Thoughts for Phillies fans 10 days from Opening Day
It’s happening. In T-minus 10 days the Phillies will crush the Atlanta Braves in their first game of the 2021 season. Or maybe they’ll lose. Given the recent rash of injuries it’s entirely possible. It’s also possible that they’ll lose just because it’s baseball — whether a team decides to win or lose feels more like a social construct than the outcome of a game. Anyways for the thousands (ok hopefully dozens) that are familiar with my weekly Monday blog, you might be thinking, “Dylan, why are you writing about opening day now? Won’t this article be more timely next week, you know when opening day actually occurs?”
Well, you may be right, but I’m throwing caution to the wind because I’m excited and you should be too! After all there’s only 10 days until our nights are filled with Aaron Nola punch-outs and Bryce Harper home runs. So, without further babbling, let’s get into things we need to keep in mind come opening day.
It’s just a game
Perhaps this one is a bit of an open letter to myself. All too often, there is a distinct difference between watching the game for me, and enjoying the Phillies for what they are: a form of televised entertainment. Does my enjoyment spike when the Phillies are successful? Of course it does, that’s what being a fan is all about. But is my enjoyment often predicated on critiquing and analyzing each and every play? Yes, and that’s what I’d like to explore.
What I’d like to remind myself is this: what happens on the television screen is not going to change, no matter what I say or do. It sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. If my enjoyment is predicated only on the Phillies winning the game, then at least half of the games I watch are a complete waste of 3 ½ hours. I’m harping on myself — and perhaps other rabid fans — to appreciate the subtleties of the game, while not getting lost in the result. Pretending that I’m a color commentator — predicting the next pitch, analyzing Joe Girardi’s management, or critiquing a player’s approach at the plate — is just as fun, if not more so, than rooting for a good result. The season won’t be around forever, after all a year ago, we had no sports to watch. Appreciate it while it lasts.
“Hang on Ala we’re coming in for a landing!”
Not only is this my favorite catchphrase from Philadelphia 76ers play-by-play sportscaster Marc Zumoff, but it’s a saying that I think will be pertinent to the start of the Phillies’ season – and with any luck, the end of it too. We’ve talked before about the gauntlet the Phils face to open the season: 13 games in 15 days against the division rival Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, respectively. As injuries pile up amongst both the pitching staff and position players alike, uncertainty blossoms like poison ivy regarding the Opening Day lineup. Will J.T. Realmuto be ready to go? What about bench bats like Brad Miller and Matt Joyce? Are offensive pillars Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins going to be fully healthy for this challenging stretch? The Phils sure will need them to be.
Let’s be realistic, a spot in the postseason is not going to be secured in this initial 13-game stretch. But it sure could be lost. The race for the National League East title will undoubtedly be a tight one, with whichever team comes in 2nd potentially a contender for the Wildcard spot. In the last 3 years, the first 13 games have often been an early season sign of the Phillies’ mediocrity. In 2020, the team’s September slide brought them to a 28-32 record and a 3rd place finish in the N.L. East. In both 2019 and 2018 the team went 8-5 in their first 13 games, but finished with 81-81 and 80-82, respectively, missing the postseason in each of those years as well.
No, those first 13 games are not the perfect foreshadowing of a season’s outcome, but they are important. If the Phils stumble early, be patient. If they stumble through the entire month of April like a frat boy on St. Paddy’s day, be concerned.
Citizens Bank Park will be like nothing we’ve ever experienced
Another takeaway from watching the Sixers this past week: it was loud. At both the Wells Fargo Center and Madison Square Garden it was loud in a way I haven’t heard in over a year, the glorious cacophony of raucous fans bellowing through the television screen and reverberating around the walls of my house. It gives me chills just thinking about it. It was something I’d forgotten, the sound of a real live crowd, their thundering chants that even at a quarter of the arena’s capacity far exceeded that of their automated counterpart. I bring this up, because the impact of fans is real. The 8,800 fans that will be at Citizens Bank Park this summer are starved for action and the electricity of their return by that of a sold-out playoff crowd. Finally, Bryce Harper will have an audience to bow to when running out to his spot in right field. Finally, we’ll be able to have baseball again — our way.
Featured Image: M. Kennedy / Visit Philadelphia
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Categorized:Phillies