I purposely haven’t written anything about the World Series until now. I didn’t want to jinx anything. I have felt good about this team ever since the playoffs started. I knew I would be happy if they won, but I didn’t know how happy and emotional I would get.
My hands started tingling and my heart beat was twice as fast as normal starting in the seventh inning last night. My eyes started watering going into the bottom of the eighth and I really started crying after Lidge got the last out. When they did the montage of each players reaction to the last out there was some definite waterworks for me. Even just watching this highlight video I started tearing a little. You follow a team for years and years, you follow players throughout their careers, you experience joy, frustration, connection and you always do it because you hope that one day this can happen. There is a lot of baggage being a sports fan and following a team. You see players come and go. Some you like, some not as much. Some you’re sure will be the next Mike Schmidt or Steve Carlton and things happen and time moves on. You see decent teams that don’t quite get there and they eventually disperse throughout the league or out of the game and sometimes it’s easy to forget what the ultimate goal of it all really is. Especially when it seems like you never have a shot to get it. This is what it’s all about.
In 20 or 30 years I will remember this and I will tear up as I think about wherever my life has taken me from now till then. I will remember hugging Robbie and him smiling even though he really didn’t care. I’ll remember talking to my Dad with my voice cracking. I think that’s why I love sports most of all. The memories that mark times in your life. I remember where and who I was when Randall Cunningham made that play against Buffalo. I remember where and who I was when the Phillies beat Atlanta in ’93. I remember where and who I was when the Phillies won it in ’80. I remember where and who I was when I saw Dickie Thon get a walkoff hit in extra innings at some random game at the Vet one summer night. These moments and therefore these teams become a part of who you are. They are a connecting force to other people and to yourself.
I will always have this moment to look back on and I know that wherever I am at that time I will be following my team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Mitch Rothbardt
www.mitchrothbardttraining.com
(coming soon)
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