This weekend was a great time for Phils in sports. Phil Mickelson won his second major title with his victory at the PGA Championship. The Phightin’ Phils swept the Padres in San Diego to draw to within 1/2 game of the NL wild card lead. And rumor has it, Dr. Phil was unstoppable at the foosball table.
The lasting image of Mickelson’s triumph will be that of his two-year-old son Evan, running gleefully around the 18th green. One can only hope that Evan gets a play date with Jack Roberts, who was a dancing machine as his father John Roberts was introduced as a Supreme Court nominee. While not quite as youthful as Evan Mickelson, Chase Utley is a youngster who has delighted Phillies fans with his energy on the field. His name sounds like an action movie in the realm of “Kill Bill” or “Get Carter.” If Steve McQueen were alive today, he’d likely be starring in “Chase Utley.”
Mickelson, a/k/a Lefty, won the tournament after pitching his third shot to within three feet of the hole on the Par-5 18th. Coincidentally, the best pitcher in Phillies history was also called Lefty. The greatest victory for both Mickelson (2004 Masters) and the Phillies (1980 World Series) involved Green – Jacket for Mickelson, Dallas for the Phillies. And Mickelson often plays with a big smile on his face – the same look the Phillies had when hard-nosed manager Larry Bowa was fired.
One difference between these Phils was shown by Philadelphia’s June trade with Detroit, in which the Phillies received Ugueth Urbina and Ramon Martinez for Placido Polanco. Mickelson, of course, prefers not to deal with Tigers. Incidentally, you can easily substitute “Ugueth Urbina” for “Who Can It Be Now” in the Men At Work song of that name. Go ahead, sing it: “U-gueth Ur-BEEEE-na!” (Make saxophone noises). It should also be noted that tied for second in the PGA behind Mickelson was Steve Elkington, from the land Down Under. I could continue with Men At Work song titles, but that would just be Overkill.
Unfortunately for Phil Jackson, it’s still the offseason.
