2010 - A Look Back

2010

            One beautiful thing about life is that each year we get older, but we get a little bit wiser too. I can honestly say that I’ve learned a lot in the past year. Professionally, personally, socially. What’s the point of existing if you aren’t going to use your days here on earth to better yourself? Become a better person, a better fan of hockey, a better diaper cleaner. Just do what you do, and then next year do it better.

            A few weeks back I wrote a column on my blog about the Phillies American Dream. Before there were the Phillies and Dusty Rhodes, the American Dream lived somewhere within a young Italian kid from West Philly. Mike DiBiase didn’t have much growing up. He barely could afford life’s basic necessities. When he married his beautiful wife Jeanette, he took her to New York City for a modest honeymoon. He worked long hours on an egg route in Philadelphia to provide for his young sons Michael and Ronnie and his wife. He allowed them to live comfortably. He left the egg business to pursue a career in law enforcement and it was there where he rose up the ranks of the Cumberland County sheriff’s department. He is one of the main reasons my Father will be retiring comfortably in 2011 after over 35 years of teaching at Millvile High School. And he is the reason I was able to attend the college of my dreams and obtain a great job in this shitty economic time.

            The most inspiring thing about my Grandfather’s long life was that he didn’t even graduate high school yet he was twenty times more knowledgeable than I will ever become. He didn’t drop out of school because of the issues of today’s kids. You know, either school is too hard or they can’t stay out of trouble. My Grandfather never received a high school diploma because he had to work to keep his family afloat. Despite never completing his basic education, my grandfather was immensely intelligent. Ask him anything about any section of the newspaper; he could provide commentary on it. He was hard-headed at times, stubborn often, but he knew what the hell he was talking about and I love him and I’ll miss him for as long as I live.

            Ok so what else happened this year? Let’s see………

Memorable Moments

Phillies in 2010 – Where do I start? I’m not going to write anything here because it won’t be anything you haven’t already heard before. Just freaking amazing.

Tom Green in NYC – Early in 2010 Kevy, Rue, McCool and I took a trip to NYC to see our favorite green tom, Tom Green. His standup routine was the best I’ve ever been to and to top it off we hung around after the show and chatted with The Backwards Man himself.

Rue and McCool’s Wedding – How could I forget? Ask Uncle Don, he probably forgets a lot of the wedding. Ha. Everything was awesome at Rue’s wedding. From the Ted DiBiase-Virgil wedding cake to the sick bachelor party, we all danced……well. We dance well.

My First Tattoo – Liberation is the word that best describes the feeling I received when the needle pierced my skin with the first drop of ink. Finally, I did something that I truly wanted yet other questioned. I know I’m going to get crap for this statement, but sometimes it feels good to disappoint people while satisfying yourself.

Punk Rock Summer 2010 – Every year, the shows get better. This year I saw The Gaslight Anthem, Bouncing Souls (of course), The Loved Ones, Warped Tour, Social Distortion, and Street Dogs (to name a few).

The Reunion – At the end of summer, my Dad decided to dust off his old drum set and get his old cover band back together for a reunion show. Aside from the tacky Hawaiian shirts my mother insisted everyone wear (love you Mom  J), we had a great time. A keg of blue moon and the smooth jazz sounds of Gene Ianetti, Ron DiBiase, and John Blonovich (sp)? Made me wish I was around back in the old days when they were the Mr. Greengenes of Cumberland County.

5 Minutes of Fame – My beautiful mother sent my brother Kevy and I up to NYC for a night to catch the American Idiot musical. After an uneventful night of barhopping in Manhattan, the musical kicked ass the next day. High on the rock-opera’s energy, we decided to head over to a taping of the Jimmy Fallon show before we departed the city. While waiting in the stand-by line we were approached by a man who looked like Conan O’Brien’s son. He asked us if we wanted to be on the show, we said yes, I read a joke, Kevy spit water in my face. Yada, yada, yada. You get  it. I’m famous now. Get at me.

Ocean City, Maryland – If anyone aged 21-29 has not been to Seacrets in OCMD in the summer, I highly recommend it. It was there I became the first person in the history of the world to go shot-for-shot with the great Matthew Mongelluzzo. Kid’s back, ‘nuff said.

