Thursday, May 22nd

Let’s face it, Pat Burrell hasn’t been hitting too well through May.  The greatness of Pat Burrell cannot be denied so this “slump” puzzles many fans.  Why question it though?  Pat Burrell works in mysterious ways.

In Philadelphia’s first game of the Astros series, Pat allowed Greg Dobbs to play left field.  “Greg’s a good kid, let him have his fun”, Burrell was quoted by reporters before the game.  And sure, Greg Dobbs is a good kid.  He’s a utility player hitting .350 and a heck of a nice guy.  If Pat Burrell isn’t in left field, who else could you possibly want filling the spot?  Unfortunately, in the 8th inning, Dobbs was 0-3 and the game was tied- too close for the Phils’ best player to be sitting on the bench.

You can take the lion out of the jungle, but you can’t take the jungle out of the lion.  Well, you can take Pat Burrell out of a game, but you can’t take Pat Burrell out of a game.  Realizing once again that his willingness to support his teammates, his endless charity, was hurting the Phils’, Pat took matters into his own hands.  Pat Burrell grabbed his bat and headed for home plate.  Greg Dobbs knew it was time to sit.  He knew it was time for the Phillies to win the game.

Pat Burrell crushed a Wesley Wright pitch over the fence to give Philadelphia a lead that they would not relenquish.  What more can he do to cement his MVP status?  We’ve still got five more exciting months to watch and see.