Out of Cheese

There’s quite a bit happening in Philadelphia baseball news this week. Harry Kalas was inducted into the Hall of Fame yesterday, and Scott Rolen was traded to the Cardinals today. It’s great to see Kalas in the Hall of Fame — I’ve listened to him announce Phillies games since I was 7 or 8, and he makes the game magical. I hope he has many great years remaining on the Phillies’ broadcasting team.

As for Rolen, I’m sorry to see him go. The Phillies should have backed him more strongly when Dallas Green criticized him last year, but I’d still have hoped that Green’s comments wouldn’t have engendered the kind of feelings Rolen has had toward the Phillies and their fans since last season. I wish him luck in St. Louis (where he’ll be joining another player who didn’t want to play in Philly, J.D. Drew), but I’m also glad that the long and painful saga is over. Here’s hoping the Phils can open their new ballpark in 2004 with a rotation of Padilla, Myers, Smith, Wolf, and Duckworth.