Fitzpatrick's rant

What was with Frank Fitzpatrick's unprovoked rant in the Morning Byte's column earlier this week savaging the knowledge of the Philadelphia fans because the fans wrote off the Phillies in April and now the team is proving them wrong by playing meaningful games in September?

It was the worst kind of Philly journalism and beneath publication in the Inquirer. Worst of all, it just perpetuates the stereotype of the ignorant, knuckleheaded Philly fan that the national press loves to play up. That such a screed appeared in the Inqy was doubly hurtful.

Besides, Fitzpatrick didn't even have a valid point. First, his attack on the fans was published the same day as a front sports page story on Billy Wagner and how the closer supposedly lit a fire under the team by claiming they had no shot at the playoffs back in June. Did Fitzpatrick take exception to Wagner's erroneous statement, especially since as a member of the actual Phillies he would be presumed to be a knowledgeable baseball comentator?

Second, is this really what Philly sports journalists now define as success for the Phillies-- meaningful games in September competing for a wild card spot? Not making the playoffs, not winning the pennant, but competing in regular season games that have post-season implications?! Perhaps nothing says more about the sustained mediocrity of the Phillies organization since 1993 than Fitzpatrick's argument in that regard.

Finally, Fitzpatrick had the misfortune of running his piece just as the Phils were in the middle of dropping 2 of 3 from the staggering Nationals and then getting swept by the Astros to drop to 3rd place in the wild card standing.

Sure, Frank, the fans don't know, do they? But they do know as much, if not more than some Inquirer "journalists."