Clearwater 2010 – There is something about this place. I hate looking too far in the future, but I honestly can see myself going down to the gulf coast city to catch a few games each spring (if my wallet allows). Warm weather plus white beaches plus Phillies baseball. I’m in.

RIP KTA – Kitchen Table Antics has seen their best days come and go.

Broad Street Run – I ran 10 miles this year in a race. It was kool.

Winter of 2010 – This was the least fun thing to happen in 2010. I don’t think we will ever see another snowfall like we did last winter. On the bright side, the snow helped convince me to buy a new car with all-wheel drive. My new 2011 Hyundai Tucson.

Grandpop’s Passing – I have lost two wonderful, strong, intelligent grandparents in successive years. One thing I have learned about deaths in the family is that they aren’t always one-hundred percent terrible. The memories of the DiBiase family gathering as one over my Grandpop’s house on Oak Road will be one that I will always remember. Faces I hadn’t seen in years stopped over to offer their condolences and memories of my Grandfather as we sipped on beer and watched another sun set in the orange Vineland sky.

Top 10 Books

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

2. The Summer Game by Roger Angell

3. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

4. Babe by Robert W. Creamer

5. Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt

6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

7. Harry the K by Randy Miller

8. Willie Mays : The Legend by James Hirsch 

9. The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter

10. I Hate Your Guts by Jim Norton

Top 5 Movies

1. Inception

2. Toy Story 3

3. The Social Network

4. Due Date

5. Get Him to The Greek

Favorite 2010 New Music

“Chamberlain Waits” by The Menzingers

“American Slang” by The Gaslight Anthem

Self-Titled by The Street Dogs

“This Addiction” by The Alkaline Trio

“Rock n’ Roll EP” by Frank Turner

Self-Titled by Devil’s Brigade

“Resolutions” by Dave Hause

“In Desolation” by Off With Their Heads

“Serf City USA” by Have Nots

2011 will be special.

Mark it down!!!!!!!

The American Dream

"Families are always rising and falling in America. But, I believe, we ought to examine more closely the how and why of it, which in the end revolves around life and how you live it."—Nathaniel Hawthorne

       We were poor. We spent our summers peeling our sweaty shirts off the backs of our blue seats.  We starved, picking at the scraps of our neighbors thoughtlessly discarded garbage. Danny Tartabul, Bruce Chen, Dennis Cook. Though burning under those hot summer suns, we shivered in the basement of this city, of this league; we were an afterthought.

       I don’t recall the time or the place but somewhere, sometime we realized that we were in America and in America even the most destitute, hopeless people can find their path to happiness. Slowly, we rose through the orange falls and white winters. Each season more promising than the last. We began to realize that we were not alone anymore. All around us, the blue seats began to fill up like bodies in the ocean. Our voices grew louder. We were prouder.

       We moved into a new house, with new shiny things, and people noticed. Our voices grew louder. We were prouder. Our interest peaked at the beginning of fall instead of the middle of summer.

       When we won the World Championship still some questioned us, but we took their critiques and threw them into the fire. With wild eyes, we watched their negativity burn to ashes, floating like a Hamels changeup in the sky. Our voices grew louder. We were prouder.

      

And then on a bitter cold winter day in mid-December it happened.

Cliff Lee chose the Philadelphia Phillies because he wanted to come here and not New York.

It’s not about hoisting a trophy in the air or boasting over numbers on a stat sheet. It’s knowing that we have made it America.

From our humble beginnings to our lavishness now, the Philadelphia Phillies have made it. We are what every father wants their children to be. We were the poor kid working at the shoe factory to make a better life for his family. We are what my great-grandfathers dreamt of when they arrived here on Ellis Island with empty pockets and great expectations.

We are the American Dream.

We are the Philadelphia Phillies.

