by henigan

Created on: October 24, 2008   Last Updated: December 02, 2010

HOLY.....WE WON

Yes, we!

In the 105 year history of the World Series, the Phillies have managed to get to baseball's big show only four times!

Are Philadelphia fans hard on the Phillies? Phillies fans suffered in the first half of the twentieth century when their crosstown rivals, the Philadelphia Athletics, won five world series and the Phillies won none. In fact, the Phillies were only in one World Series, during that time. In 1950, the Phillies almost lost their chance at the national league pennant by losing nine games in a row. They got themselves together and managed to lose the World Series in four games.

Of course, we are tough on the Phillies. Every baseball fan knows the story of the 1964 Phillies. Several future Hall of Famers, including Jim Bunning, Dick Allen, and Richie Ashburn, one of Philly's favorite sons, played for the Phillies in 1964. They were so far ahead at the end of the season that all they had to do was not lose seven of their last twelve games. And what happened. That team did not lose seven of their last twelve games. They lost ten games in a row. The infamous Philadelphia CHOKE.

In 1972, pitcher Steve Carlton led the league in games won. The Phillies were in last place. That's not an easy team for a fan to root for. At least, they didn't give us apoplexy. But what Philly sports teams do best is...CHOKE. The fans get tired of rooting for a team that is in first place at the All-Star break and by the beginning of August has no chance of winning a pennant. But we never give up, not until the last pitch is thrown.

The problem is, we want to believe! In 1980, we saw a World Series win. And the fans knew it was the end of what should have been a dynasty. Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, they should have been winners all along.
In 1993, the Phillies were winning the sixth game of the World Series 6-5 when Joe Carter hit a three run home run in the ninth inning.

To the Philadelphia fan, it was what it always is. Another disheartening season. Another promise broken, and that is why we are hard on the players. We want to believe! We try to believe. They just make believing such hard work. Are we hard on the Phillies, sure. But are we too hard on them? How could we be too hard on the Phillies or the Eagles or any other sports team. Year after year, it is the same old song. Either, the team is out of the running early in the season or worse, the fans get their hopes up, until the post-season and that's right... the Philadelphia CHOKE!
But, as they said back in '80, YOU GOTTA BELIEVE.

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