..9,999 lost games my beloved Phillies have endured. and today they could hit the 10,000 number..the most of any pro team...How someone born at Fordham hospital in the Bronx over 50 years ago and a skip and a jump from his appartment on 187th street...became a phillie fan...is a sad and long story.The cliff notes version is...as a 5 or 6 yr old I would flip baseball cards in the stoop of our appartment.I became so good I could flip 100 heads in a row or tails.Soon I started beating everyone on the block collecting many cards.I became so good I extended myself to other blocks,Belmont Ave[where Dion Dimucci came from],Arthur ave,Hughes ave,Southern Blvd..My favorite flippers were the players in the red caps with "P" on them.Everyone was a yankee fan and mantle,maris,Berra,Ford were the cards everyone wanted.So i used Ashburn,Konstancey,Robin Roberts cards and beat everyone. I remember at one time I had 10-15 1956 Mantles and Yogi cards. Plus to trade ..i could get one mantle for 10 phillies...I was a Phillie fan.it also made me different in the neighborhood.my father would take me to games at yankee stadium but it seemed it was always against the clev indians.Rocky Colavito was one of my fathers favs.
I liked watching mantle,got his autograph on two baseballs and a poster.but I loved my Phillies.
It was early 60's.. My hero was Richie Allen.Fav pitcher Chris short and Bunning.Johnny Callison,etc. Bobby Wine couldn't hit his weight but was a great fielder.got to go to shea stad to see them..
many of those 9,999 loses i know of due to reading every box score from 1963 to almost today.I got sporting news and they printed every box score.
The 60's,70's,80's,90's and 2000's has been a rollercoaster if you are a true Philly fan.The 64 collaspe,the Schmidt and Luzinki's years with Lefty.
Finally in '80 after almost 100 yrs we win the WSeries..The 90's we have one winning season and make it to the series and freak'in Mitch Williams throws Carter that....ahhh..Can't say anymore.
Being a Phiilie fan has been tough.I'm sure there are a few out there that can relate and understand what we have gone through.but I love my Phillies and always will.
Three weeks ago we graduated over 250 seniors at my HS.The day before graduation a student named Tommy G comes into my office.He says the office called and he hasn't returned his chemistry book and he will not walk in the grad ceremony until he pays for it.He says to me he doesn't have the $60 to pay now but will give me $10 today and owe me.I was about to accept his deal when he said..Mr. Box....four years ago at frost valley[a peer leadership weekend trip we take freshman to build self esteem,etc} "you gave me this Juan Samuel baseball card..you said it was a "get out of jail card" in case you needed it in the next 4 yrs". I was so moved..I said "tommy..you have had that card in your wallet for 4 years and your cashing it in on the day before you graduate.." I said "keep your 10 bucks..I'll see tomorrow at graduation..
We'll you see..I bought over 20,000 juan Samuel baseball cards thinking he was going to be the next Willie Mays...of course the cards are worth about a penny each.So i over the years I give them to my students as "free get out of jail cards providing the infraction is small"..it's for volunteer work,helping teachers,etc.my staff knows all about them and at x-mas time they all get one too.
I was so moved that this kid held on all these years..When his named was called up during graduation...I put the Samuel card in his diploma so he can keep it...
...I still have about 10,000 Samuel cards ....
9,999...kinda sad..but Corey Hamils is pitching...Phillies win today...play the -1.5 over cards...10,000 will have to wait for another day..and just maybe the rest of the month....
hope everone is having a nice summer....
I liked watching mantle,got his autograph on two baseballs and a poster.but I loved my Phillies.
It was early 60's.. My hero was Richie Allen.Fav pitcher Chris short and Bunning.Johnny Callison,etc. Bobby Wine couldn't hit his weight but was a great fielder.got to go to shea stad to see them..
many of those 9,999 loses i know of due to reading every box score from 1963 to almost today.I got sporting news and they printed every box score.
The 60's,70's,80's,90's and 2000's has been a rollercoaster if you are a true Philly fan.The 64 collaspe,the Schmidt and Luzinki's years with Lefty.
Finally in '80 after almost 100 yrs we win the WSeries..The 90's we have one winning season and make it to the series and freak'in Mitch Williams throws Carter that....ahhh..Can't say anymore.
Being a Phiilie fan has been tough.I'm sure there are a few out there that can relate and understand what we have gone through.but I love my Phillies and always will.
Three weeks ago we graduated over 250 seniors at my HS.The day before graduation a student named Tommy G comes into my office.He says the office called and he hasn't returned his chemistry book and he will not walk in the grad ceremony until he pays for it.He says to me he doesn't have the $60 to pay now but will give me $10 today and owe me.I was about to accept his deal when he said..Mr. Box....four years ago at frost valley[a peer leadership weekend trip we take freshman to build self esteem,etc} "you gave me this Juan Samuel baseball card..you said it was a "get out of jail card" in case you needed it in the next 4 yrs". I was so moved..I said "tommy..you have had that card in your wallet for 4 years and your cashing it in on the day before you graduate.." I said "keep your 10 bucks..I'll see tomorrow at graduation..
We'll you see..I bought over 20,000 juan Samuel baseball cards thinking he was going to be the next Willie Mays...of course the cards are worth about a penny each.So i over the years I give them to my students as "free get out of jail cards providing the infraction is small"..it's for volunteer work,helping teachers,etc.my staff knows all about them and at x-mas time they all get one too.
I was so moved that this kid held on all these years..When his named was called up during graduation...I put the Samuel card in his diploma so he can keep it...
...I still have about 10,000 Samuel cards ....
9,999...kinda sad..but Corey Hamils is pitching...Phillies win today...play the -1.5 over cards...10,000 will have to wait for another day..and just maybe the rest of the month....
hope everone is having a nice summer....
