Month By Month: APRIL

Since baseball has been sort of dormant and Phillies news hasn't been front-page worthy, I thought it to be fitting to take a look back at the season of 2006. It was, in my opinion, an extremely entertaining time with periods of sheer depression. And since school is DONE (thank the Lord), I now have time to keep this page updated. Today's month: APRIL

Besides being my birthmonth, April is the greatest 30 days of the year. After being teased by Spring Training, baseball is finally back. This April marked the start of the Gillick-era...or as I call it "Life after douchey." It was the unleashing of Howard AND Utley for an entire season and, of course, the continuation of Rollins' streak...which happens to top the list of great moments of this past April:

1) The scene: Rainy, Cold day in early April. The Phillies are losing by about 2832 runs... I stopped keeping score. Bottom of the 8th. Two outs. Jimmy Rollins steps up to the plate 0 for 4 with a 36 game hit streak on the line. The count is 3 balls and no strikes. I, being one of the few fans who stuck around to see this, was hoarse from all the booing I was throwing at the Cardinals pitcher. Everyone knows that no matter what pitch is coming next, Rollins is hacking at it. The Pitch.... swing... contact... double. Besides the first two strike outs lieber had in the first inning, it was basically the only thing to cheer about. It made the loss to the eventual World Series champs less heartbreaking and gave me a reason not to crash my car off the Walt Whitman on the way back to Jersey.

2) The scene: Brisk, Sunny April afternoon. The Phillies are tied 0-0 with the baby fish in the bottom of the 2nd. Some people didn't realize the inning started as Howard stepped up to the plate. I was just returning to my seat after going to the bathroom and then it happened...Howard smashed the absolute shit out of a baseball. And I am not just talking a normal homerun shot. No...Howard made this ball his eternal bitch. If baseball was prison, that ball would be Howard's prag. I jumped out of my seat the second he swung because it was one of those balls you just knew was gone. At first, I never saw it land and honestly said to my buddies I was with "Did that leave the stadium!?!?" Of course it didn't, but it did land a RIDICULOUS 496 feet awat from homeplate. He then hit a second homer later in the game only about 5 rows away from my seats, but watching that first ball leave the park (and I am going to be graphic here so if you are sensitive continue on to number 3)...it sort of got me aroused. I have no shame in admitting that.

3) The scene: the 0-4 Phillies are forcing suicidal thoughts into the brains of die-hard phans around the world. Lieber sucked in his start, Myers only lasted 5 innnings before Gordon (in his first appearance) gave up the lead, Lidle also only lasted his usual 5 on the same day Rollins' streak came to a depressing halt, and Floyd just flat out sucked. It was now Madson's day to continue the suckiness. But, to our suprise, he did not. He pitched 6 effective innings only giving up one earned run. And after being tied in the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs and 2 men on, up steps one of the best outfielders the Phillies have ever had. Abreu lifts one to left field finally giving the Phillies their first win. Of course they lost again just 4 hours later. Still...it was comforting to know that they would win at least one game by May.

The worst moments of April?
- The 1-6 start
- The extinction of Jimmy's streak
- Opening Day
- Floyd's constant disapointment
- Our ace's era being over 7 by May
- Once again ending 10-14

It is also important to note that Howard finished this month with only 5 homeruns and the season with 58. He hit 53 from May to September!!!

Also, as depressing as April may have been, it pales in comparison to the nightmare that is the Flyers and Sixers. Ed Snider is doing a killer job as an owner!! I wish we had the better Snider running our teams...Dee