Goodbye and Fare Thee Well,...

Over the weekend, the Pat Burrell era of Phillies baseball came to a quiet end with the signing of LF Raul Ibanez.

The Philly-area sportwriters are calling the departure "bittersweet."

The TrekMedic isn't having any mixed feelings.

I'm glad he's gone. Sorry, gentle readers, but that's how I feel. I'm an old-school Philadelphia sports fan: I support players that work everyday. Pat Burrell will be remembered as a steady force in Phillies history. True, he never complained about the media or fan derision heaped upon him every year. He never asked for a trade. He never made a big ass of himself in the media, either.

But,...for the past few years, he constantly needed a kick in the rear to produce. In the 2007 season, his bat only came alive after Charlie Manuel benched him for a fwe games. This season, it was only the outside hope that a stellar season would earn him a new contract that seemed to motivate him to produce on a consistent basis. And when it appeared that he had worn out his usefullness in Charlie's eyes, Burrell slacked off again.

So, while I'm not asking for the door to hit him in the ass on the way out, I'll offer him a handshake and a thank you.

BTW New Yawk Mutts - we're STILL the team to beat, despite what K-Y-Rod has to say about it!