Room for me on the bandwagon?

by costenh on Oct 6, 2008 6:51 PM EDT

Hello, my Phriends! I am a life-long Giants fan here to wish you well in the upcoming NLCS. Our fan bases share an incredible hunger for a championship, which is a big reason why, in June, I made a $20 bet on the Phillies to win the World Series at 15-1.

With the Giants out of the race, I was looking for a way to keep myself interested in September baseball. Little did I know that the NLCS would turn into Armageddon for me, as my shot at $300 on a $20 investment has to go through the team and city I hate more than any other.

A financial investment is a worthy replacement for an emotional one, but it's about so much more than that for me in this series. Everyone can agree that the dodgers winning is bad for humanity. I'm looking for a place to vent my frustrations and share a little piece of the excitement that comes with post-season baseball. Is there room for a Giants fan on your bandwagon?

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Sure

The enemy of our enemy is our friend.

by taco pal on Oct 6, 2008 7:35 PM EDT 0 recs

I love that...

… you consider the dodgers your enemy.

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

you may be asked to share some of your winnings though …

by Putsy Caballero. on Oct 6, 2008 8:18 PM EDT 0 recs

Can't help you there.

But I’m planning on Vegas for Wild Card Weekend of the NFL playoffs, and if the Eagles are playing, I’ll use a chunk of it on them!

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 1:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

hop on

Your club represents one of my favorite cities in the world, and you’ve got Tim Lincecum. ’Nuff said.

by dajafi on Oct 6, 2008 8:41 PM EDT 0 recs

Speaking of SF...

… further reason to be on the bandwagon: Rollins and Burrell grew up not far from here.

Just curious: How do Phillie fans feel about the Phanatic these days? I’ve only seen bits and pieces over the years, and I’m usually anti-mascot, but he seems like the exception to the rule.

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 1:08 PM EDT 0 recs

I think we all love the Phanatic, more or less.

When the team was lousy—which was most of our lives, pretty much however old we might be, but I’m referring to the 1987-92 and 1994-2000 periods—I remember feeling some resentment toward the Phanatic—not for anything he did, but just for the fact that he seemed to represent ownership’s priority on “family entertainment” rather than “winning baseball.” Call me crazy, but I always thought winning was great box office. (The team setting an attendance record this year seems to bear this out.)

What seals my devotion to the Phanatic is that I live in New York. For the most part, I don’t loathe the Mets nearly to the extent of most Phillies fans… but every time the announcer at Shea referred to Mr. Met as “the best mascot in baseball,” my blood would start to boil.

by dajafi on Oct 7, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Wow.

Even I hate the Mets. The 2000 Giants team that won 100 games and lost to the Mets in four in the NLDS is one of the most painful endings to a season we’ve ever had. Which is, you know, impressive, considering our collection of disappointing endings to seasons.

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 3:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

Somehow I have no memory of how painful the 2000 season ending was for Giants fans. I believe that was the year the Phillies traded away Curt Schilling and had their worst season since 1972. For some reason, the American League playoffs involving the Mariners were more interesting that year. But your talk about disappointing endings made me think how a couple of them impacted the Phillies – the 1993 finish behind Atlanta was one that may have allowed the Phillies to make the World Series, since the Giants that year were the only team with a winning record against Phila. Even the fantastic finish by the Braves couldn’t change the fact that they didn’t match up as well vs. Phila. as the Giants did. And, if I remember the year right, wasn’t it the Giants who were upset by the Marlins in the first round of the 2003 playoffs? That didn’t directly affect the Phillies, but it was doubly disappointing to lose out for the Wild Card to the Marlins, then to see them win in the post-season. You know I was rooting hard for the Giants that year.

by phillyinportland on Oct 7, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up 0 recs

The 1993 season was the most fun I’ve ever had watching baseball. I was 16 years old and went to probably 30 games. It was the first year of Bonds as a Giant, and the only year with Will Clark, Matt Williams, and Bonds in the lineup together. It was also the year after we all thought they were moving to Tampa. They won 103 games and did not make the playoffs, as the Giants were in LA for four games to finish the year while Atlanta was in Colorado. The Giants won the first three games, but got blown out in game 162 while Colorado laid down like dogs for Atlanta, who won 104 and the Giants went home. Heartbreaking.

Funny you should mention the impact on the ’93 Phillies, as I have long taken some degree of satisfaction (and credit) for the Phillies beating Atlanta, as they had to be worn out after that crazy race. That ’93 Phillies team was fun to watch, too.

2003 was also miserable, as the Giants again won 100 games and were again beaten by Florida in the first round. That series ended with JT Snow being thrown out at the plate as he tried to score the tying run. That was the year after the 2002 World Series, which I’m sure you all rememeber, and the year before the dodgers eliminated the Giants (and won the Wild Card) on the second to last day of the season in 2004. The Giants carried a three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth in that game, and Steve Finley hit a walk-off grand slam as the dodgers scored seven runs in the ninth to win.

