Phillies Faithful: Suffering Leads to Rewards

A faithful Phillies fan who suffers with the team during low eras, as it appears we have now entered, will enjoy its success more than one who tosses aside such loyalty. I refuse to board any bandwagon.

While attending a game in 1991, as the Phillies were playing poorly and being loudly booed, a faithful fan raised his voice and asked, “What kind of fans are you?” A less than loyal fan remarked, “Braves fans!” This was the start of Atlanta’s 14 consecutive division titles. I believe that type of feat will not be achieved again. The Phillies recent winning of 5 successive titles is something to cherish.

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The Phillies are no longer expected to be successful, at least for the near future. Some so-called fans are exiting Broad & Pattison and boarding the bandwagon headed south to our nations capital. To them I bid a fond farewell, and good riddance. Only true fans, those that suffer the discomfort along with the team, deserve to bask in the glory of their team winning a championship.

JRoll and Michael Jack were key pieces to homegrown cores that every successful team must have.

If you were to wake up every morning to your family singing you “Happy Birthday” and serving you ice cream and cake, this celebration would surely soon lose its luster. Watching a team develop into a contender is somewhat like watching your children grow up. As they evolve, sure they can be clumsy, and awkward, but it’s all a part of progress. When everything comes together, you beam with pride as they begin to flourish.

Undeniably the two greatest eras of Phillies baseball have been the 1976-1980 teams, and the 2007-2011 squads. In my opinion what made them so special was a core of players developed together in the minor leagues with just the right amount of acquisitions from other teams.

Four decades ago, Schmidt, Luzinski, Boone and  Bowa, were that much better after adding the likes of Maddox and McBride, Unser and Gross. More recently, Rollins, Utley, Hamels, Ruiz and Howard needed teammates like Werth and Victorino, Dobbs and Stairs to reach their full potential as a ballclub.

Sure, a few years will now likely pass before our team contends again. Be thankful for the following: we have a team for which to cheer, and when we wish, we get to attend games in a beautiful ballpark that always provides a great experience.

Most of all, coming from those of us who know it from first-hand experience, when the Philadelphia Phillies do indeed win again, it will feel like the first time all over again.