Over the years I have come to be a rather optimistic Phillies fan even when times looked dark. To me, that’s what being a fan is all about, and I am not about to change that stance any time soon. The Philadelphia Phillies open the 2015 Major League Baseball season Monday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park against the Boston Red Sox of the American League. The expectations for the 2015 Phillies are as low as they have been in some time, but you know what? I don’t care.
I mean, of course I care about the Phillies and what happens during the course of the season. I want them to win. You want them to win. I want to attend another parade down Broad Street. I want to see you there as well. I go into this season knowing what this team is and how it compares to other teams in the division and around baseball. The Phillies are big underdogs. It’s not 2008 or 2010 anymore. How this all happened has been explained time and time again, and I do not feel a need to do it once more. Instead, with the start of a new season upon us I look forward to spending whatever time I can watching the Phillies because I can’t help it. The Phillies are a huge part of my life, and I have had many more bad times than good with this team. I’m not about to just give up on them now. You know why? Because watching the Phillies is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I certainly didn’t know I was going to see a no-hitter from Josh Beckett last May. How many people went to the park and expected Ben Revere to hit a home run at all last season? How many people expected it to happen again? And again? This is one of the reasons I love baseball. No matter how good or bad the team may be, you really never know what you will see. Each game can be a memorable experience, one never to be forgotten.
A 162-game schedule can drag on when we spend time reading commentary about empty seats, accompanied by photo after photo of empty seats from beat reporters from near and far. We get it. Seats are available. But this year I am not going to waste time discussing the ticket market in town. Instead, I will focus my attention on the games we get to watch Chase Utley and Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard — three of the best at their positions in franchise history — do while I still can. I will pay attention to the younger players coming up that look to make a case to be a part of the future core of the team, for better or for worse.
If the Phillies are not going to give you many memories to cherish for years to come, then make your own. Going down to Citizens Bank Park can be a great experience no matter how good the team is. Go to a game this year, grab a hot dog and some crab fries. Let that remind you of the good times you have had with the Phillies. Share that experience with your kids if you have them. Years from now they won’t remember who won the game, but they will remember watching the Phanatic dancing on the dugout and the ice cream in a helmet with sprinkles on top.
It’s going to be a long season. Let’s get through it together. Follow along on Twitter and Facebook.
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