The End of an Era: So Long, Pat the Bat

By all accounts, the looming signing of Raul Ibanez means the Pat Burrell era has come to a close in Philadelphia. It was most definitely a rocky decade for Pat in Philly but it couldn't have ended on a higher note. Commenter Pete D. nailed it:

Goodbye Pat - you understood us better than almost any player whoever played here, and we know you played hard even though you flirted with the mendoza line quite a bit. Will always remember you on the clydesdales leading the parade on what was one of the greatest days of my life.

Ibanez is not the kind of guy who gets you super excited just hearing his name associated with the Phillies but he has put up solid numbers and could fit in well with this team. When you compare him with the guy he's replacing, it's tough to get excited about him in December. I'll save my judgment until we see what he does in a Phillies uniform and plays in that part of left field that we've only known as Pat Burrell territory.

We'll remember the long, striding swing that often missed fastballs but we'll also remember the times when he connected and put a hurt on the ball. We'll remember the left field fans heckling him with no abandon and we'll remember the loud ovations when he knocked in a few RBIs. We'll remember the times he'd be chugging around third to home in seemingly slow motion and the late inning defensive replacements. We'll remember his last ever at bat with the Phils where a few inches kept him from a glorious World Series home run. But mostly, I think we'll all remember him for that smile and wave from high above the Budweiser Clydesdale down Broad Street on that most perfect Halloween ever.

What will you remember most about number 5?

So long, Pat. It was a love-hate relationship between you and Philadelphia. Thankfully, we'll remember the good times the most. You ended your career here as a World Fucking Champion.

Comments

[meech.one]

I'll remember how he always destroyed the Mets. You can never thank him enough for that.

And I'll remember how he used to bee-line for the Irish Pub after a game at the Vet. And I'll remember that double. And the Clydesdales.

Now please, PLEASE, don't sign with the Mets.

[Ryan]

I will remember seeing him play in Reading, he was such a nice guy he even turned around and had a conversation with me an my dad in between innings. Hard to replace him and he will most surely be missed.

[bob]

http://thesexycrimes.wordpress.com/

This is all you need to know about The Bat.

[Andy]

I'll remember loving Pat the Pat, but really hating Pat the Bat. But you're right...mostly, I'll remember the clydesdales. Great guy, significantly less than great ball player, I wish him all the best (assuming he leaves the NL East.) That said...ANOTHER lefty bat? Charlie's lineup is gonna be so unbalanced I'll be left to wonder if he's been having too many of his chats with Andy Reid.

[ron]

i'll always remember the february sunday afternoon, two years ago, that had my friends and i pledge positivity to the Bat, as we selected our season tickets. he rewarded us with his hard play, met killing and general badassery.

he'll go down as one of my all time favorite phillies and if you'd have told me that three summers ago i would've slapped you and told you to wash your mouth out.

funny how winning changes everything.

[Scott B]

i'll remember him for all the shit we all gave him when he did bad and all the praise he was given when doing well.

dude has concrete emotions to put up with us for so many years.

unlike most marriages, it ended on an extreme HIGH.

[Tom]

I really thought it was great to see him lead the guys down Broad St. Of any guy on that team, it deserved to be him. A absolutly classic way to leave

[Mike H.]

I was in the left field bleacher seats at Dodger Stadium in 2003. The locals were feeling no pain and giving him the business about his sexuality. He took it all in stride, of course, but I'm sure his inner "Fuck you!" was in full effect.

We got to enjoy his best year in this best year and us fans are pretty lucky that way.

[Nick B.]

Along the same vein as the Pat owning the Mets, one specific Met sticks out. I can't find video of it, but I believe Pat took Billy the Rat deep at least a couple times in the summer of 2007. Those were some of my favorite memories. Truly sad to see him go.

[MikeM]

I'll remember "Dirty Laundry" as a phenomenal choice for plate music.

[Andy]

Mike...was it his best year? I know it was our best year and the best year for the team, but Pat's year looked a hell of a lot like all of Pat's other years in the end...probably why the Phils weren't rushing to bring him back. His best april for sure...but if you look at his numbers next to his other seasons, it really doesn't distinguish itself in any way.

[heathalouise]

I had Sunday season tickets in left field back in '06, and I just loved how much Burrell got heckled and the fact that he was such a good sport about it. I remember one time when a heckler made a crack that Pat shouldn't be looking at the ball girl and should be paying attention to the game and he just turned around and shrugged. It was a classic.

[John]

I'll always remember him crushing Billy Wagner. Loved it.

[Kruk93]

I was in Rittenhouse Square the day after the parade this year. I looked up and Pat Burrell was walking toward me with his dog and a World Series Champions hat on. I just said "Thanks Pat" as he was a few feet away and he stopped for a second, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hey, thank you."

