Locking the Barn Door

Of course.

Of course the Phillies sweep the Marlins now. An infuriating hallmark of Larry Bowa's tenure has been winning when it didn't matter much. After nearly two years of abject failure in South Florida, the Phils took three straight to pull to within, what, about a dozen games of the Braves, right? About the only thing the Miami victories are good for is the removal of psychological burdens should the Phillies somehow fashion themselves into a contender next season. Otherwise they're mere window dressing -- frilly curtains which fail to conceal the shattered panes behind them.

Exactly which windows need to be fixed is a major concern for the Phillies, of course. Tom Goodman at Swing and a Miss has some interesting thoughts here, while Rich Hoffman, in yesterday's Daily News, says it's all about starting pitching. Pointing to the correlation between the team's appallingly low number of quality starts and its status as also-rans, Hoffman makes the case for the re-signing of Eric Milton, a topic that has generated some discussion elsewhere.

Depressingly, the trial balloons being floated out of South Philadelphia imply a much less aggressive off-season than the past few years have seen. You'd think that after watching the much-heralded 2004 squad trip over its own cleats, David Montgomery & Co. would recognize the need to field a winner regardless of cost before Citizens Bank Park resembles the deserted wastelands that Miller and PNC Parks have become. I mean, I didn't watch an inning of the Florida series, and, judging by the decreased activity in the Phillies blogosphere, I'm not alone. The Phils have managed once again to drain the passion out of one of the country's most loyal and fervent fan bases, and without a winner next year, baseball will return to its previously full-time status as a sporting afterthought among Philadelphians.

But, hey, at least the ballpark no longer sucks.