Pardon me while I go have some whiskey.

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 8:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

On the other hand, the Giants have a great tradition of beating the Dodgers when it counted most, in the regular season playoffs in 1951 and 1962. Since it’s fairly unlikely they’ll meet again in the post-season (NLDS – never, NLCS – maybe someday) from now on the most meaningful late-season Giants vs. Dodgers games will be those like in 2004, or maybe a one-game playoff if they ever tie for a spot, like the White Sox and Twins this year. As much as I’ve loved the recent Phillies-Mets rivalry, to me Giants-Dodgers is still one of the two best long-running rivalries. As a fan I’m more intrigued by those teams than anything involving the Padres, Rockies or Diamondbacks. I may not be happy that the Dodgers are playing so well, but I’m very pleased that neither the Rockies nor the Diamondbacks made it into the playoffs this year.

by phillyinportland on Oct 7, 2008 8:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

If you don’t love the Phanatic, you aren’t really from Philadelphia. (And I consider myself to be anti-mascot in general too).

by taco pal on Oct 7, 2008 5:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

I don't love the Phanatic

…but I’m not from Philadelphia. So there you go.

by phatj on Oct 8, 2008 5:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

I find the Phanatic disturbing. He does way to much crotch-thrusting for a “family friendly” mascot. Plus would it kill him to wear some pants? I’m no prude & love the Phils, but seriously he creeps me out…

by Putsy Caballero. on Oct 7, 2008 1:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Crotch-thrusting

I think the Phanatic set that standard, because the Giants’ mascot, Lou Seal, does it all the time. Much of my anti-mascot stance is based on Lou.

Just curious again, but there has been substantial talk this year about the Giants moving Matt Cain for an infielder, and Rollins’ name has come up in the rumors. Have you guys heard anything about that? And would you make the deal with those two as principles?

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nah

But what about Ryan Howard, you want Ryan Howard for Matt Cain?

by jemagee on Oct 7, 2008 3:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

What jem said… at least in terms of that being a deal that makes more sense to me. I’m far from sure that I’d actually do it.

Rollins is sort of the anti-Barry Zito in that Zito’s contract is so bad that renders him untradable, and Jimmy’s contract is (almost) that good. Beyond that, Rollins and Utley really are the heart of the team, the bearers of its identity if you’re into that sort of thing. I can’t imagine either of them getting dealt.

My guess FWIW is that the Giants and Brewers could make some deal with Cain and Fielder as the principals.

by dajafi on Oct 7, 2008 5:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'd rather have Rollins or Utley...

… but that’s mostly because I’ve seen Howards LHP / RHP splits. I know the guys at McCovey Chronicles would skewer me for this, but I think I’d make that trade. The Giants need a big power bat in the worst way, and I am not convinced that Cain will be anything more than good over the long haul. Good is nice, but I don’t see a Cy Young in his future.

by costenh on Oct 7, 2008 8:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

Cain

I’m inclined to agree, though I’m not sure I could credibly explain why.

by dajafi on Oct 8, 2008 11:25 AM EDT up 0 recs

Cain for a big bat is something that has been floated by various media sources for a while, not that they are all reliable, and the two names ALWAYS on the tips of the tongues are fielder and howard, mostly because the giants seem to desperately need bats and the berwers and phillies need pitching (the brewers even more so with the fact that sheets and sabathia are taking a powder, and hell they might over pay for cain more than the phillies)…and people seem to think Sabean will cave into the big contract demands of said large power hitter where other (smarter?) GMs wouldn’t? (Sabeans rep isn’t exactly the best now is it?)

Unless the phils somehow win the world series with ryan howard not getting a single hit or walk while comitting 2 errors per game (which I don’t think can happen, if howards bat continues to slumber the phils are screwed) there’s a PR aspect to trading Ryan Howard, and the phillies are VERY PR aware when making deals it seems (more so than say, the red sox, who seem to operate on the proper assumption that they know what’s better for the team than the fans do and the fans will show up if you win no matter who is on the roster, imagine that)…so there’s that to worry about.

Trading Ryan Howard is a huge thing with a lot of positives and negatives for the phillies, on the field, in the batting order, PR wise, ‘contentiousness’ wise (the arbitration/long term contract issues) and I’m not sure any new GM wants that to be their first big move…

by jemagee on Oct 8, 2008 11:40 AM EDT up 0 recs

yo jem

i’ve got an idea that i could use your input on.

find me on aim. my screen name is steagles42

When they should be sacrifice bunting, they are buying effeminate designer jeans. When they should be fouling off pitches, they are masturbating. Always, they are masturbating.

by variablesdont on Oct 8, 2008 4:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sabean's rep...

… isn’t exactly the best is an understatement. Cain’s contract is one of the most significant factors in assessing his value, and your questioning of Sabean’s ability to assess contract along with talent is valid.

That said, I don’t see too many better long term investments for the Giants than Prince or Howard.

by costenh on Oct 8, 2008 9:51 PM EDT up 0 recs