Friday, September 28, 2007

Prepare The William Penn Jersey!

Here at “Frank Helps You Think It All Out”, we are big fans of the mantra featured in the underrated “Bowfinger”: Keep It Together.

Yes, yes, keep those crazy thoughts down: Modell’s employees secretly sewing a giant pinstriped jersey for William Penn, just where the Citizen bank Park management is keeping the red, white and blue bunting, whether Hamels or Kendricks will get the ball for Game One.

But it is admittedly getting harder and harder and harder. The Phillies last night officially overcame their 4-11 start- and now share first place in National League East with the New York Mets. The magic number is 4

I don’t know if the Phillies can win the East outright in the regular season; it is less than 50-50- and a tie seems pretty plausible. Florida is much worse than Washington- and between the Phillies and Mets, I know which three starting pitchers I’d rather having going this week. At the very least, the Mets ain’t running Eaton out there this weekend. But of course, the Phillies don’t have Jose Reyes sulking through a dozen at-bats. In September, everyone has a challenge.

Since their horrid start, the Phillies have put together a nifty mark of 83-61. That projects to barely north of 90 wins over a full season- which is probably closer to wild card territory than division winner. After that start, any scenario featuring the Phillies overhauling the Mets involved a New York semi-collapse- a sustained series of sub-.500 baseball (Septmeber!). To the Phillies credit, they’ve played well enough to take advantage. But the story here is the Mets; the Phillies months of pretty good play only had them seven back in the loss column two weeks ago.

But to pass’em Philadelphia first had to catch’em. And I have to admit, on May 25th I never thought the biggest game in New York this weekend would not be the Eagles visiting the Giants.

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