I AM the Philadelphia Phillies.

Recently, a good friend had a post on his blog in which he compared his friends to MLB teams. Needless to say, I am now the proud owner of an official 59FIFTY Philadelphia Phillies chapeau, and damn if it doesn't fit so good. SO good.

The only people I know that have a Phillies lid are those that live in the city of brotherly love. Well, add one more to that list. I've been sporting the colours since Saturday and I, honestly, have never been prouder of a cap than this one. Can you blame me? The hat is a tribute not to the current Phillies team, but to the Phillies of past years. Players such as Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk, Darren Dalton, and the ubergreat Mike Schmidt. I put on the cap and I can almost feel the dirt from third base under my cleats and the tickle of tiny whiskers under my nose a la Schmidt.

While I was searching for a Phillies hat (they are harder to come by than you would think) I heard one of the best quotes that I have probably ever heard in my 28 plus years. Honestly, the 6 words I heard resonated so hard that it made me miss the person described in the statement so much that it almost hurt. Those six words were "Cooper IS the '93 Blue Jays." The words came just after I had explained to my friend why I had decided to bust my ass and try to find a Phillies hat (a notion he probably thought was ludicrous but, as good friends do, supported me throughout my endeavor).

EVERYBODY needs a Cooper. Just being around him makes people feel good. Kinda like being a fan of the '93 Jays when a ticket to a game wasn't just an excuse to eat an overpriced hot dog, it was a chance to be a part of something amazing. Kinda like seeing a Paul Molitor at bat, or an amazing play by Robbie Alomar, it can't be compared to anything. Neither can Coop.

I thank my lucky stars for Coop. I thank my lucky stars for all my friends.

Its a good life.