Logo and Tagline Revealed!

This should be a recap of the Cardinals series as well as a preview of the Rockies series. But both of those things suck - that is, one already sucked and one is about to. So more exciting and fun news. As you can see, the blog now has an official logo. In said logo, there is an official tagline. Before I provide any explanation, I would like to give a shoutout to those who provided their own input in helping for me to come up with a tagline.

Making Mountains Out of Anthills - Lori Hellmann
-I like this one because it is a nod to the song "High Hopes" and its saga of an ant trying to move a rubber tree plant. I think it's also a nod to my generally positive attitude towards the Phillies (baseball team, not broadcast team). Very creative

Where Harry the K Lives Forever - Mike Costello
-This was a good idea because, without realizing it, I really do talk a lot about how much I miss Harry. Most of it is indirect, though, because it's largely just me complaining about our current play-by-play disaster that is Thomas McCarthy. The idea of incorporating the actual song or Harry were very high on my list of how I was going to come up with a tagline. Well done, Costello.

Play Like a CAMpion (among other things that involved my name as some type of pun) - David Cressman
-Hilarious because I'm sure Dave was being intentionally corny on this one. If you don't know Dave, sorry you're missing out on this joke.

And there were no other recorded suggestions. If you gave one, sorry I missed it. If you didn't, thanks a lot jerk. All I wanted was a little help and the ability to not do this completely on my own. Indirectly, however, you did lead me to my solution for the tagline. How, might you ask? Well...

I hear about people reading the blog a decent amount. People tell me that they send it to friends and family members. Some have even inquired about sending it to Phillies management in (high) hopes of making a change. Some people talk to me about it every single day. Some once a week. Some haven't said a word since last season or maybe won't say a word until next season (talk about high hopes...). Some people will say nothing about it until I see them in person and then go crazy talking about all different stuff they read on the blog. Overall, though, the trend is that people don't say much. And the reading seems to be the same. I know some who just read every once in a while. I know people who check every day. I know people who used to but now tell me that they haven't had a chance this season. There's a wide variety of reaction to me writing this.

I hope this isn't coming across as bitter because it definitely is not. I don't need you to change anything that you personally are doing in terms of reading or your feedback to me. Obviously I would always love more, but I can also manage with the current level of response. And who am I to blame any of you for only responding to this and reading at your leisure? Haven't I essentially only written it at my leisure since the start of the 2009 season? Yes, I am very guilty of that accusation. So, as dedicated as I say (and truly truly feel and believe) that I am right now, aren't I really just doing this as I feel like it? And aren't you reading just because you feel like it right now?

This post could take a big turn to negative town very quickly, but I'm not trying to go that way because I do not think in as depressing a way as it has sounded like for the past 350 words. I think the carefree-ness of this blog is what makes it so awesome for everyone. If I had to write this every day or week or series or whatever, eventually it would be a job to me (not that that is not my true deep down dream job). And let's look at the logic behind calling something a job that I love. Oh wait, there is none.

Job = Work
Work ≠ Play
Play = Fun

I don't think you can deny any one of those equations individually (Don't argue the Work ≠ Play...we all know that work is almost exclusively the referred to as the opposite of play). Now, I'm no math teacher, but that set of statements would lead me to the conclusion that something being a job means it is not fun. (Of course that's not true all the time, but go with me on this one).

So what do we have here? The Phillies...When You Feel Like It. When you feel like it, when I feel like it, and when they feel like it (which is clearly not now). There's nothing wrong with doing something because you love it. I stopped playing basketball after 9th grade because it became too much of a job to me. I didn't feel like playing. I was Cam the Ram for 3 years because I could do things whenever I felt like it. There were no expectations. It was just doing something because I loved it.

The same applies to everyone reading (or writing) this right now. You do it because you love it. And because you feel like it. So do I. Maybe that ends. Then we stop. Some people think that's a bad attitude and that produces quitters. I don't think so. I think it produces happy people. It's not like one day will make a huge difference in whether or not I still love this. There won't be one series or one small event that says to me "Wow. I'm never writing this again." Just like I'm hoping that this one way-too-serious post isn't making you think "Wow. I'm never reading this again." It's a process. And one that, if I go through, I can make the right decision to be as happy as possible. So don't feel guilty about not reading or responding. Just like I won't feel guilty about not writing. If that's the way you feel, then, please, be happy!

Thank you again to those of you who are giving me feedback. Thank you as well to those who read and don't give feedback. And thanks to those who don't read at all anymore. It honestly, from the bottom of my heart, makes me happy to know that you're making the decision that makes you happy. And, if that decision is reading this, I will try to keep you happy as long as I possibly can. Making everyone happy is not an easy thing to do, especially when you're trying to include yourself within that "everyone." But I guess those are my "High Hopes" for this blog.

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I love the point in a book (or at least both of the books I've ever read in my life) where it will randomly have some asterisks that sort of tell you, "Hey, I know it's not the end of a chapter, but, if you need a break, now's a pretty good time." So those asterisks above should tell you that, although this isn't a new post, things are getting away from the seriousness that's been expressed thus far. I really hope you could read that with a positive look at what I was saying because it was honestly meant in the most positive way. If you find mistakes in there, it's because I don't plan on going back and editing it for fear that I may take things out that I shouldn't or that I will add things that I just force in there. This whole post was very spur-of-the-moment and unplanned, so congrats on getting an accidental look into the depths of my soul.

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That logo took me forever to make. I found a picture of Harry Kalas that I like to think is one of his more famous photos, and I decided to set it up like the MLB logo. If you don't like it, deal with it. I think it's awesome. And it lets me put the title and tagline right within the logo. Now, though, on to the preview for this 2-game series with the Rockies

Game 1: Jorge De La Rosa (5-1, 3.70 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (4-2, 3.19 ERA)
I don't need to look at any stats for this game other than the numbers from the Phils' past 4 games or so. And I don't even need to look at them because I remember them all too well from them haunting my dreams the past few nights. The bottom line is: We can't hit. I don't know that I can, with a good conscience, pick us to win another game until Chase Utley comes back. Am I serious? Definitely not. Am I close? I think so.
Prediction: Rockies 3 Phillies 1
Keep an eye out for: Charlie Manuel himself stepping up to the plate to get something started

Game 2: Jhoulys Chacin (4-2, 2.89 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.50 ERA)
I am very excited to watch this game for one reason and one reason alone: To hear how the heck you pronounce Jhoulys. Like, honestly, what is that? Also, since we're going to lose anyway, I am hoping that Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez supply all of the runs for the Rockies. They are on my fantasy teams. (This sounds negative, I know. But Joe Blanton is pitching and we aren't hitting. What can we expect from this game other than a loss? A bad loss? Good call.)
Prediction: Rockies 8 Phillies 0
Keep an eye out for: Chase coming back sooner than people think simply because he can't stand the sight of this anymore. How's THAT for a silver lining?