Curse Schmurse

You know how many emails and instant messages I've gotten from out-of-town friends an panicking locals with the simple statment: God hates Phillies fans.

We're cursed. We know that. All I heard all day on radio was how "over" this series was with Cole Hamels on the mound. It's like we spit in the face of the baseball God one too many times after game four and God decided to spit back, in the form of rain, wind, cold and puddles. Lots and lots of puddles.

But screw it. We're cursed. So what? We are cursed. Philly fans. Some higher power clearly thinks we don't deserve a champion...or at least the conventional champion. But that doesn't mean this team isn't going to win. Maybe this is just some crazy curse-breaking hazing ritual or something. Honestly, would we want it any other way? After all this, would anyone out there want this to be easy?

The Phillies will win the World Series. It's taken 25 years for Philly to plan a parade. What's a day or two more, right?

Now, on to the most important matter: who will be pitching when this series resumes. The Phillies are up in the sixth inning. If they take the lead, we're probably looking at Chad Durbin/Scott Eyre in the seventh, Madson in the eighth with Romero as an in case and Lights Out in the ninth.

If the score remains tied after the sixth inning, it doesn't seem possible the Phils will bring in a starter to pitch. Brett Myers will need to pitch a game six and I don't think it helps to bring back Moyer or Blanton even if they could pitch.

So it seems like the game will be in the hands of Chad Durbin when play resumes. The Phillies will win this game. I don't care about David Price. I don't care about Grant Balfour and his unnecessary screams and wails. The Phillies have four innings to score one run, and three innings to keep the Rays from scoring.

I like those odds. Curse, or not.

Comments

[DCDan]

Could not agree more!

Four time at bat for the Phils, compared to three for the Rays. Top of the order up for the Phils (after a PH) compared to number 6 hitter for the Rays. Our bullpen vs. their bullpen.

Seriously, who wouldn't take the Phillies in that scenario?

Phillies in 5 (or maybe this is 5.5). Parade Thursday.

[Mark]

That's the only mindset we can have as fans, and that the players can have. Let's do this

[Meg]

I agree, I think this is just some ritual to break the curse. How could the curse possibly break with sunshine and puffy clouds in the sky? I don't think anyone would want this to be easy. Can you imagine if they called it a game last night when we were up by 1? We would've felt short changed.

[Brett]

I think for the Rays it will be Price vs Bruntlett (going in for Burrell) Rollins and Werth. For the Phils it will be Durbin starting the inning and then probably Aybar for PH then Eyre for the top of the lineup if it gets that far

[timm]

this could work out for the phils. since they only like to score in the first two innings, they can get a new 1st inning in the 6th. and if they are able to put up some runs as soon as play resumes, hamels would be in line for the W.

[Zack]

Why do they keep referring to Price as shut-down?

Maybe against the Sox...but he gave up 2 runs to the Phils including a blast from Eric Bruntlett of all people

[Foos05]

It wouldn't suprise me to see Happ start the 7th if we don't take the lead in the bottom of the sixth... just sayin... at that point it would give Cholly the option of having basically another starter in there until A)we take the lead or B) TB threatens...

[Pelle]

OK. I disagree. I wanted it easier than this.

[ARphillyfan]

There are a lot of "if's" after last night. But the only "if" that matters is: If we win game 5 we are World Series Champions.

I know this team can do this. I know we, as fans, can do this. So Let's Do This!

Go Phils!

[Carl]

I've also been thinking one run could well be enough to win this. Last night's debacle did get Ryan Madson a day of rest. So pitch to platoon matchups in the 7th, Madson in the 8th, Lidge in the 9th--sounds like three zeros to me.

Given that, I like the chances of the Phils getting a run somewhere in four turns at bat. They've shown they can hit the Rays' bullpen, including the supposedly unhittable Price. One of our players will hit a home run, or otherwise push someone across. I give a crap if we go 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position tonight--that 1 might be enough. At the end of the night, you only need one more run than the other team.

[Mark]

Buster Olney seems to think Madson will come in right away

[out-of-town phils fan]

Some musings on last night:
1.  Came in from out of town for the game.  Needless to say, didn't consider that this might be more than a one-night stay.  Have to go out and buy some underwear today.  Plan to stay in town until they pick this thing up again. 
2.  It will be seriously weird to go back to the ballpark, sit with the same people, and discover that they're all wearing different clothes.  The guy who was shitfaced might now be sober.  On the other hand, I give it 2:1 odds that his ticket stub ended up in a beery puddle in the men's room.
3.  Will there be absolutely no fanfare to start the continuation?  I mean -- no anthem, first pitch, Blue Angels, fireworks, get-us-pumped music, lineup introductions?  Will they just go out there and start playing?  Will they bring in someone to throw out the ceremonial second pitch?  Are they really going to sing God Bless America twenty minutes after they start playing???
4.  It took approximately six seconds from the time we left CBP for us to encounter a scalper asking if anyone was selling extra stubs.
5.  Finally -- until the rain really began coming down, the atmosphere was beyond electric.  I cannot begin to imagine what it'll be like when this thing starts up again.

