Phils lose title to Yanks again

It ain’t easy being a diehard Yankees fan in Phillies country, especially when I’m wearing New York gear. But I’ve been known to don my Phillies cap often and I always root, root, root for the home team — except when they play The Bronx Bombers.

My ocassionally conflicted feelings begin for a second year with this weekend’s exhibition games in Tampa on Saturday and in Clearwater on Sunday.

Citizens Bank Park is without a doubt one of the best major league venues in the country; the food is great and watching Phillies fans gettin’ crazy can be a hoot. On top of that, I love, love, love the antics of The Phillie Phanatic. Actually, I’d like to BE The Phillie Phanatic at times.

However, when push comes to shove, Yankees navy blue wins over Phillies red each and every time.

Yes, my heart skipped a beat when I saw Philadelphia’s Fab Five gracing the front page of The Inquirer at the start of spring training.

But my heart also went pitter-patter upon seeing a video of Derek Sanderson Jeter and Mark Charles Teixeira fielding ground balls in their t-shirts with the white interlocking N-Y.

Too bad my two favorite ballclubs are only meeting in the Grapefruit League this year and not during interleague play in late June/early July. (By contrast, the Phils host or visit that other New York team 18 times during the regular season.)

As good as Roy Halladay, Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and handsome Cole Hamels are, I predict The Phillies will lose the 2011 World Series in Game 6 to those pesky Pinstrippers for a second time in recent history.

It’s always possible that some unsuspecting teams could rise to the top over the course of the summer and into the fall. Can you say San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers?

Yet, I’m still going with my gut: There will be a repeat of the 2009 World Series — in more ways than one.

Sorry Phillies-only fans.