Are You Superstitious?

“I don’t know if it’s you guys [the media] or the players or what, but somebody out there has got something against us. Or somebody’s not living right. If you guys are very religious, please go to church. Pray for us.”

Charlie Manuel, Phillies Manager July 7, 2006


Originally hired as an usherette for the 1980 season, my work with The Phillies ranged from ballgirl to market researcher to fan liaison. I sold the most season tickets in 1985 and attended over 600 games, playoffs, World Series, five All-Star Games and fifteen parks while with the club.

The Phillies won their first World Series my rookie year and the National League Championship in 1983 but have had just two winning seasons since my departure in 1986.

I moved to New York in 1986, the Mets won the Series.
I moved to LA in 1988, the Dodgers won the Series.
I moved home, had my son a week before the 1993 Opener, and the Phillies won the NL.
I moved back to New York in 1998, and, well, those damn Yankees have made the playoffs nearly every year since—and there was that Subway Series in 2000…

Baseball sparked with superstitious talk of the curses on the Cubs and the Red Sox during the 2003 League Championships, and then the Sox rocked the World Series in 2004, saying bye-bye to the Curse of the Bambino.

Now we go Meta: I wrote The Constitution Blues to lift the apparent curse off my old team...