[ARphillyfan]

This is bittersweet as bringing Pat back was the most logical statistical/ defensive decision but I always felt like he had a huge presence in the clubhouse- especially after he called out Billy the Rat. I feel like that was the beginning of the core of this team coming together as they came into their own, recognizing that they could all do something very special together. And did they ever. I'm very glad to see Pat leave a World Champion if he's going to go.

I'll always remember Pat as being the first guy out there to congratulate and celebrate his teammates. Regardless of his performance and whether or not he was still in the game Pat was always the first one out there. Look at the photos of Meyers clinching the division last year or any number of photos from the World Series run this year (Stair's homer in LA comes to mind), Pat is the first guy you see. Despite all the ups and downs he was just as dedicated to this team as we were.

And you have to wonder if they'll be able to replace that kind of presence. His tenure and attitude, not to mention his memorable exploits and persona, are all characteristics of what we want from our athletes. Yes, his offense could be more frustrating than anything but he was a prime example of why we loved this World Series team so much. He's a prime example of why I love baseball and I'm gonna miss the big lug.

/ note: If he signs with the Mets, the above will be retracted. Until he retires that is.

[Loqiel]

I can't fathom him signing with the Mets. I honestly don't think he'll do it; I don't think he could stomach it. In theory, Wagner's still on that team too.

[will]

when they close Citizens Bank Park, Pat will enter the stadium on clydesdales. See you in 40 years.

[85]

I'll remember that over the last few years, every time there was a walkoff win (and God knows there were a lot of them), Pat was always running out of the dugout to pound on the hero. And every time we kicked him when he was down, he said all the right things. When Charlie benched him for a while in '07, he took it like a man while his pride had to be hurting. And when Billy Wagner insulted the club, it was Pat who took it personally and responded like a leader. There were a lot of frustrating times, but when that big swing connected it really was a thing of beauty. I will never forget being in the left field corner for Game 5 of the World Series and, after the team took its lap, seeing Pat come back out to left field to say goodbye, while we chanted for him to come back. You're a Phillie for life, #5, and you're always going to be a world champion. You deserved those Clydesdales.

[joe l]

meech.one nailed it. Even when this guy sucked, he crushed the Mets. My favorite moment(s) though had to be the end of this year. I never saw such emotion on the guys face as during this year's run. He looked like he finally relaxed and was having some fun, despite his mediocre finish. Will miss yelling at the TV when he jack-knifes on a called inside strike three. To #5!!

[Lenny]

Pat was by far my favorite Phillie. He took all the crap thrown at him while standing in LF, and how does he return the favor? By having a season that warranted tons of people scrambling to vote for him in the All-Star game, hoping he can squeeze in and rep the NL. He definitely deserved to make that team, but it's all gravy - he's a world fucking champion.

Here's to Pat's wine coolers and Bay Breezes. Gonna miss the man. This Dio song... goes out to you.

Anyone selling Burrell jersies? I'm willing to buy.

[Kozemp]

This fucking blows.

[Argive]

Goodbye and godspeed, Pat. I'll always remember his majestic swing and gorgeous moonshots. I hope some AL team pays him a zillion dollars to keep on doing that for the rest of his career.

[Rich O]

I will remember the fastballs in and the breaking balls away. I will remember Pat dropping to one knee and looking overmatched. I will remember him leading the league in assists on balls that should've been caught. I'll remember his topless photo with the bat. But mostly I will remember Burrell's girls, the single greatest thing he ever gave to our team. Good bye Pat. Hello Raul, welcome to our fine city.

[Dave]

Fuck you Gillick and Fuck you Amaro.

[Kale]

I don't think any player has tried so hard, through thick and thin, to do well for this city. Sure, we've had some great players, but Pat never gave up. When he struggled you could see it in his face that he hated letting us down. Still, he never spoke bad about the fans and Philadelphia rewarded him by giving him more slack than any player has ever received in this city...and probably ever will.

I've been wearing his jersey for more years than i can remember...i've put up with a bunch of heckling at times, but how can you not root for someone who only wanted to make you happy and would do anything to make that happen? And what's he do in the end? Comes through in the clutch with the most important double of his life and in one swing make all 20 rays fans sit back in their seats and say to one another "well there's always next year"

We'll miss you Pat, you'll always be welcome in this city.

[dave]

i for one, and i am sure most people here as well, gave pat a ton of guff over the years, especially for his propensity to strike out. but he is tough as nails for putting up with philly fans for this long, even over last winter when he knew the team was shopping him. he has a monster arm and was a met killer. i will always remember before the parade pat burrell walked right by my friend and i and he slapped my buddy's hand. you can tell that he gets a great deal of satisfaction from bringing this to philly fans. a great philadelphia ballplayer.

[MikeY]

For me, its a combination of specific memories and collective ones.

