Anyone in the Philadelphia region gets a certain feeling when they hear the year 2008. This is not because of the recession that occurred; it is because of one thing: The Phillies.

Being a Philadelphia sports fan is not a lifestyle full of extremely successful seasons and championships won. It is a lifestyle full of passion and yelling, followed by disappointment. Of course, we would love to see our teams winning more games, but we enjoy the experience either way. We get to stuff our faces with dollar dogs, cheesesteaks, and Chickie’s & Pete’s, after all!

We had the privilege to go through an era of Phillies dominance. Yankees fans see it as nothing, but as Philadelphia fans, we are not used to it, so we see it as insanely amazing. In 2007, the Phillies won their division; in 2008, they won their division, the National League title and the World Series; in 2009, they won their division and National League title; and in 2010, they won their division.

The year of 2008 sticks out because of the World Series title that the Phillies won. I still find myself thinking about that season, as well as talking about it with other Philly natives. The moment Brad Lidge threw that last out of Game 5 against the Rays, I was covered in goosebumps. Harry Kalas went on about how Brad Lidge went 48/48 in saves for the season, and he exclaimed about the game and title the Phillies had just won. My mom had already been looking online for the 'World Series Champions' shirts to order for all of us. My sister, some of our friends, my mom, and I skipped school and went to the parade in Philadelphia, since it could be something that Philly sports fans would not see for years. We are right so far…

This is an open letter to the Phillies team of this era.

Dear Philadelphia Phillies We Used to Know,

Thank you for providing my childhood with a memory that I will truly never forget. I still wear my Victorino Phillies t-shirt to this day, even though he’s been off the team for years. I still remember the go-to batting order to this day, made up of usually a mix of Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Feliz, Jenkins, Werth, Ruiz, and whatever pitcher is starting that game.

Jimmy Rollins: JRoll! You were the shortstop that everyone, no matter howinfrequently they watched Phillies games, knew was the shortstop. Replays were often of you since you always made the most amazing plays to get outs. From your quick throws to Ryan Howard at first, to your runs into the outfield to save the day, you always kept the games exciting.

Ryan Howard: Your nickname was ‘the Big Piece’ and nothing describes you more. Home runs were your move, and ‘power moves ONLY’ fits you perfectly. I doubt I will ever be able to think about ‘Phillies first basemen’ without thinking about you.

Victorino: The Flyin’ Hawaiian…you were always my favorite. You had literally unstoppable speed and were always stretching out to triples. When I think about you playing, I picture your amazing catches at the back of the outfield, often hitting the wall, as well as jumping way higher than you would expect a 5’9’ man to be able to.

Utley: You were almost every woman’s favorite because of how you look…no matter the age, I’d always hear, ‘He’s so cute!’. As an amazing second basemen, you were always part of some sick double plays, as well as always being a clutch batter. You also said the iconic phrase ‘world f’n champions’, on the live broadcast of the Phillies parade, and no one that watched will ever forget that.

Ruiz: You were my favorite once Victorino left. Whenever you were up to bat, people would yell, ‘CHOOO!!’. I’ll never forget when my sister started booing when people chanted this because she thought everyone was booing. She is not the most knowledgeable at baseball…but she tried! Ruiz, you are the most amazing catcher I have ever seen. Throws that came from far away to you at home plate were almost always manageable for you. I lived for when you got runners out at home plate, crushing their hopes that they would score the run.

Werth: All I really remember about you is that you were a very talented batter, and you had that iconic beard.

The Phillies had some great pitching years during that era. I remember learning what a ‘perfect game’ meant, as a 12-year-old, because my dad told me to come watch as Roy Halladay threw a perfect game. To all the other pitchers in this era—Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, etc…you all made the Phillies pitching lineup unstoppable.

So, Phillies of 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010…thank you for making my childhood love of the Phillies worthwhile. Thank you for making elementary and middle school so fun for all of us. I think I can speak for all Philly natives in my generation that most of us found a love for baseball because of you all.

I hope my kids get to experience an era like I got to because of you all.

Love,

A Forever Phillies Fan