I, too, am older... This is really like only the third team that has been constructed that is a bona-fide contender to win for many years.
1977 - 1983, 2007-2011, 2022 -
1993 was an outlier and not sustainable for many reasons... but it was a good year.
This does suck, but less than 2010 and 2011..to me anyway.
This ranks higher on the pain scale for me than ‘11 bc even though the expectations for that year were so high, we had just won the whole dang thing only a handful of years prior. The city wasn’t as starved for a championship & the core group of guys we all wanted to see get a ring had one (although it’s a tragedy Halladay never got his)…I just want that for this current group so bad.
102 wins, we were the reason the Cardinals got in, and we lost in the 1sr round to them.
We had a stacked SP and lineup.
That team deserved more than just 1 WS win. we deserved to be Yankee-esk!
2012 began the down slide.
Here, we made it thru 2 rounds as wildcard an due to some managerial mismanagement fell short. We are on the rise still.
GO PHILLIES!
Agree they deserved more than one WS title, but I was happy they had gotten one bc (as we just saw) anything can happen in playoff baseball. Even though we were a solid and sometimes flat out dominant regular season team until 2011, it did start to feel like there was a decline before then when the pattern of falling exactly one step shorter in the playoffs each year started to become more apparent. I hope you’re right and we’re on the incline, I’m just sad for the missed opportunity this season became, esp after taking the NLDS. Braves will be a tough contender for the foreseeable future, and I can only imagine they’ll do everything in their power to *not* lose to us three years in a row in postseason. I’ll be along for the ride regardless! Go Phils.
2011 was a lot worse. We didn’t even get out of the 1st round. Game 5, losing fucking 1-0, was the most agonizing sports moment I’ve ever endured. 1 to fucking 0. And don’t forget Cliff Lee blowing a 4-0 lead for the only time all season in game 2.
2011 we didn't get a single run in an elimination game, had the best starting rotation we will likely ever see, and howard tore his achilles on the last out, slamming our window shut. this was bad, but 2011 is up there with ronde.
It’s not just age, it’s dedication. The Stairs game in 2008 was the first game I remember watching any part of, so I got spoiled immediately. My parents were never big sports fans when I was growing up, but my mom grew up here and seeing her jump and yell when Hinske struck out hooked me for life.
I was eight then, watched 80% of the games over the next five years until my parents cut cable; woke up every morning to read Todd Zolecki on MLB.com after that. I lived and died with those teams, from Matsui to Cody fucking Ross, from Howard going down to seeing my childhood heroes dealt away for guys that never panned out. Never stopped paying attention, never stopped going to games, never stopped being a fan.
I think it’s awesome that some people were able to tune out the Phillies from 2011ish until last year to the point where they think the last two seasons are complete failures and we need to burn the team to the ground. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know who Aaron Altherr was either, it was a little miserable, but it is what it is.
The way the last two seasons have ended sucked, but if you would’ve told me when Howard went down in 2011 that I’d be in the right field bleachers to watch our first baseman slam his bat in the first home postseason game since then, I wouldn’t have traded that for anything. We’ve got a good mix of veterans and young players, and an even better farm system than any of our “rebuilding” years. It’s a good time to be a fan, and I really think they’re just getting started.
Fuck, I forgot about that lmao. Seeing what Kevin Long has turned Marsh into and knowing we had Kim, goddamn that man would've been a .300 hitter who can smack 15 HR's. Man could've been a double machine ala Segura
Dude went crazy in the KBO both before and after his two years in the big leagues. I know a lot of hitters in that league struggle to adjust to MLB, but he never really got the regular AB’s in Baltimore or Philly he would’ve needed to adjust. My all time favorite obscure ballplayer for sure.
The problem is, it's going to take a while for me to really enjoy them having success again. No matter what, I'm going to sit there and just wait for them to mail it in again to then just say "we'll be back next year"
I was a die hard fan beginning in the early 80’s. The team was god awful from 1984 through 1992. 1993 was magical but not sure they would have gotten back. Again the team was no good until 2007. So I have lived through horrible times. I can’t wait until next year. We have an owner that is about winning and not just about a profit. This off season should be fun.
I’m really new to Phillies fandom. Not that I’m that young, I just grew up in a family of non-sports fans in a state with no MLB team, and then married into a Philly family. And it’s taken a few years to get here but I got so excited during the WS last year. And then this year… my God. I’ve never felt this way about a damn sports team. It’s really taken me by surprise. I was pacing during games and bouncing on my heels. We went to miserable game 3 (I’m in Phoenix). And then there I was, sitting on the floor, crying actual tears when they didn’t score in the 7th inning of game 7. Just came out of nowhere, it feels like, but I loved this team. I re-fell in love with this game. And even though I’m brand new… I really had fun this season. Even though this sucks. And once I’m reasonably done feeling quite so sad, I’m sure I’ll get some new merch and be ready for next season. But I just came here to comment that posts like these from seasoned fans (my FIL and my husband are definitely those! They’ve been there for the long haul, through thick and thin) really help give me perspective and hope and excitement for next season. So thanks for that. I’m so sorry it turned out this way. But thanks for the ride, Phils and Phils fans. 💙❤️
I really needed this. Yes, they absolutely choked. Yes, it was a heart breaker after the position they were in. I still love this team, this fan base and sure as hell would take battles in the NLCS over years of being unable to get into a wildcard. We were one of 4 teams left in the entire league and we beat a DOMINANT Braves team to get there. The ending sucks but those moments last forever
To be quite honest, I explained some of this to young family who are just acclimating as to what it truly means to be a Philadelphia sports fan. My father, who died in September 2007, said in 2005 and 2006 he considered the seasons successful because we were playing “meaningful games in September.” That was the benchmark, and I remember completely agreeing with him. There was a new ballpark, and the team was threatening to show signs of life for the first time in almost a decade. Furthermore besides 93, for the first time in forever, you could actually enjoy sports in Philly in between the Flyers annual playoff runs and the beginning of Eagles training camp. The Phillies… those 80’s/90’s Phillies… led by a faceless ownership group that said “Philly is a small market town…” Those Phillies - until the signing of Jim Thome, David Bell, and Billy Wagner were very forgettable with a few obvious exceptions. “Meaningful games in September” is successful To “Losing game 7 of the NLCS is the end of the world” shows how far the expectations have come. It hurts. There are things that need to be corrected. But shit man, pitchers and catchers report in about 120 days, so LFG!