[j-dawg]

I like going to madson... he can go two innings easy and the man is on fire right now

[timm]

and to all those that go to this game when ever they resume, please start a FUCK BUD SELIG chant during the first batter so Fox has to broadcast it.

[i cant stand joe morgan]

i know im giving in to the 'typical' philly mentality, but someone should really throw a hot dog at 'studdering' bud selig when this s*** storm of a game resumes.

[stjoehawk]

Isn't last call for beer somewhere around the 7th inning?

[tw]

I have to agree: a "Fuck Bud Selig" chant (or "Screw Bud Selig," if you want to worry about the children) is the only way to start this game.

[BFisch]

ESPN was very biased last night, saying it was a great thing that the Rays got to score. But thats ESPN, they want the AL to always win.
But on Comcast they were extremely ticked, and had every right to be.
Bud Selig is an idiot. Suspend the game after 5, play the rest tonight. But if there are HUGE PUDDLES behind 3rd, at Shortstop, in front of 2nd, and some behind 1st then maybe you wanna not play.
Ruck the Fays. Go PHILS! (and them Flyers too)

[will]

with how angry the phillies players seem with all the chatter going around, its actually quite refreshing.

The Philadelphia Phillies finally know what its like to be a Philiadelphian. The sympathizing is over, they can now empathize with how we feel every year. Difference is the game isnt over yet, and there are three and a half innings that can define this town.

players and fans, finally bonded.

[James Beale]

After all this, would anyone out there want this to be easy?

yes.

[Mike H.]

Why do they think David Price is a shutdown closer? Because he is a media whore. Do any Phillies have their profile on E:60 on ESPN? I don't fucking think so.

Just think - if they actually do this when Game 5 resumes, they will have given FOX, ESPN, every other baseball pundit minus a few, Bud Selig, the American League, and every advertiser a giant "Fuck You." That's a bit of satisfaction I can take from all of this. When all of those are lined up against them and they STILL overcome, you got to be proud.

[John]

okay, this world series as a whole has been a fiasco...typical philadelphia...nothing can ever be normal...does it really surprise anybody that something like this happened?

[theKrisheim]

this is a personal nightmare for me

between driving back and forth from NYC and philly for all these games, driving back last night was awesome!

to the planned seattle trip to see my GF and eagles game this weekend

its like everything is at the mercy of the baseball gods, bud selig, the curse, these terrible umps or god knows what else

[Mike]

Well, it just stopped raining here in Baltimore about 45 minutes ago. Maybe that's a good sign?

[Mark]

@ Mike H: My thoughts exactly. Let them be angry, let them get a chip back on their shoulder. Go out there and pound their lights out.

I don't quite get the Price stuff either. If he's so shutdown, why isn't/hasn't he been their fulltime closer? They came in doing a closer by committee thing, and the only reason I have for it is that Price can go multiple innings. Fuck that guy, he's no Lidge. Hell, I'll take Madson over him any day.

Make em pay Phillies.

[Bryan]

How bad do "they" want this game finished tonight? It looks like there may be a chance somewhere around 9-10 tonight. Percentages drop from like 50-60% to 30-40%.

If they don't care about playing tomorrow, then my guess would be they just move it to then.

[Alex F.]

WTF happens to people who lost their tickets last night before the announcement is made?? I realize 99% of people are going to be careful to hang on to that for a game like this but I'm sure quite a few people misplaced them, had them soaked beyond recognition, etc. Were there any provisions made at the ballpark last night for people to get new stubs as they were leaving??

[will]

alex. i fear there will be many blue seats with people who fall into that catagory. it will be a phillies PR mess. there will be many legitimate reasons why people didnt save their ticket, and they will get screwed. there has to be a better way of doing it.

[Dan Levy]

Just to chime in, what reasons could anyone have for losing their ticket? You need it throughout the game to get to your section and seat. They give out lanyards so it stays dry and around your neck.

For most, it's a keepsake you'll have the rest of your lives. If you lose it, you don't deserve to get back in the game. Especially after the historic nature of last night's game.

How many people could this really effect? Five? Ten? I don't see any other way they can let people in than the original ticket that got them in.

[Collin]

Just win tomorrow, Philly! It'll end the 'Curse' and end this charade by FOX and MLB.

WIN....WIN

[Pat's Revenge]

http://www.cafepress.com/eighthandbutler/6153563

A link where you can buy a Phuck the Curse Phillies shirt. It's funny as hell!