Philly Celebrates With Vandalism, Mob Thinking
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, NL East, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs, MLB Police Blotter, MLB Video
When a regular city wins a championship, they celebrate. When Philadelphia wins one, they burn the city down. Philly Riots chronicles a city finally pushed over the edge.Alternate title, if only the gag weren't overused: Phillies Phans Phlip Cars Phor Phun!
In the light of day, with the hangover subsiding and memories from before blacking out re-entering the consciousness, a lot of fans in Philly are realizing just how stupid they acted last night. Sadly, too many fans cross the line from "just plain dumb" to "just plain cruel." It's dumb to climb an extremely tall traffic sign; it's cruel to try maiming a guy climbing said sign by chucking a bottle of vodka at his face. Or, like the video above: it's dumb to jump on some stranger's car, but it's downright cruel to flip it completely over. (via WW & PWD)
Then again, who leaves their car on the street when everybody in the country was predicting a riot? As seen on LBS, fans would have been safer had they simply taken the subway:
Of course, what that video didn't show was that someone ended up lighting the train on fire, sending it hurtling through the darkness to its next stop like a comet of death.* Yay Phillies! Yay senseless violence and vandalism!
* This may or may not have happened but is within the realm of possibility.
Philly Celebrates With Vandalism, Mob Thinking originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Man Robs Bank in Order to Pay for Phillies Gear
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs, MLB Police Blotter
When a regular city wins a championship, they celebrate. When Philadelphia wins one, they burn the city down. Philly Riots chronicles a city finally pushed over the edge.Just when you think Philadelphians can't be any more whacked out about their sports teams, just when you start to believe that maybe this whole Philly World Series thing will be kind of calm, well, some guy decided to go and rob a bank in order to purchase Phillies merchandise.
But one fan may have taken his devotion a bit too far when police say he robbed a bank and later allegedly funded a shopping spree for Phillies gear with the stolen cash.Nothing says "staying classy" like hijacking a bank in order to hop on a bandwagon. No, seriously, there's nothing cool about breaking the law just to pretend your a Phillies fan because they're winning the World Series.
About 10 a.m. yesterday, a man, who police did not identify, entered a PNC Bank on Welsh Road near Roosevelt Boulevard and slipped the teller a demand note.
[...]About 20 minutes later, cops found the suspect, who police have not identified, a few miles away coming out of the Modell's Sporting Goods store at the Roosevelt Mall, Cottman and Bustleton avenues.
Also, what makes a guy think that this is somehow going to improve his life in any fashion? And, alternately, if you're going to rob a bank, don't you immediately get as far away from said bank as possible and then use the cash to purchase a ticket to the game? Classy and smart.
Man Robs Bank in Order to Pay for Bandwagon Phillies Gear originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Phillies Fan Climbs Traffic Light Pole, Takes Bottle of Grey Goose to the Dome
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs, MLB Video
When a regular city wins a championship, they celebrate. When Philadelphia wins one, they burn the city down. Philly Riots chronicles a city finally pushed over the edge.While calling Philly citizens out for their early World Series parade plans, we were besieged by kind words like "HEY! &#%!FACE -- how can you say Philly fans are rioters?!?!?!!!1" and "YOURZE A BLOGGER FOR LIVES, WILL BRINZON!!?" So it's encouraging to get (relative) proof that Phillie fans are in fact doing stupid and dangerous things. Like climbing traffic poles and getting beaned in the head by what appears to be a Grey Goose bottle.
Yeah. So how you like us now. (Disclaimer: Yes, I am aware that all people who live in Philadelphia are not represented by this idiot, and I hope he's alright.)
Gracias to Busted Coverage for the find.
Phillies Fan Climbs Traffic Light Pole, Takes Bottle of Grey Goose to the Dome originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
From the Windup: Welcome, Tampa Bay Rays Fans, To Club Misery
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs
From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.
