Come Home Safely

Last Thursday, the Phillies' second baseman and all-around best player Chase Utley suffered a broken hand during the Phillies' last game against the Washington Nationals. When this happened, and with the Phillies' previous string of injuries fresh in my mind, I started writing a very angry post that inadvertently turned into a rant against Nationals pitcher John Lathan (whose pitch broke Utley's hand), and against the opposing city in general, saying some unnecessarily cruel things (the basic effect of which was that D.C. is not a city that understands - or even cares as much about - the pain of sports in the same way that Philadelphia does). When I calmed down, I realized that the words had all tumbled out in anger, and that I wasn't ready to lambast and turn against my former home so easily. That is why the post you are now reading is - well, a different post.

But I do not wish to stay silent on the slew of injuries my beloved Phillies have suffered this season. Chase Utley's placement on the DL at the time seemed to be the peak of this pattern, but I was mistaken to assume it would be the final curtain. After Chase went down, our best reliever Ryan Madson was placed on the DL for the second time this season, and then last night against the Cubs we lost our two fastest men, Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn, to ankle strains. That's 4 valuable players gone within five days.

But once again, the story's not over. All in all this season, we have DLed ten men for 11 different injuries. Here they are in chronological order from earliest to the most recent:




























1. Tom Gordon, closer
2. Ryan Madson, reliever
3. Ryan Howard, overall superstar (and 2nd baseman)
4. Brett Myers, star closer (injured as soon as Ryan Madson returned)
5. Freddy Garcia, expected ace (his injury turned him from our best expected starter to our worst)
6. Jon Lieber, starting pitcher
7. Jayson Werth, relief right fielder
8. Chase Utley, 2nd baseman and possibly the only superstar to eclipse Ryan Howard
9. Ryan Madson (again)
10. Shane Victorino, right fielder with the best arm in the league (and base stealer)
11. Michael Bourn, relief outfielder with the best base stealing percentage in the league

I am impressed with the way our team has pulled through in times of crisis, but enough is enough. I used to anticipate every game; now I have a persistent fear of injuries that gnaws at me more and more. In the evenings, during home games, I can see the reassuring stadium lights of Citizens Bank Park from my balcony. With the team now in Chicago and the injuries seemingly endless, all I want is for everybody to come home safely, and to see those stadium lights shining again.