The Phils are in first, and aren't leaving

So there I was, sitting in Shea Stadium on a brisk Wednesday afternoon last week, enjoying my overpriced hot dog and watered-down Coke, when I realized something -- the Philadelphia Phillies are for real.

And then, as I watched Mets captain John Franco spoil a solid Rick Reed pitching performance and journeyman outfielder Darren Bragg lose a fly ball in the sun while his designer Oakleys remained stylishly on top of his cap, I realized something even worse -- my beloved New York Mets are also for real.

Real in the sense that they seem poised to remain on their 10-games-below-.500 track for the rest of the season.

You see, as hard as this is for me to say, the 2001 Amazins' are simply an older version of the '99 Padres -- National League champions one year, bumbling excuse for a baseball team the next.

So in the top of the eighth inning, as I watched from my `borrowed' box seats as Franco, Bragg and company did their very best to give the first-place Phils a nice going-away present, I tried to understand how the face of the NL East has changed so drastically this season.

I mean, in the past few years, the Mets have always been contenders. They have always brought a top-flight baseball team to the Big Apple, filled with stars and proven veterans -- guys brought in to help decorate the big blue wall in right field.

And the Phillies? They've been nothing ever since Mitch `the Wild Thing' Williams helped send a World Series ring north of the U.S.-Canadian border back in '93.

So how could this have happened? The Phillies in first place? The Mets in fourth? The Phils sweeping the Mets at Shea for the first time in 22 years?

What in Joe Carter's name is going on here?

Even Phillies fans are surprised at these recent developments. They gloat and they taunt and they laugh, but they always end up saying, "Yeah, I know it's not gonna last."

Last year, I was sitting at a Mets-Phillies game at the Vet, talking to the guy next to me. At the time, the Mets were cruising towards the postseason, while the Phillies were toughing it out for last place. Still, I remember telling the Phils fan, "You guys have a pretty good team, I'm surprised you haven't done better." "Nah," he quickly responds. "We're going nowhere."

Well, a season later, we're both right. The Phillies are a good team and they aren't going anywhere. They are firmly entrenched in first place, and based on what I've seen, they might very well stay there.

As I see it, the Phillies' only weakness is their fans. Tell me this: in the same city where Eagles fans stomp, piss and vomit on anybody wearing the color blue during a Giants-Eagles war and Flyers fans churn out obscenities and throw the occasional fist at the sight of a Devils jersey, how can Phillies fans be so ridiculously passive? The past few Septembers, I could've sworn I was at Shea during Mets-Phillies games at the Vet based on all the Mets jerseys I saw and all the New York accents I heard. But then, I would look around and see the ugliest stadium in baseball, and know I was still in Philly.

Sure, the Phillies were out of contention then, but this year the same small crowds are turning out to see a first-place team. Philadelphia sports fans -- the same fans who have been absolutely incredible during the Sixers' amazing run to the NBA Finals -- have to show a little pride for their baseball team.

Anyway, here's why, in my expert baseball opinion, the Phillies are now good and the Mets are now bad. Basically, the Phils, like any young team, are reaping the benefits of the rebuilding process. Look up and down their roster... what do you see? Young, talented players who have been with the Phils for a few years now. Scott Rolen, Penn alum Doug Glanville, Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Mike Lieberthal, Randy Wolf, Robert Person -- all guys who suffered through the bad times. They've been put on the field the past few years, learning and maturing through the rocky times. And now, they've developed into solid major league ballplayers.

Many people around the baseball world wondered why the Phillies went out and bolstered their bullpen in the offseason. Well, it's because that was the only part of their roster that needed improvement.

The Mets, on the other hand, went into hibernation during the offseason. A-Rod? Too expensive. Manny? Headcase. Juan-Gon? Fugghedaboutit. The Mets executives sat back and did nothing to improve their team, other than replace star sellout Mike Hampton with Kevin Appier and Steve Trachsel (who recently added another record to his r‚sum‚ -- giving up the 62nd to McGwire wasn't enough, so he figured he'd give up four homers in one inning. Well done, Steve.) at exorbitant prices. Now, Trachsel and his 8.24 ERA are partying down in Norfolk, while the big suits in the front office are contemplating trading for David Wells, as if a fat, out-of-shape, 38-year-old prick is the answer to all their problems.

New York's bullpen was expected to be solid this year, but has been a major disappointment thus far. And their lineup? Five automatic outs, and perhaps the worst outfield in baseball. Enough said.

Right now, the Mets are old, reeling and struggling while the Phillies are young, surging and in first place.

It's early. A lot can happen from June to September. Still, the Mets and Phillies appear to be two teams headed in different directions.

Where's Joe Carter when you really need him?

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