My memory draws a blank on the event, but in a testimonial or roast (something like that) the story went that when Harry Kalas left the Astros' broadcast team to join the Phillies before the 1971 season, 12 bars closed in Houston.
Yes, it's a joke and (probably) an exaggeration, but it appears as if the shoe is on the foot here in Philadelphia. With Pat Burrell headed for a new team in 2009 (Cincy, Tampa?), what is going to happen to The Irish Pub?
What about some of those places in Olde City the so-called "Midnight Mayor of Philadelphia" ducked in and out of when making his nightly rounds? These are hard economic times for a lot of business owners. People are losing jobs and generations old companies are simply folding. Needless to say it's a difficult time for the conductor of the gravy train to be choo-chooing it to another town.
Deciding to part ways with Pat Burrell to go with Raul Ibanez in left field is a clear example of the Phillies' brass not looking at the entire picture. Oh sure, Burrell's career in Philly was marked by massive waves of wild productivity and futility. There were gigantic home runs to win ballgames and even larger strikeouts to lose them.
In the end it was Burrell who led the parade down Broad Street a top of a Budweiser truck, no less. Man, they nailed that one -- with his wife and English bulldog Elvis by his side, Burrell was once again leading the celebration.
But the reason why Burrell so endeared himself to so many Philadelphians wasn't just because of his performance on the diamond... it was more than that. Yes, Philadelphia loved Burrell so much because he was right out there mixing it up with everyone and the stories became instant legends.
Jim Salisbury of the Inquirer wrote it best in his interview with Dallas Green from December of 2006:
"It's neat to have money, it's neat to have good looks, and it's neat to have broads all over you. Every place I've managed, I've talked to kids about the same thing. It's a hell of a life..."
Burrell acted just like the way we all though a ballplayer should act. He was a throwback to a type of player who went all out whether it was at The Irish Pub or Citizens Bank Park and Philly loved that. He was always first to arrive and the last to leave. Better yet, there's a good chance that the No.1 overall pick in the 1998 draft might have even have bought you a drink at some point.
But Burrell's loss will hurt more when it comes to a certain segment of the fan base. Oh yes, the "broads," to use Green's term, are seething over the probable loss of Burrell in left field for the Phillies in 2009. Worse, the Phillies raised ticket prices in a depressed economic climate and won't have Burrell out there in his tight home whites.
No, the ladies aren't happy about the Phillies' off-season so far.
"The Phillies don't have any hotties anymore," said one 30ish woman (I believe the term is "cougar"... hey, it's not my term) in a conversation about the new makeup of the team's roster.
"What about Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins or Cole Hamels?" I asked.
"I mean Chase is OK if you just want to make out," she answered. "But where's the eye candy?"
Where indeed?
Another woman says she will continue to attend Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park, though she just won't purchase the top-dollar seats.
"What's the point of sitting close to the field?" she asked. "I'm not going to pay a premium on tickets if there isn't anything to look at."
It's a fair point. After all, to some baseball is less a religious experience or pure test of athletic prowess and will than it is a night out on the town for some (not so) cheap thrills. For some in the largest portion of the population, the Phillies just got a lot less interesting.
So what is it about Burrell that put the fannies in the seats?
"Oh, it was his butt. No question," another woman said, intensely asking that her name won't be used. "When he's out there it's kind of like watching Michelangelo's David only in reverse and in a baseball uniform. It was sublime, just a work of art.
"Oh yes, it's definitely the butt."
Kissed on the Cheeks There are only a handful of professional sports coaches that get to dictate the way they go out. Oddly, it appears as if Charlie Manuel will be one of those rare examples. Maurice Cheeks, the Sixers' newly-fired coach and greatest point guard, was not.
That's the trouble with hiring legendary players to coach a team - it rarely ends well. Larry Bowa is the prime example of that.
The interesting part about Cheeks' ouster is that it lacked the adulation that marked his hiring. When Cheeks re-joined the Sixers as coach five years ago, all anyone could talk about was what a good guy he was while breathlessly remembering the time in Portland when he helped a young girl sing "The Star Spangled Banner" when she forgot the words.
So to remember the good times with Mo Cheeks, we'll leave you with this:
Good luck, Mo.
Utley in town Fresh off hip surgery, Phils' All-Star Chase Utley will meet with the local press on Monday afternoon to discuss how his rehab is going and whether or not he will be ready to play on Opening Day.
As a public service to our readers, Andy Schwartz of CSNPhilly.com was kind enough to put together the transcript of Monday's press conference ahead of time.
Here it is:
Question: "Chase, how you feeling?"
Chase: "Good."
Question: "You hope to be ready by the start of the season?"
Chase: "We'll see. Probably."
Question: "How tough was it to play with the injury last season?"
Chase: "I wasn't hurt last season."