"I'll Take The Stairs"

Phillies 7, Dodgers 5. Thank you, Phils, for stealing one in LA and making my life easier. I have to admit, I was ready to write the game off as a loss before Shane "I deserve everything the Phillies can give me" Victorino's shot. The Phils seemed dead in the water before that home run. Listless and unable to sustain anything, I was ready to wait 'til Wednesday to feel good again about the Phillies. I knew we would win one in LA, but this didn't seem like the game. And then, it happened. Shane's shot was big, but Matt Stairs' shot was gargantuan. Brad Lidge decided to take 2 more years off my life in the 8th but in the end, it was another Phils win. If you told me circa 7:55pm ET that Matt Stairs would win the game for us tonight, I would have laughed at you. It is so rare that a pinch hitter wins the game, even more so on a moonshot like that. I am PUMPED.

A few thoughts on the game...

Shane Victorino is my boy! Rumor has had it that the Phils are going to be willing to let him walk when his current contract expires. In my opinion, we should be willing to give him at least 5 years at $30 mil. I know, it sounds excessive, but he covers more ground than most in the National League, has a better arm than most in the National League, and has a bat that seems to come alive when it matters most. In my opinion, if you've been willing to pay more for Pat Burrell than anyone else on the team for 3 years running, you better be willing to give Shane what he needs to stick around in Philadelphia for a long time.

I was so disgusted with the Phillies at multiple points this evening that I watched the Gigantes get beat bad by the Browns at times. While my disgust turned out to be unwarranted, the Giant slaying that took place on ESPN had to excite my Eagles Faithful. With the Eagles win this week, and every other team in the division falling AND Tony Romo's broken pinkie, I'm feeling really good about the Birds with one caveat. We must get it together and be the Eagles of weeks one and two. If we can do that, I think we can make the playoffs and, more importantly, make some noise.

Does anyone else dislike Joe Buck as much as I do? I've never liked him and anyone who has watched an Eagles game with me covered by him and his lover, Troy Aikman, can attest to this. However, this Phils-Dodgers series has served as icing on the cake. Buck announces huge, momentum swinging home runs like they are meaningless singles. If baseball isn't your bag, his call of David Tyree's catch last Super Bowl sounded as if he was pronouncing someone DOA at a hospital. More than anything, he seems to be rooting for the Dodgers harder than Harry Kalas is rooting for the Phils. Every comment he makes is a thinly veiled shot at the Phils. He openly roots for Manny to get a few pitches even when it makes no sense to throw Manny anything to hit. He called a ballpark that sounded like the 18th green at Oakmont "electrified". I have honestly come to believe that he dislikes Philadelphia in general. I think he may have been dumped by a Philadelphian who found out he doesn't like TastyKakes and prefers Little Debbie snacks. This is the only thing that makes sense at this point. I want him to announce a Sixers' game just to prove my point. He would proceed to talk at length about how we never should have traded Barkley or Iverson and proceed to dub Oklahoma City as a city with a better basketball pedigree than Philly. Trust me, he would do this.

Did anyone else notice the dude with a tattoo on his larynx who came into view after the last out of the game as the cameras focused on Charlie Manuel??? Basically, I'm sorry if you didn't. Can you imagine getting your larynx tattooed??? In my opinion, that's more intense than getting a Prince Albert. If you don't know what a Prince Albert is, please ask somebody so that this metaphor makes sense (just make sure it's a close friend who doesn't have a say in your employment status).

Finally, Matt Stairs admitted to "swinging for the fences every time [he] come[s] to bat". If I had a son, Matt Stairs would have immediately become an example of what not to do for my child. How could you come out and say "I swing for the fences every time I come to bat"?? That's like openly announcing "I try to drink 'til I throw up every time I drink". It's just unbecoming. Thanks for admitting that, Matt. Now, anytime you strike out while pinch hitting I'm going to get angry that you were swinging for the fences. Jesus, just say you found the pitch you were looking for!