So many Phillies memories this October…let’s go make some more!
by John Kincade
Soak it in. How many times has an elder told you to do that? There are memories that fade and memories of a lifetime. The Phillies have given you moment after moment this Fall to load up the memory banks forever. I’m going to give you a challenge, try and rank your emotions at these various moments…
– “The Harper Homerun” – I know that he has hit a few in the post season, but the Game 5 8th inning home run will be the one we talk about with our grandchildren.
– “The Hoskins Game” – Game 4 will always be remembered by me as the night Rhys Hoskins showed backbone and resiliency. After butchering plays in the field in the Braves and Padres series, he could have easily mentally checked out. He didn’t. Bravo Rhys!
– “The Segura Bounce Back” – Friday night in Game 3 of the Padres series Jean Segura made a few terrible plays in the field. Then when his team needed him the most, he delivered. Jean created the Magic in Game One vs the Cardinals and found a way to do it again. Amazing.
– “The Amazing Bullpen” – What used to be a detriment is now a strength. What used to be the punch line is no longer a laughing matter. When asked to secure 12 outs or 25, they have come through in the clutch.
– “The Baffling Genius of Rob Thomson” – Be honest, at least once during every post season game you have questioned the strategy of Rob Thomson. Very few times has your OR MY critique been right in retrospect. He knows his roster and trusts his players. They know it and feel it, creating great confidence. That is a great attribute of any leader.
Try and rank them in order of importance, you can’t. Each individual moment or decision made this all possible. When a team goes on an incredible run like this, it’s hard to think that one thing caused it. There is no question that the managerial change played a huge part. There is no way this run happens without the Kyle Schwarber signing. Sometimes the moves made in the off-season take until the Fall to round into shape.
Enjoy every bit of the next few weeks, but take the next 4 days to recharge your batteries just like the players will. You have plans on Friday and Saturday night. You have home games next week. The crowd creates so much momentum for this team and the bats obviously either love the backing or opposing pitchers hate it. I think it’s a little bit of both.
You are going to remember these moments for a lifetime. These memories will be the foundation for the next generation of Phillies fans to build off of. They needed this. Those in their 20’s and 30’s had the 2007-2011 run to create their fandom. Think of all the new fans being born right now based on this turn of events.
Cultivate the next generation, they were once YOU. I’m so glad to be here to share in all this.
