Toni Dockter: Filosophy with a Fuchsia Flair

Not to brag about my prognostications (but I kinda am), but how ’bout those Giants yesterday in Philadelphia? Never bet against Timmy!

The Giants were clearly the BETTER team, with better pitching and more hits than the Phillies. They deserved to win.

There are three reasons the Phillies stunk up the joint last night and thus deserved their loss: the fans, a player, and the organization.

1. The fans whistling/jeering at Tim Lincecum based on his hair style, which they don’t approve of. Making fun of a player’s bad performance is one thing. Making fun of the way a player LOOKS is childish, boorish, insensitive, discriminatory, and déclassé.

Obvious Mr. Lincecum’s long hair gives him pitching superiority. Just look at his match up with Halladay. Maybe Roy the BOY should let his hair grow, as he was outgunned by the “girlie” MAN.

Would the Phillies’ fans rather have a win OR a different hairdo. Baseball is America’s sport. And we come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and follicular arrangements. Phillies fans: Grow up.

2. Jayson Werth’s sketchy base running. But first, what about HIS weird hair? It’s much scragglier than Lincecum’s—and with his scruffy face and crazed expression last night, looked like a wack-o.

Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth - Why don't the Phillies fans heckle this guy's hairdo?

In addition, Werth’s slide into second base to break up a double play is fine if you stay in the baseline (the rules). But when you swing your body way outside like a right tackle, that’s called a bush league move. Like flopping. I think he should have been called on it. But maybe the umps are too afraid of him with that crazed look?

3. The WHITE rally towels. Many Phillies players have complained about them, such as Victorino, Halladay, Polanco, Valdez, Ibanez, and Rollins. They say the white color obscures their vision and makes it hard to see the ball. Why an organization would want to hinder their players’ ability to see is beyond me.

But the white towels also hinder their opponents’ vision. Should the fans’ activities be allowed to hinder the sight of players?Should a fan be allowed to reach over the outfield railing and drop a bag over the outfielder’s head when he is about to catch a fly ball? Is a fan allowed to squirt a player in the eyes with a Super Soaker? Same thing.

The Phillies players’ complaints fell on deaf ears. From PhillyBurbs.com, Bonnie Clark, VP Communications for the Phillies organization, justified the use of white towels saying, “We won all three games, so why change?”

She sounds like an idiot. So does Dave Buck, VP Marketing/Sales, who said NO to changing the white to red.

To Ms. Clark and Mr. Buck – You are wrecking the great game of baseball by allowing players to be interfered with by the fans. You should be ashamed of yourselves and run out of the sport.

In the meantime, the Phillies prove to be part of a bush league organization and as such, deserve to lose.

GO GIANTS!