NLCS game-day routine

At least for Game 1. Spent the day doing touristy stuff in Philly with Daily News columnist Steve Dilbeck and Al Balderas of the OC Register. We took the Independence Hall tour, which was interesting, but what I found more interesting was a tour of Congress Hall, which is adjacent to Independence Hall. This was where the first House and Senate chambers were, and we visited both as part of the tour. The House chamber was allegedly where George Washington announced that he wouldn’t seek a third term as President, and where John Adams was elected to succeed him (apparently, these things were done a little differently in 1796). Then we ate lunch at City Tavern, this old building where the wait staff dresses in Colonial period attire. It was all so fascinating that I kept forgetting we actually had a baseball game — and a pretty big one at that — to cover tonight. But we’re all here now, and Citizens Bank Park is all dressed up in the requisite red-white-and-blue bunting. Not a perfect day, just a tinge of smog in the air, and it’s expected to be a little cool tonight. But these are the playoffs. It’s supposed to be crisp. … By the way, as predicted here yesterday, Takashi Saito was left off the roster for this series to clear a spot for Hong-Chih Kuo. Broxton is now the unquestioned closer for this club. Makes you wonder whether Saito will even be around next year, giving that he will be 39 and is arbitration-eligible for the first time.