You've hopefully heard the news by now. The Philadelphia Phillies are the World Series champions of baseball after knocking off the heavily favored Tampa Bay Rays.
The other night, during a live chat, I mentioned something about how the die-hard Phillies fans deserve this more than the Rays fans. It's a slippery slope to be sure, and likely just a bad choice of words, to say something like this. Frankly, no fan deserves anything. We voluntarily spend our time and money on these teams, and probably care way too much about them -- if you ask the majority of Americans. That's the thing, though, we die-hards know this and embrace it.
You want to know why I said the fans of Philly deserve it more? Because they've had more suffering. The only reason a fan puts himself/herself through the ringer for six months every season is the hope that there will eventually be some sort of payoff. The fans of Philadelphia had been waiting for another one since 1980. The Rays didn't even come into existence until 1998.
Philadelphia hadn't even had a pro sports title within this time span. At least the Tampa Bay area had the Bucs take the 2002 Super Bowl (yes, I know the Rays play in St. Petersburg ... they are still called the Tampa Bay Rays).
Now, I can see the uprising from the Tampa/St. Pete area right now ... the Rays never even won more than 70 games until this year. That's a ton of suffering, more than almost any other team in the majors. Well, not really. Being a Cubs fan, I've had a lot of ups and downs in my 30 years -- six playoff appearances to go with a handful of seasons with more than 95 losses. I can tell you with all sincerity, the easiest years on me are the ones where the team loses 95 games. I can move on with my life by August. The worst seasons for me are the ones like this one (this was actually the worst, by far). All fans of teams that have had drastic turns between 95 losses and 95 wins (without winning it all) are nodding their heads in agreement. It just hurts more to have a good team lose in the postseason than it does to root for a crappy one during the regular season.
And that is why I want to officially -- finally -- welcome the true die-hard Rays fans to being a battle-tested unit of baseball fans. Welcome to Club Misery. Population: Every single person that truly cares about their team unconditionally.
Just ask the fans of...
... the Atlanta Braves. They were treated to 14 straight division titles, and only won the World Series once. After this year, however, I'm guessing they are clamoring more for a wild card berth.
... the Baltimore Orioles. The once-proud organization hasn't won it all since 1983, making the playoffs only twice since then and more recently relegated to the role of AL East punching bag.
... the Boston Red Sox. Oh, trust me ... they remember the misery.
... the Chicago White Sox. So do they.
... the Chicago Cubs. Yeah, ours is well-documented, even by me.
... the Cincinnati Reds. Long gone are the days of the Big Red Machine and Nasty Boys. Now, some people even claim it's not a baseball town anymore.
... the Cleveland Indians. They won it all in 1948. For the next 46 years, they only saw the postseason once. Then, in the mid-90s, the team surged, making the playoffs in six of seven seasons. Of course, they blew the World Series to the Marlins in 1997 and lost to the Braves in 1995. Last year they choked away a 3-1 lead in the ALCS to the Red Sox. So, yeah, 60 years and counting without a title despite several chances. If not for my Cubbies, this would be the sport's poster-child for fan misery among franchises.
... the Colorado Rockies. What a magical run last year was ... until they got swept in the World Series and fell apart this year.
... the Detroit Tigers. They hadn't even been to the playoffs since 1987 until they came from out of nowhere in 2006. Then they lost to an inferior St. Louis team in the World Series and haven't made it back to the postseason, despite tons of payroll and talent.
... the Houston Astros. Zero championships in 46 seasons. From 1997-2005 they had six tries, too. They even won 102 games in 1998 before losing in the divisional round. From the famed Albert Pujols tater to being swept after watching Scott Podsednick hit a rare homer, there have been plenty of stomach punches to these people.
... the Kansas City Royals. From 1976-1985 they went to the playoffs seven times and won a World Series. Since then, nothing but futility.
... the Los Angeles Dodgers. No World Series titles since the Kirk Gibson series in '88. When they took down the Cubs in the first round this year, it was actually the first postseason series they had won since then.
