Letters to the NL East, Part 4 of 5 (part 0, part 1, part 2, part 3, )
Dear Philadelphia Phillies,
Every dog has it’s day. You’ve gotten your ring for the century, and I suspect you’ll drift back into mediocrity pretty soon. When do the Eagles kick off again? Many of your players last year, particularly in that bullpen, over performed last season. This means that when they fall back to earth, even a little bit, you’re in for a rocky summer.
Will any of your fans show up at Citi Field this year, or will most of you stay away unless you have the upper hand in some way? You can count on a bunch of us coming down there as often as possible, turning your stadium into Citi Field south, as usual.
Maybe I’m wrong and you’ll compete again this year. The Mets are the better team on paper, but that hasn’t stopped them from giving it up two years in a row. Will you hold up your end of the rivalry and start developing this into something that could surpass Yankees/Red Sox? If the Yankees continue to falter that rivalry could take a step down in intensity behind the closer Mets/Phillies. On the other hand, Phillies fans have never shown up to Shea with the commitment of Red Sox fans at Yankee Stadium, and the Phillies aren’t even half the club the Red Sox are. You’ll probably finish third.
Your hated rival,
Optimistic Mets Fan
