Is He On To Something?
By Jim Lynch on Oct 4, 2008 in Baseball, Economics, Humor
Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist Frank Fitzpatrick observed about the Phillies that you can “Bank on them in bad times”.
Think about it.
Who was baseball’s best team when the Great Depression got rolling in 1929, 1930 and 1931?
The Philadelphia Athletics.
Connie Mack’s clubs won the World Series in 1929 and 1930, then lost to St. Louis in the ‘31 Series.
Then came the late 1970s, when inflation ran rampant, when there were gas shortages and long lines at gas stations, when interest rates rose like CC Sabathia’s postseason ERA.
Well, the Phillies took division titles in 1976, 1977 and 1978, winning a franchise-best 101 games in each of those first two seasons.
He also notes that when the Phillies won the World Series for the first time in 1980 that the Prime hit 20% for the first time as well.
Not only does he note the connection, he has a theory for the reason.
Let’s face it, for most of their existence, the Phillies have been a pretty gross domestic product. Their trade balance always has been negative. Interest was low until the 1970s. And “stuck in the past” more accurately would describe the team’s philosophy over most of its 125 years than “currency.”
Or maybe it’s because depression is a word that, in another sense, has long been associated with the Phillies. In fact, over the years, they’ve probably driven more Philadelphians to the pharmacy than SEPTA has.
I guess that if the empty suit wins the White House I can at least look forward to several years of Phillies domination.
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