1952 Bowman #76 Del Ennis

If nothing else, this series with the Cardinals has provided five nights of distraction as my Dad's health continues to decline.  He wasn't doing well this time last year, but we were at least able to talk about the Phillies as they made quick work of the Reds in the first round of the playoffs and shockingly succumbed to the Giants in the N.L.C.S.  This year, he's too tired to stay up and watch the games and when I try to bring up the Phillies in conversation, I'm met with an optimistic but distant, "That sounds great."  He started home hospice care a few weeks ago and his days consist of mostly sleeping and spending time with his very loving family during the few hours each day he's awake.

With all the hospital visits and doctor's appointments and just the overall feeling of helplessness that comes when a parent is sick, there have been many, many difficult and painful moments to endure over the past year.  But selfishly, one of the toughest things in all of this for me is that I miss talking about the Phillies with my Dad.  He introduced me to baseball, the Phillies and baseball cards, in that order, and it's tough for me to accept that I can't talk to him about Roy Halladay or Charlie Manuel's decisions or even crazy squirrels because he's too sick and too tired to think about the Phils.

I know he'd like nothing more than to be pacing the floor and shouting at the TV (with the rest of us Phillies fans) as we watch the Cardinals fringe players dismantle our starting pitching or as Ryan Howard whiffs at another off-speed pitch in the dirt.  I know he'd clap and cheer with the rest of us if Halladay is able to shut down the Cardinals and allow the Phillies to play at least a few more games this year.  With that in mind, I'll be watching the game from home tomorrow night, waving my rally towel for me and on behalf of my Dad.