The Hopes Of A Frustrated Phillies Nation Are Nestled Under Joe Blanton's Second Chin

In case you need reminding, there's a huge (chuge?) baseball game here in the Northeastern part of the country this evening, as the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies begin their three-game bloodfeast tonight in Shea for National League East supremacy. The Phillies will roll out newly acquired pitcher Joe Blanton, with his crooked-handed deliver and mashed potato body, to go up against the bionic arm of Johan Santana. Apparently, tonight's game is not, however, a rivalry game, according to some new hot shot writer at New York magazine. A REAL rivalry game, that is.:

The Phillies and Mets, of course, have some history, but it's not real history, in the way the eighties Mets and Cardinals hated each other, or even the increasingly mild Red Sox and Yankees (somewhat) cheer against each other. Rather than two teams trading blows for baseball's most cherished prize, the Mets and Phillies tend to stumble ungallantly across the finish line, the winner crowned mostly because of the collapse of the other. Last year was the most vivid example; the Mets' implosion down the stretch opened the door for the Phillies, who celebrated by being promptly swept out of the playoffs.

How droll. Regardless of what certain floppy-haired Midwesterners believe about the "history" between these two teams, the current state of Mets-Phillies is anything but civil and the rivalry is well on its way to achieving the appropriate level of realness.

Tonight: Watch. Enjoy. Cheer for the fat kid on the mound.

Tomorrow: Return. Promptly. Please?

Thank you for your continued support of Deadspin. Mets, Phillies To Flail It Out For Desperate Fans [NY Mag]