Pat Burrell Tribute

The theme of the week must be saying good-bye to guys named Pat.

We already said adios to Pat Gillick. Then there was the departure of Pat Devlin. Now this.

What once seemed likely has now become pretty obvious—Pat Burrell is almost certainly not returning to the Phillies in 2009.

This much seems clear now that the Phillies have come to terms with Raul Ibanez on a three year deal. More on Ibanez later, for this post is dedicated to "Pat the Bat."

Burrell spent a long time in Phillies pinstripes and went through his ups and downs with grace. He never back-lashed at the fans the way other athletes have. He got the fans. He knew how passionate they were and how they would back you if you showed them respect, both on and off the field.

He knew that if you tried, they would appreciate you. He knew that if they were booing you, that it didn't necessarily mean they hated you. He "got it" like few athletes that come through Philadelphia do. He was Philadelphia.

We will never forget his clutch home runs against the Mets and his dominance over the Mets closers from Billy Wagner to Armando Benitez. While Burrell was never known for Gold-Glove caliber of play in left field, we will never understand why Charlie Manuel would pull him in the seventh inning of a close game.

We will never forget how the fastest Burrell ever ran was when the Phillies clinched the 2007 NL East crown, beating Chris Coste to Brett Myers on the mound in celebration. The guy always had a game face on. He was intense. He cared.

We will never forget Burrell's Babes or Burrell's Businessmen in the upper levels of Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. We will never forget his key double in game five of the World Series. We will never forget images like this...

...or this...

...and of course, this...

Burrell will long live in the hearts of Phillies fans. We will never forget that Burrell swing, the Burrell stare, or the Burrell running (we understand why pinch runners were used so frequently, but it doesn't mean we love Burrell any less).

I wish the best for Burrell. I hope he finds a team that welcomes him the way Phillies fans would (it won't happen but one can hope). Will he go for an AL spot as a DH or does somebody out there want him to play left field? One thing is for sure, whenever the time comes that Burrell's new team visits Philadelphia, I will be there.

Pat, this one's for you. Good luck, wherever you end up. Donovan McNabb may have the nickname of "Five" by many in this area, but you will likely be the most beloved "Five" in Philadelphia.

Feel free to share your Burrell memories in the comments section.