The Phillies were front and center in Philadelphia all year, starting with Roy Halladay, who threw a perfect game in season, a no-hitter in his first post-season appearance, and won the NL Cy Young, while dazzling Phillie fans with his pitching. Placido Polanco hit a grand slam in his first game back with the Phillies and Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher ever to throw a complete game shut-out. Both, however, ended up battling injuries, as did Rollins, Utley, Howard, Victorino, Ruiz, and a host of others, all season long. Joe Blanton started on the DL and took half a season to catch up. Roy Oswalt, acquired in a trade in July, even played left field. Journeyman Wilson Valdez did a valiant job filling in, variously, for Rollins, Utley, and Polanco and deluded some fans into thinking he was their equal. (Wake up, folks!) Cole Hamels looked even better than the Cole Hamels of old, but got the same crummy run support of old. After limping for much of the season, the Phillies blazed through September to a 97-65 record, the best in baseball, but suffered a gut-churning loss to the Giants in the NLCS, proving that the best team does not always win. At the end of it all, right fielder Jayson Werth left in free agency for the Nationals--oi vey. Then a week later the Phillies, almost in the dead of the night, signed Cliff Lee. Just typing that still makes me smile.
It was an eventful year for all Philadelphia sports franchises. The Flyers made a dramatic run to the Stanley Cup, including an historic comeback along the way, beating the Boston Bruins after being down three games to none. It's funny that baseball season almost always means following the Flyers in the postseason. They are always playing while I am at the ballpark. This year, though they did not win the Cup, was special. The Flyers also became, for me, a likeable team, more quick, nimble, and skilled instead of big, lumbering, and pugilistic. Peter Laviolette, who took over as coach midseason, quickly established himself as yet another good Philadelphia coach. Go, Danny, go, Claude, go Mike, Jeff, Chris, Ville, and Andres, go Bobrovsky and all!
The Sixers, too, made a significant coaching change, hiring ex-Sixer Doug Collins, who has finally got the team playing defense. Are they good enough to be more than fringe players? Probably not, but they are getting to be a lot of fun to watch. If nothing else, one has to pull for Doug Collins, who just about bleeds for his team each night they play. In Collins and new president Rod Thorn we trust. GM Ed Stefanski filled in for color analyst Eric Snow, who is a work in progress, and did a good job. But why in the world did he ever hire Eddie Jordan?
I'm not a football fan but the Eagles certainly provided lots of melodrama this year, with the trade of Donovan McNabb and the re-emergence of Michael Vick. Even after MdNabb was traded, Eagle fans were unable to stop obsessing ad nauseum over him. You had to feel for rookie Kevin Kolb, who lost his starting job because of a concussion. It was hard, however, to deny Michael Vick and his compelling, and let us hope ongoing, tale of redemption. As I said, I'm not a football fan so it doesn't bother me when DeSean Jackson falls backwards into the end zone to score a touchdown. I just marvel at how beautiful he is to watch.
