The Phillies are one of the oldest baseball teams, and have lost the most games. They found lightning in a bottle in their bullpen this year, and the teams they faced, which weren’t the top teams in the game, were unable to exploit their weaknesses. They played a strong September and October, much like the Rockies last year, or the Cardinals the year before. They won. It sucks. I take solace in that they only get one title a century, and they’ve used up this one’s only eight years in.
My money’s on 20,000 losses before the third championship.
However, from a rivalry standpoint, this just amps it up. Despise years and chances, both teams have two. Phillies fans aren’t going to discard their hatred for us, and we know they only come out when they’re winning. But now we’ve grown an intense dislike for them too. This could get interesting. Or the Phillies could pack it in and place fourth next year, and the rivalry, like the Phillies themselves, will be a flash in the pan.
