The homepage of the ESPN.com MLB section is featuring stories on the Phillies this weekend. The feature is an article by Howard Bryant on how the Phillies consistently fail to reach the playoffs after coming so close. It’s a broken record we’ve all heard, of course, which is why the headline reads, “Phillies die-hards know how the story ends.” It’s not worth reading for that very reason, but here are two good clips.
None of this, it should be noted, is easy to do. Since the wild card was instituted in 1995, no team has won at least 85 games five years in a row and failed to make the playoffs. The Phillies, in their own special way, are close to making history.
But here’s the funny thing: The Phillies haven’t reached the mountain, but neither have they — as most teams do — regressed and fallen apart after coming close and not making it. The White Sox — the World Series winners in 2005 and in the hunt every year since 2000 — are in last place, threatening to lose 90 games.
Here’s the better story:
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