Alright, let’s get some good vibes going up in here:

“It’s definitely contagious. So I think he’s the right man, right spot. I know we’re all excited for him to take the mound.”

See, now this is a great example of Nick’s bluntness being a good thing. You really don’t have to say much after a loss like that. It resembles the “punched in the mouth” comment from the NLDS, when the Phillies responded emphatically after losing Game 2 late in Atlanta.

For what it’s worth, the Phillies’ bats have responded in every loss this postseason. They scored 10 runs in Game 3 against Atlanta. They followed up the first Arizona loss with five runs and only lost again because the bullpen blew it. Then they showed up in Game 5 with six runs on nine hits, which included three home runs. The pattern suggests a bounce back.

But if we’re talking about the word “contagious,” then yes, we need Ranger’s calmness to spread like nothing has ever spread before. We’re talking the Bubonic Plague of calmness here. Infect the entire clubhouse. I want to see the virulent, seeping pustules of tranquility at Citizens Bank Park. It’s Serenity as Ranger Soothes, aka SARS.


(now it’s time for Anthony’s favorite part of the story, with the metal Youtube video) –