Who is this SouthPhillyPhan???

Hi all. I am not a fan that lives in South Philly, though I spent a lot of time there. I actually spent 20+ years in South Jersey. I have spent the last 10+ years living in the south between Florida and Georgia. Right now, I live in Atlanta. I moved here just in time to watch the Braves crumble to the state that they are in. Hehe... Maybe I had something to do with it. At least that is what my office mates say. They say, "Go Home Yankee!!!". I charge back with, "I am a Philly baby! Yankees suck!!"

I've been a Phillies fan since the late 70's. I remember watch Greg "The Bull" Luzinski in left field and think that the Phils seem to like to put slow fielders out there in left :) My best Phillies memory is the 1980 World Series. I remember game 5 of the NLCS against the Astros. The Phils being down late in the game. I think they were down 5 to 2 in the seventh and they were facing Nolan Ryan of all people. NOLAN RYAN!!! I was watching with my parents on their bedroom TV and after the Astros took the lead in the 7th, they just wanted to turn it off. Out of the goodness of their heart, they let me stay up and watch figuring this wasn't going to happen too often. They actually turned off the lights and they went to bed. I promptly woke them up with a shout when Bowa singled to center to start the 8th. Just a single but I had a feeling a rally was about to start and I was right. Next thing, we are all up watching The Cardiac Comeback Kids take the lead in the 8th but only to watch the Astros tie it back up in the bottom of the eighth. This time my parents learned... There's no going to sleep when watching the Phils. Eventually, the Phils won in the 10th and next thing I know, we're at the ticket booth at the Veterans Stadium buying tickets for the World Series. Hehe.. Ticket Master was not available then over the internet. Heck.. The internet wasn't around then in the way it is now. :)

...Thinking back at this... Maybe the baseball gods evened up the score last year when the Phils missed the playoffs by one game against the Astros...

Fast forward to Game 6 of the World Series, I was sitting in the 700 section, in last row from the top, with my thermos filled with Dunkin' Donuts hot chocolate. No coffee... Hehe. I was 11 at the time. It wasn't the typical nail biter from the Phils but it was still magical watching Carlton mow down the Royals that night. It's fitting that the game was decided by Carlton's arm and Schmidt's bat. This time with only a single not one of those "Deep fly balls to centerfield. Outta here!! Home Run! Michael Jack Schmidt!!!" My only regret is that my parents wanted to leave the game early to beat the traffic. Feh... If I ever get the chance to be in that situation again with my kids, to hell with the traffic :) That's ok.. I got to see replays of the final out and the McGraw leap many times since. In fact, I've watch all other Phillies post season games on the TV and actually find it more enjoyable. If they ever get back to the World Series when my kids get a little older, I'll take them so that they can experience it as well. This time, I'll get seats closer to the action and stay until the final pitch :)

I know that Philly is probably an Eagle town but I didn't really start following them until the Randal Cunningham era. Oh.. I was aware of Superbowl XV and the disappointing loss against the Raiders but I got to admit that I guess I was flying high from the World Series win :) I also have to admit between then, I had stints as a Cowboy, Redskin, and Broncos fan. But, not to worry... I bleed green now.. Well.. mix in a bit of red and white, a bit of red and black, and a bit of orange and white :)