By JIMMY D / Phillies win Series, talk about fantasy baseball | Jimmy's archive

A champion in Philly? Talk about fantasy in sports

You expect to be disappointed. You expect only cloud, no matter how much silver lining there seems to be. And you steel yourself for the taunts and ridicule that come, inevitably, with the territory.

Yes, being a fan of Philadelphia sports teams requires someone with a variety of personality traits/flaws – part stoic, part machochist, part fatalist, part hopeless romantic.

It’s watching the Eagles lose four straight NFC title games before losing for real in Super Bowl 39. It’s watching the Flyers, their paths littered with tragedy and injury, lose five straight final appearances since their last Cup in 1997. And it's watching the 76ers become the only NBA franchise to lose progressively more games six seasons in a row.

It’s knowing there was no way Mitch Williams was going to strike out Joe Carter in 1993. Hell, it’s even knowing deep in your heart that 40-1 longshot Birdstone would chase down Philly colt Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont Stakes and lose out on that Triple Crown.

So it was a strange mixture of wonderment, relief, disbelief and confusion watching Brad Lidge fire that third strike to Eric Hinske last week, a pitch that made the Phillies World Series champions.

Not the hard-luck losers, but champions...

No, that two-day rain delay was not going to be the precursor to some epic Philly collapse and that broken-bat single to Dioner Navarro was not going to force extra innings and a Game 6.

Jimmy D was 13 in 1980 when the Phillies of Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt beat the Royals in six games, with Tug McGraw (rest his soul) firing the wild third strike and firing his glove into the air. So it was with trepidation – etched into his psyche after 25 years without a major title – that Jimmy sat 12-year-old Jimmy jr down next to him to watch the final few innings of that shortened Game 5.

And when it was over, with the curse broken and all the conspiracy theories revealed as nothing more sinister than acute paranoia, Jimmy jr. promised to relish the moment. It’s possible his son will be his age the next time this celebration happens.

Manny, CC lead FA parade

Baseball boss men meet in Florida this week to reshape next year’s World Series odds. And wacky Manny Ramirez will probably earn the biggest payday of all, probably $25 million a year over three years or so. After watching him again in the playoffs, it’s silly how nobody can ever get him out.

The Dodgers want him back but he is better suited to the AL where the only damage he can do is with his bat (not with his legs or his glove).

CC Sabathia bombed in the playoffs but is still the marquee pitcher on the market and should command upwards of $20 million a year in a long-term deal. The Yankees will pursue hard.

LA Angels Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez figure to get plenty of attention and Rodriguez could be earmarked for New York where the Mets need a reliable stopper.

And while he is not a free agent, Jake Peavy’s availability figures to tie up discussions this week. Who wouldn’t want the type of low-ERA and strikeout arm with three years of contract left hat Peavy brings? But who has the collection of players and prospects the Padres need to ship him out?

Maybe the Dodgers and maybe the Braves. Keep an eye on all these developments this week as they will have a significant impact on a) your draft lists in March and b) your keeper league roster.

Nuggets become contenders in NBA West

It’s not every team that can trade a former MVP and be confident they are closer to a title. But that’s what the Denver Nuggets should be feeling today after trading Allen Iverson to Detroit for PG Chauncey Billups and PF Antonio McDyess.

Iverson was never a good fit in Denver because they already had a kid in town (Carmelo Anthony) running around the perimeter jacking 25 shots per game. In Billups and McDyess (a former No. 1 overall pick by the Nugs back in the day), the Nuggets get two veteran presences to mesh with a young nucleus.

The wild card in all this is whether the petulant Anthony views their input as veteran guile and wisdom or unwanted geezer banter. Not that is guarantees Denver anything in the powerful West, but they are closer to contender status today than yesterday.

The Pistons? The fans will love Iverson, but the question is whether his teammates and coach will.

Jimmy D

jpoole@herald.ca