Sadly though, the Phillies traditionally have been a team that always gave high hopes to its fan base while producing much less exciting results. They’ve been around longer than almost every Major League Franchise and they’ve lost many more games than they’ve won. Still, the last few years have given their rabid fan base an opportunity to feel as though they’ve witnessed the birth of a tradition. A tradition of winning that has only been felt sporadically over brief periods of time. Will this truly develop into a tradition that can stand the test of time? It certainly seems possible with the strong core of young and in-their-prime talent that they now possess. As a lifelong fan, I can only hope against hope that this is the golden age of Phillies baseball that follows what can only be described as the dark ages.