The 2011 Season Is Here!
Phanatic Addict Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
It wasn’t exactly the nicest day we’ve had this Spring, but it seemed just perfect to the 45,000+ that attended Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park yesterday. It didn’t feel so good when I got out of my warm bed and saw the snow falling from the sky, but I knew that in just a few short hours Roy Halladay was going to take the mound. Thankfully the weather seemed to be improving the closer I got to the park, and as my father and I settled into our seats it had virtually stopped. The jets flew over, the anthem was sung, and the team was introduced. It wasn’t really that quick, but for me I just wanted the game to start. Roy Halladay looked masterful through the first few innings. It somehow had the feeling of the playoffs already. The chorus of boos that followed Brett Myers hit in the third inning were pretty funny. Roy suffered behind a few fielding mistakes from Ben Francisco who received and error when he misplayed a fly ball, and Wilson Valdez who let a ball roll just under his glove. Still, Roy did what he does best. He kept the Phillies in the game, allowing just 1 run in six innings. He struck out six. Speaking of Brett Myers, he pitched pretty well. It seams like he’s finally gotten to the point where he’s not trying to beat hitters with just heat, and he actually pitches to them. Myers keep the Phillies off the board until the 7th, and left theft the game allowing just one. I also heard that yesterday was the first time that a pitcher has managed 2 hits off of Roy Halladay…. Makes sense that it was a punk like Myers. Brett has appeared to have gotten uglier since last season, and that beard… Gross. It’s just nasty looking. I’m sure that you’re fitting quite in nicely in Texas, Brett. It seemed like what everyone was worrying about all was being showcased in the first game of the season. The Phillies struggled early to get a hit off of Myers. They only managed four hits in the first eight innings, and finished with six hits in the 9th. Fans were quickly reminded never to quit on this Phillies team, because they won’t quit on you. A collection of hits in the 8th and 9th brought the Phillies back from a 4-0 deficit. It was impressive and exciting to see a walk-off win from the bat of a guy like John Mayberry Jr. Mayberry was a player that I really questioned at the start of Spring Training. I still wasn’t sure if he had what it took to make the Major League squad, but he proved us wrong and had a very strong Spring. It was a great win for the Phillies. The crowd took a little long to file in to the park but once they did it sure started to feel like home again. Come over and join the discussion on my Facebook! If you don’t already FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! I’m now part of the PhilaPhans crew. Check me out on their site .
