If there's one thing our Philadelphia teams are good at, it's choking. We've seen it in all shapes and forms and in every year over the past 25 years.
The Eagles have reinvented the art of choking in playoff games. The Sixers rarely get there anymore, but when they do they simply stink it up. The Flyers have been to the brink on countless occasions only to run out of gas or choke. And, the Phillies...well when they have their big games during the regular season (since they made the playoffs just twice in 25 years) they remind us what a kick in the gut it is to be a Philly fan sometimes.
This is why I decided to reserve judgment on them until after this Chicago series this weekend. Sure, they had a 5-game winning streak and the win against the Mets on Tuesday night was magical, but the fact remains they are a very inconsistent team. They are capable of coming back one night and just as capable of laying an egg the next night, or looking great four nights in a row, then stinking it up the next three.
You get the idea. They are just not that good of a team despite what their record states. They have talent, which is capable of producing a 90-win (or better team) but they don't have the heart of last year's team.
There was no doubt in my mind that Durbin was going to give up a grandslam last night after Ryan Madson buried them with 2 runners on base with no outs and allowing a homerun. And, from the tone of Harry Kalas and Wheeler after Aramis Ramirez's grandslam, they didn't seem upset. And, neither was I. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Neither was Shane Victorino, who just looked over his shoulder when Durbin's pitch got launched like a shoulder to air missile to center field. He must have surely been disgusted.
If I were Cole Hamels, I'd demand to be traded from this team if the ownership doesn't get their asses in gear and put the cuffs on the front office every single season when the team obviously needs help at the trade deadline or afterward. No, Matt Stairs is not the answer!
And, why Ryan Madson is still being brought into games in clutch situations is beyond me. He's a batting practice machine out there when the game is on the line. He absolutely sucks in any other role other than mop-up duty.
Sure, it sucks to see them lose like this, but don't you feel almost used to it by now?
This is what 25 years of losing does to many people who are either in my age range (25-30) or even people who are in high school and in college. You are so used to the disappointment that you become desensitized to it.
So, why was last night any shock? Going into this series I felt the Phillies would at best split this series. Now, I am almost certain they'll get swept.
They have walked into a buzz saw in Chicago, just like last year when they faced the Rockies in the playoffs. The Cubs are the hottest team in baseball and boast the best record at home, while the Philies are a little over .500 on the road and just not that great of a team.
Sure, the St. Louis Cardinals, like the Phillies weren't that great of a team either as they stumbled down the stretch in 2006. And, they got unbelievably hot and rode the wave. The same went for the White Sox who were great all season in 2005, stumbled down the stretch, then caught fire. But, come on, this is Philadelphia we're talking about here. Those types of things don't happen to our teams.
Joe Blanton takes on Rich Harden tonight at 8:00.
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