I got Ken Ryan!!!

With the Phillies' first World Championship in 28 years, it was easy to shop for Christine this year. There was plenty of Phillies swag under the tree.

But it was Christine who pulled off the big surprise with what might be the ultimate SoxandPhils Christmas gift - Ken Ryan. We're now proud sponsors of his baseball-reference.com page. Christine put up a Merry Christmas placeholder message, but we'll SoxandPhils it up soon.

I've always wanted a baseball reference page, and I'm so psyched that it's Ken Ryan, who a certain blogger once suggested could be the ultimate SoxandPhil.

Welcome to the family, Mr. Ryan.

{Note to Greg: You don't own Ken Ryan. You just sponsor his page.}

Christine also got me a nifty new Red Sox cap. My old one seemed too big, and Christine never objects when I ask for a new one because she thinks my hats get too grimy.

Phillies swag: When the weather gets warmer, Christine can show off her championship T-shirt, which she can accessorize with the official "I was there October 27 & 29, 2008" World Series Game 5 pin.

Before then, when she starts complaining that opening day is so far off, she can pop in either the World Series or Phillies yearbook DVD to relive 2008. The latter arrived Tuesday, just in the nick of time. It has a picture of Elvis on the back, which was a great surprise.

Also pictured is the refrigerator magnet of the Phillie Phanatic holding the trophy and Gary Matthews' book Phillies Confidential. I had ordered it before Christine even knew it existed. She saw it a couple days later, and I blew her off.

"I'm sure it's lame - don't bother," I said.

It is going to be lame, but we'll have a few laughs over it and probably review it on the blog.

At Mom's: One of the first gifts I opened was an ornament of Santa Claus riding a Red Sox sleigh. I thanked my Mom, noting how in the last two years the Phillies ornaments were catching up in number to the Red Sox ones on the tree. Christine then opened one containing Santa riding on a Phillies rocking horse.

Oops: When we were looking around the Phillies store this month, I didn't understand why Christine was so taken by the championship shot glasses. We're not drinkers and don't have a collection or anything. I obviously didn't remember her October post when she flat-out asked for one. I'll have to make up for it on her birthday, which is less than two months away.