Werth the Money? Time Will Tell

So a week has gone by and aloud me to wrap my brain around the 7 year $126 million dollar contract that Jayson Werth signed to become a member of the Washington Nationals. When I first found out that Werth would be leaving the Philadelphia Phillies, for Washington, I have to admit, I like many around the Delaware Valley were shocked. Any Phillies fan new this was inevitable though, we had seen the writing on the wall all season long, we knew it was going to take a lot to resign Werth but none of us ever thought that Washington would be the team to swoop in and sign the right fielder.

After careful deliberation, I cannot fault Jayson Werth for taking that contract with the Nationals. Werth was just a mediocre player with a series of injuries who just couldn’t seem to click in the majors, until Phillies GM Pat Gillick took a chance on him after he was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007. Werth quickly regained the swing that made him a first round pick in the majors and also displayed the 5 tools that make a superstar player. By signing with the Nationals Werth is set for life, he will be 39 years old when the contract expires and based on how the salary is dispersed he will earn 21 million dollars that year, incredible. The Phillies however did their part to keep the right handed slugger; the figures have been reported at being 4 year with an average annual salary of $16 million a year. Not far off from the 18 million average annual salary, Werth will earn with Washington.

Phillies fans may want to say that he sold out, and was only in if for the money, and I as a fan believe this to an extent. Werth was a huge part of the Phillies success over the past 4 seasons. He was the right handed protection behind Ryan Howard that is so desperately needed in a left handed heavy lineup. If it were me personally I would have taken less money to stay on a team that I am already comfortable with and that I know has a shot at winning the World Series within the next few years. The Phillies fan in me is upset that Werth is gone, but glad that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. didn’t take the big plunge and sign Werth to this kinds of deal. Do we really want a 39 year old Jayson Werth? We see what having 13 million invested in an old Raul Ibanez gets us.

Some people may ask what is Washington thinking, signing a guy like that to that much of a contract. Well I’m going to tell you guys a little story. There once was a team that was stuck in reverse, a consistent last place team for the better part of a decade, much like Washington. They had some good young players coming up the farm system especially one infielder who made an impact on this team his rookie season. So ownership had some money that they were willing to spend, hoping that if they went out and showed that they are willing to spend money, invest in star players, and develop their farm system so that they can change the culture of this team. Sure, it may mean overpaying for an aging superstar, but once they get that guy in the fold, the floodgates will open for other free agents to want to come there, and the fans will start to take notice too. This team was the Philadelphia Phillies, and on December 2nd, 2002 they signed 32 year old free agent first basemen Jim Thome to a 6 year 85 million dollar contract. As the years went by the team started to get better and better, and the pieces started to fall into place and in 2008 that Phillies team won the World Series and one can argue that they now own the city of Philadelphia.

So the situation the Washington Nationals are in is not that different from the situation my beloved Phillies were in a few years ago. They have Ryan Zimmerman, a young established superstar, who is only going to get better. Much like Jimmy Rollins, who was coming off an impressive rookie season in 2001. When Stephen Strasburg recovers from Tommy John surgery he will be the young ace to guide this team in the future ala Cole Hamels. Bryce Harper this year’s first round pick, is projected to do it all for Washington and along with Zimmerman. Both will anchor that Nationals lineup for years to come, a lot like Chase Utley did for the Phillies, when he finally was called up to the majors. That brings us to Werth, who will be the centerpiece and power of the Washington offense. Werth will also be the veteran presence in the locker room, much like Thome was for the Phillies. Granted it was the emergence of Ryan Howard and that trade of Jim Thome that put the Phillies over the top, but an organizational turnaround has to start somewhere and Washington believes it starts with the signing of Jayson Werth.

So goodbye Jayson, it’s been real. Thank You for 2008, you will always hold a special place in the heart of Phillies fans. Although you will most likely be hitting the golf course a little early this year, that’s ok we don’t mind. Just remember, come April when you stroll out to right field at Citizen’s Bank Park, you return to Philly as an opponent so don’t get mad at me for booing.

-Zorzi

Food for thought: Candy Corn

Do you like candy corn? Well, I do. Candy Corn. Nothin like it on planet earth. Takes corn, takes candy, combines em. One great taste. Candy Corn. Candy's great. Corn's great. Candy Corn's great. Candy Corn.