Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, but it could also be described as the City of Tough Love. For the past decade, the Phillies have been desperately striving for approval, but earning only exasperation. This being Philly, there was no sugarcoating: The fans were both mad and disappointed — until Friday.
Over the past five seasons or so, with results from a rebuild long overdue, the team had assumed the posture of a family in turmoil gritting its teeth through Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes, the tension spilled into plain sight.
You know the story by now of how that cloud lifted.