Seeing your team represented on the national stage is a luxurious experience as a fan. You don’t have to talk yourself into rooting for a guy or a team you hate, and you don’t have to wonder how long it will be until someone wearing your team’s colors is the focus of the eveningomeone wear. Finally, there’s a guy out there with the right hat on.
The Phillies were not a nationally recognized team when I was young in the late nineties and early aughts. Well, they were, but for narratives like “Larry Bowa screamed at Scott Rolen in front of everybody again,” and “Mike Lieberthal’s knees are 80% bone dust.