I will always remember Pat like everyone will, as a hard working player who never gave a half effort. No matter if he was slumping or on a tear, he always gave 110% to this team and the fans.

I remember being at a game at the bank this year while the Phillies were playing the Red Sawks, and Pat legged out a triple. I was so in shock, I thought Armageddon was coming. I remember sitting 32 rows behind home plate at World Series game 5B, and watching the ball he hit sail into the cold, dark Philadelphia air. I though for sure it was gone, but he just missed and ended up on second. I thought there was no way Charlie would pinch run for him, and then I look over at the dugout, and I see Eric Bruntlett running out. I looked over at Pat and he looked like his dog just died. He was so disappointed to be coming out of the game, but I'm sure he knew it was for the good of the team. That was one of the best ovations I've seen for a player as he was walking off of the field. I clapped and cheered as loud as I could, because I was pretty sure the was Pat's last at bat as a Phillie.

Goodbye and good luck Pat, we will miss you. I will always cheer for you now matter where you go.

I'm totally getting tickets to see whatever teams he signs with if they're coming to Philly this year.

[Jen A. Miller]

I saw him take batting practice in Clearwater the first year after the Phils signed him. He was amazing to watch, but he never quite lived up to that promise. Still, seeing him lead the parade was quite a memory.

[MikeY]

...is it gay that I'm sitting here at work, crying like a little girl after writing that?

[Crash]

I'll remember him for hitting 2 HRs off Billy Wagner in 2007. So clutch since he despised Wagner.

[Crash]

I'll remember him for hitting 2 HRs off Billy Wagner in 2007. So clutch since he despised Wagner.

[Pete D]

Hey thanks for the quote guys...definitely an end of an era. Will always miss Pat and I hope he stays a part of this organization after his playing days are done.

And I sure hope he releases "Burrel Confidential: The (hardly) untold exploits of a single Phillie". We all know we've heard them everywhere else, so it would be nice to hear him tell the legendary yarns himself.

[gregotto]

Without a doubt - 3 things:

1) Killing the Mets.

2) The Double.

3) The Clydesdales.

[gregotto]

Not to mention a host of personal stories from my days barbacking at Continental Midtown. Dem boys like their Crown.

[Jeff McMenamin]

It feels almost like a funeral. Pat the bat was truly a Philadelphia icon. He knew what it was like to be on a struggling team and got forever frustrated with our never ending weak rotations and bullpens. I remember going to a Nationals-Philllies game in Washington two years ago in the thick of the Phillies playoff race. The rain delay lasted about 4 hours, but baseball was ready to be played. I was sitting right behind the dugout and I saw a suprising Pat Burrell acting like he wanted to be in the playoffs more than anyone on the team. He would try to pump up his teammates during every at bat, and his solo shot in that game was wasted by bad pitching. After that game that we lost, which took us virtually out of the playoff race. I knew that Pat Burrell had a new belief in his team and that he was going to push them as hard as he could. Well the results happened this past October, and one of the most memorable Phillies got his reward.

[j13]

The thing I'll remember about him is how you could tell he was different from the uncaring idiots that used to be so pervasive on this club. You could tell when he didn't get a hit, it really, truly bothered him - probably more than was healthy or positive for his game. To me, that is why he didn't get the business like so many others who've come through here. We want effort, we want you to care as much as we do. That's even more important than winning. That smile that Donovan (who I like) has been known to make after an interception or grounding a ball to an open receiver is not the kind of thing you'd ever expect from the Bat.

As far as a specific play, I'll remember a game where I had the best seats I've ever had in my life - 4 rows off, directly behind homeplate, WB Mason's seats - against the Marlins a couple of years ago. The Marlins intentionally walked Howard to get to Pat. With every pitch I was yelling to him about how this was an insult, you gotta make them pay - and he goes up and CRUSHES the ball to center field. I don't think I had anything to do with it, but it was AWESOME. I'd never had that vantage point on seeing a ball go that far, and it was incredibly impressive.

The Bat never buys a drink in any bar I'm in at the same time, regardless of how broke as f*ck I may be at the time.

[Mike H.]

@ Andy - I'm a bit of a stat geek. I've had Fangraphs bookmarked for at least two years. Pat's bottom line stats for this year indicate his best year for a stat called WPA, which stands for Win Probability Added, and a stat called Clutch. Both have their flaws, and certainly don't factor how fast he runs or his glove work. But in terms of his bat (and I believe he is called Pat the Bat), 2008 was the best of his career.

[stevefredericks]

the homer he hit at shea in 2007 in may or june to tie the game at 3 in the top of the 9th off billy wagner. phils went on to win the game in extras and the division by 1 game.

[Mandy T.]

