Is there a 12-step program for Phillies fans?

My name is Jerry, and I am a Philadelphia Phillies fan. I’m addicted, a diehard fan unable to help myself even though the team has broken my heart dozens of times.

I attended my first Major League game at age five. I can’t remember who they played or who won, but my father took me to a Phillies game, and I was hooked for life. That’s the way things worked for kids in those days.

Then, the National League Phillies shared Shibe Park with the (now Oakland-based) American League Athletics. Annually, Little Leaguers got tickets to a Philadelphia game, but, presumably because they were drawing fewer fans, we always received tickets to A’s games.

We showered abuse on A’s left fielder Gus Zernial from the bleacher seats even though Zernial had done nothing wrong other than suit up for the out-of-favor team. Loved the ballpark hot dogs, though.

We could name all of the 1950 “Whiz Kids,” and suffered through the World Series as the hated Yankees beat them four straight.

The Phillies finished last four consecutive times between 1958 and 1962, but, the low point came late in 1964 when, in mounting panic, manager Gene Mauch overworked his starters, a team unaccustomed to front-running lost ten consecutive games, blew a 6.5-game lead and squandered a World Series opportunity.

Philadelphia finally celebrated a World Championship in 1980, and appeared, unsuccessfully, in the 1993 World Series.

In July 2007, I was in Citizen’s Bank Park and coincidentally witnessed the franchise’s 10,000th loss, a professional sports record. There have been worse teams on average, but, unlike the Phillies, those didn’t start losing in 1883.

Nevertheless, 2007 was a watershed season. The New York Mets folded late and, on the final day, the Phillies won the NL East title before being swept in the first playoff round. Beginning in 2007, I celebrated five straight postseason appearances, was in the stands for both nights of the victorious final game of the 2008 World Series, and, in 2010, for the late Roy Halladay’s post-season no-hitter -heady times, indeed.

Those days are gone, but, retrospectively, some of the most entertaining seasons were those during which always-aspiring Phillies teams brought up good, young players, as in the early 2000s: Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell, Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Cole Hamels, among others.

Recently-elected Hall of Fame power-hitter Jim Thome, nice, older guy, became a Phillies fan favorite. I wasn’t sold on Thome because his acquisition delayed the promotion of slugger Ryan Howard and may have denied Howard Hall of Fame statistics.

Every hardcore baseball fan thinks the real first day of spring is the day pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

This year, it’s Feb. 14. Again, the Phillies have some talented young players. Ask any faithful fan, on opening day, their team is a contender.

With a new Phillies manager, a savvy front office and maybe a little more pitching … who knows? ... they could win it all.

As I said, my name is Jerry …