9989

As of Tuesday, 19 June, 2007, that's how many losses the Philadelphia Phillies have piled up in their illustrious existence. Since their inception in 1883, the Phillies have the most losses of any professional organization. The team is over 300 losses ahead of the Braves, which is interesting considering how good the Braves have been over the past 17 years or so. But when they played in Boston they were pretty wretched. I figure the Phillies will break the magical 10,000 loss plateau around the first or second week of July. Let's say 7 July, at Colorado.

The Phillies are an awful team, and I feel some perverse nobility in rooting for them my entire life. They've won five pennants (1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993) and their World Series record is 1-4, with the Series going 1-4, 0-4, 4-2, 1-4, 2-4, for a record of 8-18. In 1961 they lost 23 straight games. In 1964, they held a 6-game lead with 12 to play and famously lost 10 in a row to lose the pennant. They've had some great teams and great players, but for the most part, they're lousy. But I love them. Like the Eagles (and to a very lesser extent the Sixers and Flyers), they embody the city. Fans of newer teams just don't get the passion fans from older cities and of older teams have for them. Yes, the Phillies are losers. But they're OUR losers.

Still, 10,000 losses is going to be tough to take. Maybe they can get their act together and win the World Series in the year they set that mark. They certainly have enough talent to do so! Will their history drive them down yet again????