"Happy being miserable"

For future reference...these are alpacas - it will come in handy, I promise

Last year at this time it was easy to pinpoint the Phillies' biggest strength - the bullpen was going to turn ballgames into 6 innings affairs with the 1-2-3 punch of Ryan Madson, Tim Worrell, and Billy Wagner locking things down once the 7th inning rolled around. The green converted starter, the former closer, and THE closer were expected to play a big part in the Phils 2005 success. Obviously things didn't go as planned...all three guys are now no longer a part of the bullpen in Philly - the converted starter is doing just that again, the former closer is out in the desert, and...whatever happened to THE closer. I think he's out raising alpacas somewhere...

I could go on and on writing about Tim Worrell and Billy Wagner's recent comments about their time spent in Philadelphia. I actually like Tim Worrell though I should say that I'm sure these positive personal feelings toward him have got to help me understand where he is coming from more so than when Billy Wagner (for whom I don't care for) runs his mouth. Worrell doesn't come across as pro-Philly in this article, but he does sound pretty damn honest to me...

"Philly is a tough place to play when things go right," he told veteran Giants beat reporter Nick Peters. "I'm a West Coast guy. I grew up in California [Pasadena] and I live in Arizona. It's a different mentality back there. I don't want to say it's wrong, but I'm just not used to it.

"It was a night-and-day difference, a shock to my family. [Philly fans] want to win, but they seem happy being miserable."

Worrell, 38, made it clear that he was exempting the Phillies organization and former general manager Ed Wade from his thumbs-down review.

"[Being traded to] Arizona was a favor, and [Wade] made it happen," he said. "He was very good to me. I have nothing bad to say about the Phillies.

"They went out of their way for me. I don't think you ever solve problems, but my mind was clear enough to concentrate on doing what needed to get done. In Philly, it was tough to focus when a lot of stuff was going on."

Wagner, on the other hand, is a dope. Plain and simple. He just doesn't get it and I don't think he ever will. Good thing they don't boo in New York, right Billy? These comments are about a week old, but I just couldn't ignore them anymore...

"Those people, it doesn't matter how successful you are. I don't get it. They boo you. They scream at you. Anybody who's going to boo you when you don't hit 100 miles per hour, what does that tell you? There are some fans who are fantastic, who were very supportive, and made you feel welcome there. But, for the most part, you had the guys who just came to the ballpark to yell at you. If you're having a bad season there, forget it. You can't get out of that funk. They won't allow you to. You have to go into Philadelphia and become so thick- skinned, somebody that you're not. It's hard." --new Mets closer Billy Wagner, on the fans in Philadelphia (Newark Star-Ledger)

Booing the radar gun means they love you...what? You don't understand that? Still? Dope.