The Phils close in on 10,000 losses?!! Say it ain’t so, Charlie!

As of July 12, the Phillies are one game away from a momentous occasion. The team will soon suffer its 10,000 loss as a franchise, more losses than any other ball club in existence. This is a dubious achievement indeed, but I believe the Phillies could use it to their advantage in a number of ways. Unfortunately, right now, the team is trying to avoid commenting on the record that they are about to break (and on July 18, when this paper reaches your doorstep, the Phils will probably have suffered that 10,000th loss). So, I put together a short list of ways that I believe the Phillies could use this bogus achievement to their advantage.
1) It’s a record, isn’t it? Look, Phillies fans have suffered for years. Heck, I was only a year old the last time the Fightin’ Phils won the World Series, and it’s been 14 years since the Phillies have made it to the World Series. So, honestly, it might be kind of fun for the team to celebrate the loss in a humorous way. At least they could acknowledge the record that their fans have had to suffer under for these many losing seasons.
2) Hold a humorous “bad luck” day at Citizens Bank Park. I found out, thanks to a recent article by Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News, that on June 6,1972, the Phillies hosted a “turnaround” day in an attempt to turn their bad record around. Hagen noted in a article written for the People Paper on July 6 that:
“The ushers wore their caps backwards. The lineups were introduced in reverse order with the players’ last names first,” reported Hagen. “The seventh-inning stretch was held in the third. The scores were posted backwards. When the Astros scored twice in the top of the first, the ‘2’ was posted in the ninth inning. The organist played ‘Good Night, Sweetheart’ before the first pitch and the national anthem after the final out.”
Why can’t they do something similar now? Couldn’t they give away t-shirts to all the fans that read “I survived 10,000 losses, and all I got was this Phillies shirt”? That would at least keep it light-hearted, and fans can have fun with the record.
3) Embrace the record and celebrate the teams of the past.
The Phillies have been a professional baseball team since 1883. That is almost 125 years of baseball. Any team that survives that long will eventually achieve 10,000 losses, so I really don’t think the Phillies should be ashamed. They should do something to recognize the players who played the game throughout the years. It isn’t about blaming the older teams for racking up the losses, but instead it’s about celebrating the fact that they played the game in Philadelphia.
When you come right down to it, Philadelphia sports fans are familiar with loss. Consider the Philadelphia Eagles’ recent Super Bowl loss, the 76ers’ horrendous last season or the struggles that the Flyers have had to endure.
We can’t pretend that the Phillies haven’t reached 10,000 losses. As fans, we’ve all watched more than our share of games in that record number. But, it’s part of being a Philly fan. We know they will get better, although I hope it happens sooner than later. But, I guess sometimes it’s good to root for the underdog.