I'm not copping pleas. If the Mets or the Fish pass us, I'll be here to take my L and congratulate the winner. And I'm trying not to be typical negative Philadelphian.

But I'm not feeling it right now. This team has been trapped in a general malaise for two months, and it's almost solely the fault of the offense, which of course was supposed to be our strength. Because they have outperformed their projections, I give much love to Utley , Rollins, Victorino, Werth, and Burrell and exclude them from blame. I'm fully on the resign Pat the Batwagon, btw.

Ryan Howard, I was right. I didn't want to be, but I'm right. This season should show why we should never, ever sign Ryan Howard to a long-term contract.

Geoff Jenkins, it's almost inconceivable how much you suck. It would be fitting if the Phils rallied enough only to lose the wild card by one game to the Brewers, which would establish you as the root cause of why Milwaukee sucked for your entire career and why we sucked now.

Ruiz...I can't kill him. I just can't. He has been, without a doubt, the single biggest drag on the offense this year. We send seven major league hitters to bat every game because he and Coste are not major league starters. Still, this gyu is almost as good a story as Coste: a non prospect who persevered and a nice year in the show but who ultimately isn't more than a backup. I can't even kill the Phils for trusting him for this season. I can kill them for not beating da Jakees ridiculous low ball for Pudge, though. The Phils need to sign Pudge in the offseason. It's a perfect fit until one of our catching prospects is ready, which of course means the Phils won't do it.

Feliz. Sigh. I guess Gillick has to make one ridiculously awful free agent signing a year with the team. How in fuck's name are you a GM for three years who inherits David Bell and somehow leaves the position much, much worse when he leaves. God forbid we actually use some of the prospects we throw around for starting pitchers to go get a fucking third basemen. Not like dumb ass Coletti was looking to give away Andy LaRoche or something.

I want to give hope, but it isn't hopeless. The Mets and the Marlins are not really better than us. Howard and Rollins are September players who can get hot and carry us. A miracle may happen and Feliz or Ruiz could have a decent month. These are all reasonable, regress to the mean kind of outcomes that means we have to continue to tune in and have faith. But, man, the energy around this team is not good.

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bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God