Super Bowl loss in Jacksonville, and they still talk about the party that day. Wait, kids, in the next couple nights you're gonna see the real deal...with Cole Hamels going in Game 5....TONIGHTS THE NIGHT!!!