With all congratulations due to the Phillies and Hunter Pence, this is dubious:
“It's exciting,” acknowledged Pence, who'd joined the Phillies at the trade deadline after an early career with the ever-struggling Astros. “It would be my first opportunity to do that in the big leagues. It's something I am not ever going to take for granted because I realize how difficult it is and how fortunate we all are to be a part of this.”
First of all: "Ever-struggling Astros" ? I know in baseball years, the Astros struggles date back to when Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with two tablets (with six commandments on one tablet, and four on the other, causing great consternation among the Car Salesmen in the crowd). But come on. We're talking about three years of "struggling."
Also, yes, Hunter Pence, it is difficult to get to the postseason. Get traded to the best team in baseball midway through the season, from the worst team in baseball to the best, and then do what you've been doing, but for a team with seven other guys just like you. And maybe the best rotation in baseball history.
Nit-picky? Yes. But that's the level of frustration I have right now.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
