Yes, it's the end of the year and that means everyone is putting out their year end "best of" lists. I thought that we here at The Good Phight could do that, but instead of focusing on the Phillies, since they get so much attention all the time, we could focus on ourselves. It's what we know best, after all. We've each chosen our favorite pieces from this year and put them into one convenient place. If you have favorites we've forgotten about, then we invite you to put them into the comments. Shockingly, we all like reading about how awesome we are just as much as we like thinking about it and writing about it!
Of course, a list like this wouldn't be possible without all you fine folks out there reading what we write. Thanks to every single person who has come to the site and read a story or commented this year. One of the things I love the most about my own personal Phillies fandom is the community it provides, and The Good Phight has one of the best communities out there. Thanks to all of you for being awesome.
TheOrangeCone
- TOC's Chad Qualls Exit Interview really shed a light on the imaginary contentious relationship that Qualls has with Amaro... and probably the GM of every other team he's ever played for.
- TOC and Trev223 put together a "Who's on First?" themed game recap back in September when we all had hope. Foolish, foolish hope.
Joecatz
- Joe's Opening Day Catz's Corner asked us "What is baseball?", and August's Opening Day Part II featured Joe telling his son that his favorite player, Shane Victorino, had been traded. He seemed to take it well.
- In this April Catz's Corner, Joe reflects on how he nearly missed Roy Halladay's perfect game.
- For Father's Day, Joe's own father wrote about how he's kept the "phaith" for 55 years.
- Jimmy Rollins ain't nobody's bitch, and Joe says so.
Phrozen
- Phrozen discusses that Mets game where that one thing happened. At the place with the guy. And the stuff.
- He created his own Do-It-Yourself Trade Rumor Mill! Such an enterprising lad.
- Phrozen actually interviewed the Phillies head groundskeeper, Mike Boekholder, and it was really awesome.
David S. Cohen
- David appreciates Chipper Jones. In his own way.
- Remember that game where Halladay gave up a bunch of runs and then Chooch hit that grand slam and it seemed like he'd saved the day and then the Phillies coughed up the lead? Or have you blocked it out like I have? Well, David remembers.
- He wrote about the sellout streak ending before it actually ended, because he's psychic.
- David recounts how Shane Victorino caused one of the greatest moments in his and his son's life. (And a pretty great catch to boot.)
- After the Phillies swept the Nationals at the end of August, David imagined what it would be like if he'd been asleep like Rip Van Winkle for every game prior to that. Oh, if only.
Peter Lyons
- Peter wrote an ode to the Citizens Bank Park streaker.
- Remember when people thought we should trade Cliff Lee? Thankfully, Peter talked some sense into them. Or at least at them.
- I'm pretty sure that Peter's "Should I Hustle? A Short Quiz" is one of my favorite pieces of 2012, bar none.
- Von Hayes and Hunter Pence have more in common than you might think. Peter made the case after Hunter Pence was tossed in San Francisco's general direction back in August.
- Shane Victorino said goodbye to Ruben in this touching letter which Peter gratefully shared with the world.
RememberthePhitans
- RTP's player preview of Brian Schneider featured Schneider as a Viking. A VIKING!
- On the same day that it was announced that Pat Burrell would retire as a Phillie, the Phillies lost to the Red Sox. Sigh.
- Cliff Lee returned from the disabled list just in time for RTP to see the Phillies eaten by grues.
- After a July loss to the Braves, RTP combined the Phillies and Star Trek in one recap, and it was awesome.
- The Phillies didn't mean it, baby. Please take them back. They promise they'll never do it again.
schmenkman
- Back in February, schmenkman wrote one of my favorite pieces of the year about Chase Utley and 50 years of second basemen.
- His stat notes are always superb, but those of July 3 were particularly spectacular.
- Or maybe you're looking for something a bit more minor league? Then how about a late-April Phillies farm update!
dajafi
- dajafi recently evaluated Amaro's moves this winter and in past winters.
- He also reflected on the strange Phillies career of Joe Blanton, complete with a picture of his World Series home run bat.
- After the trades of Victorino and Pence in August, dajafi introduced us to the first day of the rest of our Phillies.
Trev223
- Trev did what he does best and got philosophical about why we like baseball so much and what we mean when we talk about baseball.
- With the election drawing near, Trev wrote about sabermetrics, epistemology, and NERDS!
- More philosophy from Trev as Kendrick was the best of all possible Kyles.
- In late August, Lee was Lee, and Trev was Trev.
Liz Roscher
- I wrote several things I'm proud of this year, but out of everything, my late night/early morning report on Cole Hamels' deal was my favorite (and not just because it happened on my birthday).
- I hated the MLB twitter account in August, and I still hate it now.
- September was a confusing time for me as a Phillies fan, fraught with confusing, competing emotions and feelings.
- Roy Halladay had quite the interesting exit interview with Ruben Amaro.
- These are still the ugliest pants in creation.