I went to a Joe West Show and a baseball game broke out: Phillies 7, Mets 5

Well, well, well….

Looks like those superstitions worked out after all.

Look, a lot of people are going to talk about the Phillies and their beloved bamboo plant. About Maikel Franco and his awakening these last two games, spraying the ball all over the place with reckless abandon. About Brad Miller and his pinch hit home run and how the power to hit said home run was derived from a plant, much like Popeye. About Rhys Hoskins continuing to show that he’s hot right now and that he might be ready to carry this team for a bit. About Jake Arrieta and his seeming ability to pass off his ineffective starts as a veteran who “just couldn’t hit his spots” while a younger pitcher would be getting lambasted for the same effort.

But that’s not why you’re here. No, you’re here the same reason everyone else ventured out in this [checks thermometer] 100% humidity with 100 degree temperatures:

To see Joe West.

Yes, after Wilmer Font gave up back to back home runs in bottom of the sixth inning to Franco and Miller, Font decided that he would come up and in on Scott Kingery, hitting him on the shoulder, dangerously close to his head.

That’s when West got involved.

He decided to, for some unknown reason, warn both benches immediately, which prompted a visit from Gabe Kapler. When West warned him to stay put and Kapler refused, Cowboy Joe gave him to the heave ho’. Suddenly, we were neck-waddle deep in an #UmpShow.

Kapler rightly went ballistic and was tossed. Children everywhere in the stadium scrambled to find their Joe West shirts to get autographed postgame.

I don’t think Joe means to do it. After all, the rule clearly states that if the manager is warned not to protest a bench warning and he continues to do so, he can be ejected. But c’mon. Kapler was clearly wondering why Font wasn’t tossed immediately and why the Phillies received a warning for doing nothing more than simply hitting baseballs a long way. It marred a night of stellar pitch calling by West from behibwahahaha. I can’t even finish that thought.

Either way, something has changed with this team. It could be the weather, it could be the opposition, it could be the clubhouse flora. Whatever it is, they have responded to adversity with two offensive shows the past two nights. It’s been something to behold and we all hope it can continue. For now, though, we’ll all sit back and remember where we were when Joe West decided to insert himself unnecessarily into the evening’s festivities.

Thanks, Joe. We’ll always have you.