... the Milwaukee Brewers. This season marked 39 years without a championship. They went to the World Series in 1982, but didn't return to the postseason until this year. The Phillies made sure it was a short stay.
... the New York Mets. Yeah, they won the crown in 1986 and lost in the Subway Series in 2000. Other than that, though, it's been a series of failures -- relative to expectations -- in Queens since the magical run of 1969 ... especially the past two seasons.
... the Oakland A's. From the Bash Brothers to the Moneyball teams, there were nine playoff appearances in two separate windows of opportunity. The A's won the title only once, and that was 19 years ago. Those three straight rings in the '70s are a distant memory.
... the Pittsburgh Pirates. A wildly successful franchise in the '70s was resurrected in the early '90s with three straight playoff appearances, which came with subsequent exits before the World Series. Since then, 16 straight losing seasons.
... the San Diego Padres. 39 years. Two World Series appearances. Zero championships.
... the San Francisco Giants. The Giants franchise hasn't won a World Series since 1954, when it played its games in New York. The San Fran Giants have never won a title. They did hold a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, and a 5-0 lead in the middle of the seventh inning in that game. Things didn't turn out well, I'm told. ... the Texas Rangers. 47 years and counting, with three playoff appearances -- and of course, zero championships -- to show for it.
... the Toronto Blue Jays. No postseason appearances since back-to-back championships 14 years ago. In a division with the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox, there doesn't appear to be much change in the near future, either.
So you see, Rays fans. You were only fledglings before having your heart ripped out this year. You're now joining quite a large and suffering group. Some might instead call us insufferable. We just like to think about the payoff we'll see one day, the one the Phillies fans received last night. The problem is that only one fraction of us is freed each season, and that's assuming it's a new team winning every year (the Yankees screw up that equation frequently). There's only so much success to go around, so that means the overwhelming majority of us just keep on suffering, yet coming back for more with hope that next season is our payoff.
And now you are members of the group. God help you.
From the Windup: Welcome, Tampa Bay Rays Fans, To Club Misery originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Playoff Pulse: Bask in the Glow, Philly
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, MLB Playoffs
In the Playoff Pulse series, our MLB editor takes on a hot October topic.Things move fast in the Internet Age. That's the nature of a 24-hour news cycle or maybe just the short attention span of Americans. Either way, before you know it we're going to be talking about CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira (And Jake Peavy and Manny Ramirez and maybe even Prince Fielder).
So let's take the chance, while we still can, to pay tribute to the 2008 champions. With a cheesesteak in one hand and a Yuengling in the other, here's to you Philadelphia.
- Here's to the Phillies fans, first and foremost. You're not always the easiest folks to understand. You've booed just about everyone including many of your own players. Even among East Coast baseball fans you can seem like a cynical, sour bunch. But your passion and loyalty is undeniable.
In frigid temperatures and pouring rain on Monday night, Citizens Bank Park was packed to the hilt. In more than 100 years of existence, you've been rewarded for your devotion with a title only twice. It hardly seems like enough.
- Here's to Cole Hamels, who at just 24 has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and just maybe its greatest changeup artist.
Until his magical October run, Hamels wasn't widely recognized by casual fans for his dominance. He wasn't even an All-Star this year. Hope you enjoyed the relative anonymity while it lasted, Cole.
- Here's to Jimmy Rollins. Over the last two seasons he's become the heart and soul of this team, lending it the swagger it needed to succeed in the NL East and beyond.
- Here's to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley -- one of the game's most feared sluggers and it's greatest second baseman, bar none, respectively -- and to Pat Burrell and Brett Myers too. The Phillies were built the right way, increasingly the only way as free agents get more and more expensive, with elite homegrown talent.
- Here's to Jamie Moyer. The crafty old man was at the parade the last time the Phillies won the World Series in 1980. He'll be part of the procession this time around. It took him 22 seasons just to get to baseball's biggest stage, and even a stomach virus couldn't keep him from shining in his only start.
