Phils slumping before Gay Night

The Phillies finished their western swing with a 3-4 record, losing 4 of the last 5. Cliff Lee's complete game victory Friday in his Phils debut was their only win in four games at San Francisco; they played two sloppy games mid-week and didn't hit much with runners in scoring position the entire road trip. One night after 2008 AL Cy Young winner Lee shut down the Giants, his NL counterpart, Tim Lincecum, stymied the Phils. Cole Hamels was smacked around again in the series finale. It seemed he was getting his act together, but...still, the Phils lead the NL East by 5 games. No reason to push any panic buttons just yet.

Their first game back home is Tuesday, and it's the 7th Annual Gay Community Night. The Phils lost the first five Gay Nights before finally breaking through last year; perhaps that was a precursor to their eventual championship. Sadly, I won't be there on Tuesday unless someone has a ticket for me. The game is sold out. So, let's take a trip down memory lane with the article I wrote for Outsports after the first GCN in 2003 -- the only one held at the Vet.