When I got the text message this morning that the inevitable had happened, and Pat wasn't coming back, I started to cry. I've been a die hard Phils fan since I was 4 and went to my first game back in '94 at the Vet. Pat's been my favorite player since we brought him up in 2000. I caught a lot of crap for it during the rough times, being accused of only liking him cause he's hot, not because he can play ball. I'm not gonna lie, he is highly attractive, but I liked him for more reasons than that.

Pat was the most determined player on the team, and he truly cared. When he was struggling, you could tell all he wanted to do was work it out and help this team win games. He cheered harder than any other player on that bench during the run to the playoffs and through the Series. He was always the first one to congratulate someone after a big hit or a nice play in the field.

Pat also has the most beautiful swing. He had the ability to make strike outs look pretty (sometimes it was just bad though). He was never my favorite player more than when he was destroying the Mets & Billy Wagner.

The best moment of my life was stading in the middle of Broad watching Pat ride down the street on the cyldesdales. I screamed so loud, I'm surprised I didn't blow out my best friends ear drums. It was the most fitting way for the Parade to start.

I'm so sad to see Pat leave, I wish things could have worked out here.

[ron]

@ mike y
i can't wait to cheer pat the next time he's in town.
not gay. he will always be a phillie and forever one of my favorites!

[Mike]

http://cheapseats-blog.blogspot.com/2008/12/phillies-sign-ibanez-cut-ties-with.html

[Jay]

I just hope and pray that he ends up on a NL team, or an AL team we'll face in interleague play. Imagine the ovation he'll get when he's announced at CBP??? F-that... imagine the reception he'll get when he trots out to LF??????

[Joey D]

Pat is a true Philadelphian. He understands this city. He was on the trading block numerous times and would never waive his no trade clause because he knew this team was special and respected the city and organization.

After the Phillies clinched the division last year. Burrell had tears in his eyes because he was thinking how happy Vuk would have been to see it.

[stockolla]

Thank you Pat. I will miss sitting in section 143 and booing you one inning & giving you a standing ovation a few innings later. You owned the Mets everytime. By far my favorite Phillie since the 93 team b/c you understood us & knew how to deal with us. All those times we caught you looking into the stands in between innings scoping out the seats for hot chicks. You were always the first one to run out onto the field after every series clinching play. Clydesdales. "Holy Diver". The long home run swing. You will always be the true "5" in this town. See you in a few years when your name is retired on the Phillies Wall of Fame.

[hennessey]

ill remember how pat the bat fucking sucked except when it was a contract year. i will remember all of those bases loaded backwards K's. ill remember how this retarded fan base immediately accepted pat when things went bad regardless of his horrid performance the past few years.

[hennessey]

went good*

[ARphillyfan]

@ Kale
"I don't think any player has tried so hard, through thick and thin, to do well for this city."

Certainly not in last 25 years. There have been those who always gave it their all (LeClair, Hextall, Dawkins) but didn't have the "thick and thin" stretches like Pat did. Others have been put through the ringer like Pat was (McNabb, Lindros) but none of them took it on the chin and came back for more quite like Burrell did. Iverson perhaps came close but Pat's part in making Philly once again a championship city puts him over the top.

In fact, the only person I can thing of who went through a similar love-hate relationship with the city and has come out on top like Pat has is none other than Uncle Cholly.

[Alex]

Top 10 reasons Pat Burrell is my all time favorite Phillie:

1. Led the World Series Parade by himself on a carriage pulled by 8 clydesdales carrying what looked like 50 cases of Budweiser.
2. "Pat the Bat" Best nickname in sports.
3. Being in the stands to see Pat miss a World Series winning Home Run by 2 feet. It still won it for us.
4. "Take that Rat" The headline of the Daily News the day after Burrell hit the game tying Home Run off of former Phil and "Rat" Billy Wagner.
5. Armando Benitez. And all the walk off home runs he hit vs him at Shea. The Met Killer was born.
6. The Penthouse interview. "The only thing I am better at than baseball is sex"
7. When he hit .209. He took all the booes in stride and admitted he deserved them. Knew then he could handle this town.
8. "We play in a tough ass town, and I am proud of it"
9. Every time someone tells me some absurd story how Pat slept with their friends sister or something and he did something ridiculous.
10. Was the #1 overall pick in the entire 1998 draft.

[Ryan]

I wish there was some way for P-Bat to see this comments section. I hope he reads the700level to see just what he meant to the fans all these years.

[Tommy]

this is a sad moment. I will miss Pat Burrell. I can not picture him and Elvis in another city and another uniform. I am sad. I hope whenever he decides to hang it up that the Phillies sign him to a one-day deal so he can do it as a Phillie. I remember getting Pat's autograph when he played in Reading. I'm not sold on Raul. Sorry... but he's older than Pat. And Pat fit in this city and line-up. I will miss you Pat Burrell.