- Here's to the role players -- the bench bats and bullpen arms -- the guys you can't win a World Series without. Here's to Eric Bruntlett and Greg Dobbs, Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero and Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins.
- Here's to Brad Lidge. The last time he was in the playoffs, things didn't end so well. Up until Wednesday night, the defining moment of Lidge's career was an Albert Pujols moonshot that might still be in orbit somewhere over Houston. Now people will think of something else: Lidge on his knees, hands raised up to the sky, with his teammates rushing toward him in celebration of a moment they had all dreamed of since they were boys.
- Here's to GM Pat Gillick, who has succeeded in three different places and built title-winners in Toronto and Philadelphia. Ironically, Gillick's 1993 Blue Jays team was the one that broke Philly's heart in its last appearance in the Fall Classic. By all accounts, Gillick will ride off into the sunset after this season, handing the reins of the Phillies to Ruben Amaro Jr. What a way to go out if this is indeed it.
- And here's to Charlie Manuel, the leader of this band in the dugout all season long. He's been given plenty of room to work in Philadelphia, and now he'll be given plenty more. His mother June was expecting this all along.
The Phillies weren't a mediocre team that got hot in October like the 2006 Cardinals or the 2007 Rockies. They weren't a clear juggernaut either. They were just one of the best teams in baseball all year long and they stepped their game up when it counted most.
The winter can be very long for baseball fans. It can be cold and bitter and filled with questions about where their team went wrong. After 27 long winters, the die-hards in Philadelphia won't have to wonder about their beloved Phillies. The glow of a championship can be awfully distracting.
Playoff Pulse: Bask in the Glow, Philly originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Breakthrough Season Ends in Disappointment for the Rays
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Playoffs
In a game that boils down to 3 1/2 innings, even the smallest mistake can cost either team. The team that gets fewer at-bats has even less margin for error. That was the situation that the Rays found themselves in tonight and in the end, it was probably their mistakes that kept them from extending this World Series. First, Joe Maddon left J.P. Howell in the game to bunt Jason Bartlett from first to second with one out in the seventh. Bartlett then crazily tried to score from second on a grounder up the middle to Chase Utley and was thrown out by a wide margin at the plate. In the bottom of the inning, Howell, the lefty, gave up a double to Pat Burrell, which resulted in the winning run. We can quibble with details (Maddon wanted the lefty to throw breaking pitches to Burrell, but Burrell had been struggling with everything in this series), but the fact is this: the Rays came tantalizingly close to winning the World Series this year and they didn't. The team that had never won more than 70 games, grew up, won 97 during the season, eight more in the playoffs, and fell three wins short of the ultimate goal. It may not be the ending they wanted, but it was one helluva run nonetheless .
That's likely no consolation for Tampa tonight, but I'm not going to be the first or last person to tell you that the Rays are not the Rockies or Tigers. This is a team that's built for at least another year and probably two more before the payroll starts to run high enough for them to have to start trading away good talent. Even when that happens, they're a very well run team with Andrew Friedman at the helm. They're sad tonight, but they've got every reason to think that they're going to get another chance at this.
Breakthrough Season Ends in Disappointment for the Rays originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The Phillies Are (Finally) the 2008 World Series Champions
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, Rays, AL East, NL East, MLB Playoffs
After a 46-hour rain delay, the Philadelphia Phillies finally finished off the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the World Series with a 4-3 win to clinch the 2008 World Series. They got lead off doubles from Geoff Jenkins in the sixth and Pat Burrell in the seventh and both runs came home to score, which gave them the edge after the restart in the sixth inning at 2-2.
It's their first World Championship since the 1980 World Series and Philly's first title in any sports since 1983. It's likely that Phillies' fans could care less if Peter Gammons thinks the rainout made this the worst World Series ever. Cole Hamels didn't get the win, but he did pick up the MVP award for the Series thanks to his two solid starts in Games 1 and 5.
