By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor
Just two years ago, Pat Burrell was leading the way in a parade a city had been suffering 25 long years to experience. He was the posterboy for a team that had grown from misfits to WFCs. He came up through the Phillies system and had long helped Phils teams just miss the playoffs.
Everyone pretty much knew at that point that the ride on the Clydesdales would symbolize his trip to the airport out of town. The Phillies had no intention of resigning Burrell, partly based on his drop in production due to foot issues, and partly based on Pat Gillick’s strategy to always change a couple key parts of a team to keep it hungry.
Pat Burrell brings his teammates into his old stomping ground for the NLCS. Rumor has it the Irish Pub is extending its hours for Pat the Bat.
Raul Ibanez was brought in, Burrell signed with Tampa and you know the rest — no need to recap the 2009 seasons of both players.
Burrell now comes to Philly for the NLCS as a member of the Giants, who inked the slugger after he was sent packing by the Rays in May. All Burrell did was hit 18 home runs in 96 games for the Bay area buttheads.
Like it or not, Ibanez and Burrell will be compared during the NLCS. Imagine if Burrell goes yard at CBP a couple times and Ibanez starts the series slow. You know what will follow.
Look, signing Ibanez and letting Burrell go was the right move and nobody can dispute that. Burrell has been productive in San Fran, but Ibanez has matched that the last quarter of this season here. He went deep 16 times this year, mostly after the all-star break.
Burrell is really a veteran leader at this point as Philly.com pointed out today, and not much more. Ibanez can still ball and always has a 50-game tear each season. He just happened to save it for the end of the 2010 season.
The Phillies don’t need leadership, they need production and the hunger of a veteran who hasn’t opened a championship ring box in his career. Ibanez is the one who should want it more.
Honestly, Ibanez and Burrell may be compared, especially by the network idiots, but it really is just one small subplot. The only real story might be how often Pat the Bat hits his old stomping ground The Irish Pub while he’s here.
Burrell will always be remembered here for his stint as a WFC and be applauded as such. But, for the next week and change, he’s nothing more than an old ballplayer making one last run at glory. It’s ashame that Halladay, hamels and Oswalt stand in his way.
