COLUMN Flyers stealing Phils' thunder

From Adam Barrist's "Scraps From the Plate," Fall '95 The Flyers, after missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for five consecutive years, have made their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. After destroying the Buffalo Sabres, and the incumbent Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers, the Flyers are battling division rivals, New Jersey Devils for the conference title. The Flyers' five year hiatus from the playoffs has been, by far, the longest in their illustrious 28-year history. Only two other times had the Flyers missed the playoffs. Across Pattison Avenue, the Phillies are winning in relatively easy fashion. During the past week, the Phillies' first place cushion has bounced around from a comfortable three to four games above the Montreal and Atlanta. Pretty impressive for the team whose National League title has been preserved only by the graces of the cancelled season due to the player's strike, right?! Apparently not. The long awaited return of the Flyers to the playoffs, combined with the fact that the Phillies were champions just two seasons ago has diverted the dollars and overall attention of the the fans to the Flyers. Philadelphia fans are impressed with the novelty of a hockey team in the playoffs. In addition, they are seemingly accustomed and unenthused over a successful Phils squad. After all, the town was going completely gaga this time two years ago when the Phightin' Phils were in approximately the same situation that they are in now. The Phillies continue to shove it into the face of doubters and pessimists who insist that their "string of luck" must fray sometime. Looking as if they had finally lived up to the forecasting of baseball experts across the country, the team started their recent western string shakily. After being swept in a three game series with the San Francisco Giants, the Phillies lost the first two games of the San Diego Padres series. The team's successful early start seemed to come apart at the seams, when after not having lost a single series the entire year, it dropped two in a row. This past weekend, the Phillies proved how quickly things can return to normal. Salvaging a single game in San Diego, the Phillies headed north on the San Diego Freeway to Chavez Ravine, the home of the Dodgers. Phils manager Jim Fregosi has a particular difficulty in accepting losses to fellow paisan, Dodgers skipper, Tommy Lasorda. Lasorda, the elder statesman of baseball managers, was to clash forces with emperor of the east, Fregosi, to play a three game set that was to resemble a Corleone family feud. At the end of the series though, the final leg of the pacific swing resembled more of a Philadelphia version of "How the West Was Won." The Phillies pitching staff which was termed by the experts as a "makeshift" staff, proved in L.A. that it deserves more than such a designation. Paul Quantrill, who was acquired for Wes Chamberlain last year, was forced into a starting role this year as Bobby Munoz and Tommy Greene remained on the disabled list. Quantrill has been nothing short of spectacular as a starter. He notched a shutout on Friday to take the first game of the series. Tyler Green, the Phils' first selection in the 1991 draft, and also a fill-in starter, followed suit with a shutout of his own in the second game. Green's mysterious knuckle-curveball has begun to baffle hitters throughout the league. With his recent successes, Green has spontaneously assured the Phans that he is a far cry from another first round pick, recently released Jeff Jackson. The back-to-back road shutouts were the first since 1979, during the golden age of the team. Making a bid for three in a row, Michael Mimbs (who?!), formerly of the Dodgers, took the hill for the final game. Pitching spectacularly throughout the game, a shutout was in sight. However, Mimbs gave up a run in the 8th before the Phillies prevailed 2-1. Not bad. What looked to be a disastrous road trip at the beginning, ended laudably. Going 4-5 on the coast kept the Phils where they started from in the N.L. East standings. Hockey is the most exciting sport in Philadelphia right now. It's hard to match Stanley Cup playoff action, especially when the Flyers are doing as well as they are. On the other hand, let's not abandon the Phillies. It was only two years ago that they renewed our interest in a sport that was becoming defunct in Philadelphia. Foiling doubters by struggling each and every game to get a win, the Phillies are still atop the baseball world. With injuries to the piching staff, and now centerfielder, Lenny Dykstra, the Phillies have enough hardships to endure in order to maintain a divisional lead. Let's not give them another obstacle to hurdle. Let's be loyal fans to both of our teams. It was only three years ago that we didn't have any teams involved in postseason play.