True Colors

WE'VE SPENT a lot of time, those of us who blog about the Phillies, venting our spleens about our favorite team's many, many shortcomings. And when I heard that they actually had won their series finale against Colorado, forcing us all to endure another few days of agonizing over the franchise's 10,000th loss, I thought, hey, terrific, we can't even lose right. And then I learned about the team's valiant effort to assist groundskeepers having trouble with a wayward tarp as a rain delay got underway at Coors Field. While just one Rockie got off his ass to help, the entire Phillies dugout poured onto the field, grabbed the edge of the tarp, and safely extracted a groundskeeper who had gotten trapped underneath. I've seen the still photos, but I need to find the video, just to confirm it with my own eyes. That a group of very wealthy young men (and, in the case of coach Jimy Williams, a moderately paid older man) would do something so atypical -- and that they are from Philadelphia, of all places -- are worth celebrating. And I hope that every time someone in the national media mentions snowballs and Santa Claus, and booing and Mike Schmidt, and cheering and Michael Irvin, I hope that every time that happens, he also says, "But then again, the entire Phillies team once helped save a trapped groundskeeper in Denver in 2007" and then plays the video. For once, it's okay that on-field mediocrity yields to off-field character.

Comments

[Tom G]

In my humble opinion, this is a great source for the video if you haven't already seen it:
http://www.ballssticksstuff.com/2007/07/a-tarp-almost-a.html

[Bill]

I could not agree more. Can you imagine some of our laid-back guys from the past running out there and doing that? It was heart warming and Harry seems emotional describing it.

[Tom Durso]

Nice grab of the clip, TG. Bill, I'm sure Travis Lee would have been right there. Right? Right?

[Bill]

I am thinking of an entire lineup of Phillies who would have rather died then touched a tarp, with Travis Lee at the top of the list!!