As for the Rays, well, every key player should be back from their 97-win team that came awfully close to winning the World Series. They're incredibly young and the sky is the limit for many of their players. They're in an awfully tough division, but they're not going back to the punchline that they used to be.
The Phillies Are (Finally) the 2008 World Series Champions originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
World Series Game 5 Part Deux: Live Chat
October 30, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, Rays, AL East, NL East, MLB Live Blogging, MLB Playoffs
Two days after it was suspended, the 2008 World Series is finally continuing. If you can think way back to Monday, the Phillies and Rays are tied at 2-2 going in to the bottom of the sixth inning. It's still cold in Philly tonight, but the rain seems to have passed and that means that we're going to have baseball tonight. Given the situation, with the Phillies having an extra at-bat at a 3-1 lead in the series, we might even have a celebration.
This is an unprecedented happening in baseball, which means that we've got a full slate of FanHousers here to detail the proceedings in tonight's live chat. There's no pregame show, but I'm going to open the chat up around 8:15 to take some pregame questions get the ball rolling early. The 188th pitch should be coming from Grant Balfour (Ryan Madson is "starting" for the Phils) shortly after 8:30 PM EST, so join us after the jump for the conclusion of Game 5 and anything that happens afterwards.
World Series Game 5 Part Deux: Live Chat originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Puddle Enthusiasts of the World Unite!
October 29, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, Rays, MLB Playoffs
Enterprising sorts have been making a mint in the trade of Game 5 ticket stubs all day. That makes sense. Those stubs get you entry to tonight's game which could end in a celebration that's sure to end up destroying a good chunk of Philadelphia.Another would-be entrepreneur is trying to make a buck off the unusual goings-on Monday night. An Ebay listing is offering rain water to baseball fans hoping to obtain a little bit of, well, I'm not sure quite what they're getting. From the listing:
Game 5 of the World Series, October 27th, 2008, Suspended as the tears of the Gods & Fans Rain down upon a city so hungry for victory that the Tension is palpable...Does the rain change the destiny for one of these hungry teams?...Some will laugh but others will covet this tangible piece of history in the making.Two notes for potential buyers. You're crazy to be buying rain water and you're insane for buying this rain water. You see, this isn't even rain from the game but from "the same storm system that brought the game to a screeching halt." It was collected five miles away from Citizens Bank Park where, presumably, nothing much of interest happened on Monday night.
I'm not really sure the seller has a good handle on what makes something a "tangible piece of history" unless he's targeting those with a fetish for southern New Jersey weather history.
(H/T Darren Rovell)
Puddle Enthusiasts of the World Unite! originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
How Should Joe Maddon Manage The 6th Inning?
October 29, 2008
Filed under: Phillies, Rays, AL East, NL East, MLB Playoffs
Joe Maddon has decided who will pitch the sixth inning for the Rays 177 times this year, but this is a special case. People have had nearly 48 hours to speculate on how Maddon will, and should, deploy his relievers over the last 12 outs. Here's one take from DRaysBay, in a post titled, "Grant Balfour Needs to 'Start' Game 5":Two reasons.
1) Cole Hamels spot will be due up, expect Matt Stairs to pinch hit. From there Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth are due up. Allowing Balfour to exit before the lefties comup because...
2) In the 7th the Rays will send 6-7-8 to the plate, if one reaches the Rays could pinch-hit for Balfour, if not the Rays could double-switch and take Rocco Baldelli out. Then bring in Price/Howell/whomever while getting an extra inning from a rested Balfour.
So having Balfour "start" the game does make sense. And he should certainly pitch to the first three batters--the pinch hitter, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth. If he gets through that 1-2-3, great. If there are two outs and a runner on when Chase Utley comes up, Balfour should probably face Utley, who only has a small platoon split in his career. If there are two on and one out, with both Utley and Ryan Howard due up, the Rays should definitely go to one of their three lefties to finish off the inning.
How Should Joe Maddon Manage The 6th Inning? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.