A plea to the Phillies on my birthday

Who are these people that are saying that the 2009 MLB playoffs have been a disappointment? Tonight the series returns to the Bronx for the first World Series Game 6 in seven years (Just remembering the '02 series gives me a warm feeling; so nice to see baseball's golden boy Barry Bonds be denied his best chance at a championship). Given that Cliff Lee will likely not be pitching again this season (maybe outta the pen in a potential Game 7 scenario) The Phillies face an uphill battle, albeit a slightly less steep hill than after dropping their first two games at home.

I would like to take the opportunity here and now to ask the Phillies to at least send this series to a Game 7. There a multitude of reasons, the most poignant being that it is my birthday. I currently have a beautiful baseball fan memory tied to my birthday that I would like not to be tainted by the Yankees returning to the pinnacle of baseball.

Growing up I liked the Yankees because my mom did. She's from New York, and I was too young to make the choice for myself, given that I grew up so far from any major league team. In '91 I had a best friend in school who was a huge Braves fan, and we rooted together for that worst-to-first magical season. Add to that TBS's generous coverage, and my affection for those Bravos has held strong for coming up on 20 years. But their ascension to the unofficial title of the "Best Team of the 90's) was stomped on by Joe Torre and his collection of baseball Judas's. I can trace my now powerful distain for the Yankees to that 1996 World Series, which was the beginning of the Yankee's 90's dynasty.

Atlanta hosted the Olympics that year. The Braves were the defending champions, they had The NL Cy Young winner John Smoltz (along with Maddux & Glavine by the way). They beat the Yankees in the first two games in New York by a combined score of 16-1 (12-1 & 4-0). Andruw Jones, a rookie at 19-years-old, hit two homers in Game 1 (The Yankees had a rookie named Jeter who would break some records himself). Heading back to Atlanta they seemed invincible. Even after dropping Game 3, I'd say the train didn't come fully off the tracks until the sixth inning of Game 4.

Leading 6-0, they proceeded to implode, and lose 8-6 in 10 innings. Jim Leyritz sent the game to extras with a two run homer in the 9th, and just hearing his name gives me chills to this day (He also homered later against the Braves in the '99 Series to cap the scoring in the final game (Game 4)). He's had some legal troubles in more recent years (vehicular homicide charge, drunk driving, and most recently battery) & I have to stop myself from saying its karma.

The Yankees won Game 5 beating John Smoltz 1-0, a line eerily similar to Game 7 of the 1991 series where Smoltz was out pitched by Jack Morris. The series went back to New York, and the Yankees took it down. They also won the Series three out of the next four years, blanking the Braves in the '99 Series. But it was the toppling of the Yankees juggernaut that marks my favorite birthday memory.

The terrorist attacks on September 11th pushed the World Series to its latest part of the year ever. Similar to the '96 Series, The Arizona Diamondbacks won the first two games handily (combined score of 13-1), only to see the Yankees take the next three nail-biting games. Mariano Rivera notched a two-inning save in the 2-1 Game 3 victory, and he got credit for their 10-inning 4-3 Game 4 win, that was earned on the power of a 2-out two-tun homer in the 9th by Tino Martinez, and then a walkoff dinger by Derek Jeter the following inning (The first postseason homer in November ever).

The Yankees got another 2-out two-tun homer in the 9th in Game 5 (this time from Scott Brosius), and pushed across the game-winner in the 12th inning. The Diamondbacks exploded in Game 6 to win 15-2, setting up Game 7 that was played on November 4th.

11/04/01. My 20th birthday. The official end of teenage existence. I watched the game from my friend Ken's house on State Street in New Orleans. Two twenty game winners Curt Schilling & Roger Clemens facing off. What more could I ask for?

Well quite frankly I could hope for a Yankees loss. The D'Backs scored first, but fell behind 2-1 by the time Joe Torre called on Mariano Rivera for another two-inning save. After striking out the side in the 8th, but in the 9th, Rivera couldn't hold off the D'Backs any longer. Soon after Tony Womack doubled in the tying run, Rivera faced Luis Gonzales with the bases loaded. Gonzales delivered a soft little liner just past Jeter, winning the game.

With that soft single, the Yankees' utter dominance was over. They reached the Series again two years later, but were stomped by the NL Wild Card Marlins. And I got to watch it go down on my birthday. I remember it with fondness every year.

So please Phillies…help me preserve the sanctity of this happy memory. Don't let the Yankees clinch tonight. Hold out for Game 7. While I remain a diehard National League fan, I also admit that both teams are worthy of the tittle this year. Both won their division handily, and are blessed with a potent mix of talent, class, gamesmanship, and determination. Please Phillies. Give me one game of 2009 Major League Baseball beyond tonight.