Unbelievable

They've been playing professional baseball in Philadelphia for 125 years. In that time, the city has hosted two franchises. The Philadelphia Athletics of the American League won the World Series four times before they moved to Kansas City, and then on to Oakland. The Phillies have been around for that whole time. In those 125 years, the team has won almost 9,000 games, but won notoriety for being the first professional team ever to lose 10,000 games. The Phillies have exactly one World Series title. Since invention of a post-season tournament, the Phillies have advanced only 10 times. That makes this year truly special.

I still can't believe that the Phillies (who I've followed since the 1995 season) are in the playoffs. My interest in pro baseball came too late to enjoy the 1993 team, which in retrospect was powered by "greenies" and steroids. It makes me wonder how many of this year's Phillies, known for their offensive exploits, will be called in to question later. Still, I get a thrill knowing that they, as a team, accomplished something noteworthy in winning their division title. Sixteen teams play in the National League, and only four can play in the post-season. The coming days will prove whether or not the Phillies have what it takes to play for a world championship, but they have already accomplished a memorable feat.