STARK:Phillies championship was worth the wait

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

While sportswriters never want to be perceived as naysayers (who us?), Philadelphia area scribes couldn’t help but notice how the national media portrayed the city and its fans last October both during and after the Phillies World Series victory.

While the rest of the country portrays us as nothing but ungrateful boobirds - we're the city that booed Santa Claus, after all - Philadelphia native and Newtown’s own Major League Baseball writer Jayson Stark has arrived with a new book “Worth The Wait: Tales of the Phillies 2008 Championship Season.”

Born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, Stark says who but he to understand the disappointment that existed in the minds of Philly spectators, fans frustrated by 25 years of championship futility.

“I’ve lived here most of my life so I think I get it - I get the whole mindset here,” says Stark, senior baseball writer for ESPN.com. “I get why people boo and why they care, and how much they care.

“I get why they were so frustrated through that whole parade-free quarter century.”

Indeed, before the Phillies knocked off the Tampa Bay Rays in five (and-a-half) games last fall, the City of Brotherly Love had endured the longest championship drought of any American city that fields pro sports teams in all four majors.

When reliever Brad Lidge recorded his final save of the season, Stark looked around amazed after witnessing the seemingly unending exuberance displayed by millions in the Delaware Valley thrilled to finally experience a victory parade down Broad St. For many 20-somethings in the region, it was their first.

Stark, author of “The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History” published two years ago, felt inspired to act as a spokesperson for frustrated Philly sports fans everywhere and tell it like it is.

“I just felt as though somebody needed to write a book that captured a special season and what it meant to all these people – not just the men who played the games, but the people in the seats whose lives changed because of what happened in those games.”

The title of the book is apropos, says Stark. And easy to compose, the outcome of one conference call to his editors at Triumph Books.

“I said, ‘How about “Worth The Wait?’ And they loved it—instantly,” said Stark reliving the experience.

“I just thought those three words captured the theme of the project.”

In Stark’s book, Phillies starter Jamie Moyer talks about how, when you wait a long time for something, it can make it much more meaningful when it actually happens.

“I think he was right,” Stark adds.

Stark is quick to point out that he’s a professional scribe first and foremost and would have revised his story had the World Series turned out favorably for the Florida team.

“I cover baseball for a living. I don’t root for any team. If the Rays had won that World Series, that would have been an amazing story, too, and I would have been happy to write it and tell it.”

But the plain truth is that Stark IS from Philly and as such was moved by the fans’ reaction to the culmination of the 25-year championship drought.

“It was very moving to me to see so many people I care about transformed in a way that no mere sporting event should be able to accomplish,” Stark stated. “And I love the buzz that has rippled through this whole area ever since.”

The response to “Worth the Wait” has been amazing, says Stark. He’s done several book-signings in the region where people lined up and purchased as many as six copies to give to their loved ones.

“People have told me over and over that I totally captured how they feel about the team, which is very rewarding,” says Stark.

“It’s almost as if Philadelphians NEEDED this book. They want this feeling to last."

After taking six months to compose “The Stark Truth” two years ago, the ESPN analyst says this tome came even quicker. A friend was teasing Stark recently, saying he went more than a quarter century as a pro baseball scribe without ever producing a book, and now he’s a regular John Grisham.

“I don’t know about that. But I do love the whole author part of my life,” says Stark, baseball beat writer, TV and radio analyst, blogger and author, twice over at this point.
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Stark’s new book on the Phillies makes a great Mother's Day, Father's Day, and birthday gift (especially when personalized and signed by Jayson).
Sports fans and book lovers are invited to the Big Book Signing at Applebee's (2 West Rd., Newtown, Pa.) this Monday, April 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. Stark will be in attendance signing his new book “Worth the Wait, Tales of the 2008 Phillies.”
If you want to purchase a book, go to Jayson's sister Karen's frame shop - The Frame Game - to pre-order it. The Frame Game will give you a discount for pre-ordering.
You can reach Karen at (215) 860-8727 or go to 24 Richboro Rd. (the same shopping center as Dunkin Donuts). Tell her Lisa sent you.
Applebee's will have books on hand too. However, at the last book signing at Barnes and Noble, the tome was sold out before Jayson began signing.
For those who would like to eat at Applebee's, the restaurant is going to donate 10 percent of your dinner check to Athletes Helping Athletes.