Last week, when Michael Tucker found out that he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, his manager on the Giants, Felipe Alou, told him, "Now you have a chance to go to the World Series."
It was a bold statement meant to soften the news of a trade, but now, with the help of 20/20 hindsight, that statement looks absolutely ludicrous.
Last night the Phillies lost to the Astros, their fourth consecutive loss. It was also the fourth consecutive loss against a playoff race rival. The Phillies now find themselves a game and a half back in the Wild Card hunt. Just four days ago, the Phillies were on top, a game and a half up on their closest rival.
Just a day after I wondered aloud about the integrity of the the wheels on the Phillies, they are now officially off.
There are plenty of reasons to lose faith in this organization. Many in this city already have, long before last night's loss. But I've held on. Long before I ever heard Ed Wade or Ruben Amaro, Jr. utter, "We believe that if this team plays up to its capabilities, they will make the playoffs," I felt that the Phillies were a team with a great deal of potential and that sooner or later, it would shine through or rise to the top.
But last night's loss was the moment I lost all hope or faith. Sure, there are plenty of other reasons I could have lost faith long before, like so many other fans. One playoff appearance in over twenty years...perpetual losing seasons...the losing-ist franchise in all of baseball...
When I heard Scott Graham shout over the radio air, "He missed the bag! Rollins missed first base and has to go back!" ... That is the moment I lost all faith. Our $40 million dollar shortstop Jimmy Rollins (theoretically over six times more valuable than Col. Steve Austin) missed the bag. He missed first base. He tripped over it, but yet he missed it all at the same time. How can that happen?!?!
At that point, I was ready for Chris Wheeler -- the ultimate home team apologist -- to make some physics-defying statement he is known for such as, "it looked like that base moved as Rollins tried to step on it." But instead, all I heard was Wheeler -- I'm not kidding here -- mutter under his breath some combination of "sheesh" and "shit". Do you realize how bad a Phillie has to screw up for Wheeler to be rendered nearly speechless without a way to explain it away?!?!
To be fair, Rollins isn't the one who let Eric Bruntlett, who scored the Astros winning run, steal second and then third (when everyone in Philadelphia and Houston knew it was coming) in the top of the ninth, but when Rollins missed first base with a sure double and likely triple within his grasp, it was a moment symbolic of this squad's history.
With the chance for something great right there, right there, he let it slip through his fingers and literally faltered. That "play" is everything you need to know about this team over the last few years. Constantly threatening to become a very good team, the Phillies have constantly stumbled and settled for a mediocre 86 wins.
This isn't the worst thing to happen to the Phillies, it pales in comparison to the last few weeks of 1964. But if someone -- even five or ten years from now -- asks me why I don't believe in the Phillies to get it done, I'll say "Jimmy Rollins, on his way to third in September of 2005, he tripped over the bag and missed it all at the same time...It tells you everything you need to know."
