Phillies phans heartbroken

Phillies fans are crushed. One day after the Phillies' season ended with a World Series loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Phillies fans across the University were still feeling the pain of their favorite team's tough loss. "It was the low point of the last 10 years as a fan for me," said College sophomore Adam Forsted, who watched the sixth and final Series game with his family. "And it was as devastating for them as it was for me." Fellow Phils fans Jerry Greenberg, Dan Rowan and Stacey Loke also recounted their heartbreak. Engineering junior Rowan said he never lost faith in the Phillies, hoping Philadelphia would hold on to their ninth inning lead and force a seventh and final game. Forsted wasn't so optimistic. "I did not write them off," he said, "until Mitch Williams entered in the ninth inning." "That's when I knew all hope was gone." Williams, nicknamed "Wild Thing," was the Phillies' ace reliever throughout the regular season, notching over 40 saves, despite a habit of turning his games into wild adventures. Williams had been hit hard in the postseason. In Game Four, he was unable to protect a 14-9 Phillies lead and the Phillies went on to lose, 15-14. In Game Six, he was brought in at the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Phillies leading 6-5. Four batters later, Toronto rightfielder Joe Carter drove a Williams pitch into the left field seats to end the game and the Series. Fans were split in their opinions of Phillies' Manager Jim Fregosi's decision to put in the Wild Thing with the game and the Series on the line. College sophomore Greenberg said he had "complete confidence" in Williams' ability, although he admitted he now takes Pepto-Bismol every time the Wild Thing enters a game. He said he thought Fregosi made the right decision. Although College sophomore Norm Hetrick wouldn't have brought Williams in, he praised Fregosi for not tampering with the strategy that got them to the Series to begin with. Others weren't nearly as charitable in their opinions of Fregosi or Williams. "I would fine [Fregosi,] I would suspend him without pay, indefinitely, forever," Forsted said. "I think it was a disgraceful move." Even before Carter's home run, he said he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. "I figured [Carter] was due," he said. "He did nothing all Series, and I figured he was too good a player to do nothing." "[Fregosi] should have learned his lesson," College sophomore Loke said. "[Larry] Andersen was pitching fine; they never should have taken him out." Loke, who went to all of the Phillies' home games during the playoffs and Series, and who had tickets for Game Seven in Toronto, holds Williams responsible for the Phillies' Series loss. "If you took the two games he lost, and turned them into wins, there'd be a different World Series champion right now," she said. But all agreed, despite their disappointment, they are still proud of their worst-to-first Phillies. This year was the first time Philadelphia won their division since 1983. "I'm proud of them that they got here," Loke said. "I've been waiting for 10 years."

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