TOBY BORLAND.
As much as I'm loving this era of Phillies baseball where every game is sold out and everyone talks about how making the playoffs is an absolute lock, I kinda miss the days when all I had was hope. 1993 is the first season I remember really paying attention to what the team was doing. I was 6 years old, rocking my Tazmanian Devil Phils shirt once a week and humming "Wild Thing" to myself whenever Mitch Williams would come out of the bullpen.
After that season, I couldn't wait for the team to go back to the series. So I waited for 15 long fucking years. Years of guys like Lenny Webster and Desi Relaford and shitty Greg Jefferies. And I'd watch them in the 700 level of the piss and beer smelling, hot, uncomfortable Vet. And throughout those 15 years, I hated the Yankees and the Braves for their success and impressive rosters.
But now we're the douchebags with the giant payroll and the superstar players, and while I love that I'll probably be seeing October baseball this year... I feel dirty.
So here's to Toby Borland, with his awesome mustache and surprisingly good stats in his first stint with the Phils. I think his 'stache is what makes him stick out to me the most. The Philadelphia inquirer would have the Phillies team preview with a headshot of all the guys who made the opening day roster, so I'd cut out each pic and paste them onto cardboard and make my own baseball cards. I was pumped the one time after a game where my dad took me down to the players' entrance and I got he and Sid Fernandez to sign my cap and didn't know what to say because I was a star struck 9 year old... Feelings~
Eamonn
After that season, I couldn't wait for the team to go back to the series. So I waited for 15 long fucking years. Years of guys like Lenny Webster and Desi Relaford and shitty Greg Jefferies. And I'd watch them in the 700 level of the piss and beer smelling, hot, uncomfortable Vet. And throughout those 15 years, I hated the Yankees and the Braves for their success and impressive rosters.
But now we're the douchebags with the giant payroll and the superstar players, and while I love that I'll probably be seeing October baseball this year... I feel dirty.
So here's to Toby Borland, with his awesome mustache and surprisingly good stats in his first stint with the Phils. I think his 'stache is what makes him stick out to me the most. The Philadelphia inquirer would have the Phillies team preview with a headshot of all the guys who made the opening day roster, so I'd cut out each pic and paste them onto cardboard and make my own baseball cards. I was pumped the one time after a game where my dad took me down to the players' entrance and I got he and Sid Fernandez to sign my cap and didn't know what to say because I was a star struck 9 year old... Feelings~
Eamonn
