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Mike Volpe is a ferocious, lifelong baseball fan. After becoming bitter about losing his favorite player, Matt Williams, in a trade, he divorced himself from his team, the San Francisco Giants. He then wrote to all the baseball teams, major and minor, declaring himself a "free agent fan," and available to root, root, root for any team that would want him.

The bidding began. Baseball merchandise sent to him was donated to a Catholic grammar school in his hometown of Falls Church, VA. Autographed baseballs and other paraphernalia were auctioned off to help raise funds for a new gymnasium. Five out of six baseball-crazy nuns at St. James in Volpe's hometown, strangely enough, prayed for Volpe to pick the Philadelphia Phillies.

"When they heard of this quest of mine," says Volpe, "they said they were praying for me to pick the Phillies. They were all excited."

Prayer might have had something to do with it, but it was the diligent letters sent from Phillies manager Terry Francona that did the trick. Francona wrote to Volpe all through spring training, providing updates on the players' skills, and letting him know how excited he was about the team.

"I knew he wrote the letters, because there were typos. He is so into his team and his role as manager."

Because of the letters, the nuns, his wife (a Lansdowne native), and the convenience (a two-hour drive), Volpe chose the Phillies, perhaps one of the worst teams in baseball.

"I know they're not going to set the world on fire as a baseball team, but don't forget, baseball is a marathon."

But who else is in this marathon? Will he be alone in his support of the Phillies? OK, when this article went to press, the Phils were 3-7, and had not yet won a home game.

Volpe is asking fans to quit whining. He and the Phillies want to hear your opinions and ideas on baseball, and are providing an outlet for frustrated fans to vent. Visit the Phillies Web site (http://www.phillies.com) or e-mail Mike Volpe (volpefan@erols.com), let them know your ideas, and you could win a pair of tickets for a Sunday home game. Here is a fan asking other fans around the country to share what is on their minds about baseball.

"This thing will only work if I get an outpouring of fan opinion. The fans sit on their hands and bitch and complain. This is an opportunity to set a precedent, and let the owners know directly how to improve the game of baseball. This isn't a focus group or a hotshot PR thing - this is what fans really think."

- Alex Richmond