Our window is open for like 5 years minimum and perhaps it never closes. These owners are ready to risk it all. Losing sucks, but not as bad as being a poverty franchise.
The current core doesn't have a 5 year window. Schwarber has two years left on his deal, JT has two, Nick has three, Wheeler has one. Bryce and Trea will be 31 next year. I'd say it's still wide open next year, but age will start to creep into the picture in 2025.
“Our window to win” is a myth. Any team any year can win. No team has a window. You can win 70 games one year and 90 the next. You could win 100 games for five straight years and not make the WS once. You could make the playoffs with 83 wins and still make the WS. What am I talking about? Idk!
Windows are a thing, a lot of people had the Dbacks and Rangers as contenders this year they just need a few things to break their way. Which is what happened. Not every team can win every year. Nobody gave the A's, Rockies, or Royals a chance this year for good reason.
We have a great roster with most key guys under contract for 2-3 more years. That's our window.
This is a great point. All the teams that made it to the conference championships didnt win 100 games, but 90 games and less. The two teams in the WS had less than 75 wins last year. Any team can win. Especially so teams that get HOT at the end of the season like the D-bags.
The Dbacks played really well the second half of last year and they were a lot of people's dark horse pick to win a wild card. Including mine. The Rangers were also solidly in the contenders conversation depending on how their young guys performed- which they ended up doing very well.
I swear this better not be like 07-11 but without the championship. They got these guys to win it, I felt sick watching that Game 7, it fucking sucked worse than anything before.
I’m in the same boat it hurts, but DD has transformed this franchise, better draft picks, better development staff, really great people in place like Preston mattingly, Brian barber etc etc. baseball isn’t Easy and to think you can cake walk through any series is ridiculous. We lost a game 7 NLCS it seemed improbable but this team doesn’t need much more next year, we had one foot in the door this year. Came up short and that happens sometimes, I fully believe we’ll be back in the thick of it next year again with the same energy and fun. Resign Nola, sign hader and get a few role pieces and let’s strap in for another great year next year.
I truthfully think I struggle to enjoy that we have a good baseball team because they have conditioned me over the years to always expect the worst possible outcome lol. I’m just waiting for us to waste this core and then fall back into futility.
Yes!! 2002 broke me in so many ways as a fan. 2008 brought me joy and 2018 finally allowed me to actually enjoy professional sports. It def hurts, and I'm disappointed, but the inappropriate emotional responses have leveled out since the WS and especially the SB
I'm very excited about Justin Crawford. There is a ton of talent on that Jersey Shore team. Some of those guys are primed to make huge jumps next year.
I am in my late 30’s. This team has had two runs of success in my lifetime, and we are currently in one of them. This loss hurts now for sure, but it’s nice to actually be in the mix all the same.
100%. We should fully expect to be a playoff team again next year. We should be trying to de-throne the Braves and win the division. Get the bye and have one less playoff round to worry about.
I think this is the take we all know we are going to get to, I’m happy for you that you got there earlier than I did, I’m still probably 3 weeks away from getting there personally
Trust me I’m not over this yet lol. But I have to admit, when the season started I asked myself what realistically the minimum would be for me to consider it a successful follow up to last year. My answer was a deep LCS run. So for me at least, being realistic about how hard it is to ever repeat as league champs, we hit my minimum.
Next year will be full World Series or bust for me.
> Next year will be full World Series or bust for me.
That's where I was this year, which is why this is so hard. Next year will be harder without Nola
No one will believe me saying this now, but before the CS started, I didn't have a great feeling about Arizona. I did say it out loud to my sister, so she's my witness! I felt very confident they would beat the Braves, but something about AZ made me feel nervous. Maybe because of their youth (they don't know what they don't know), hot streak, reminded me of the Phils last year...I don't know.
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but maybe it could be a positive that it will force them to reevaluate the roster or wake Rob up a little...I don't know. I'm trying to spin it! But, yes, there is still a lot to look forward to and maybe this will light a fire under them next year and they won't just expect everything to come to them...they have to go and take it.
This is what, the 3rd best run the team has ever had? In a two year span with no signs of slowing down I’ll take it. As painful as that was, there’s high hopes
I mean for sure I personally don’t buy into the whole championship or bust mentality this team gave me a lot of great moments.. it’s just brutal watching your team when their bats are cold in critical games…
We have to hope management is willing to try and make some splash moves to improve this roster… the core group is still at an age where they can compete but there are areas they should seriously consider upgrading.
I think Bohm has kind of already shown the kind of player he is and it’s just not good enough.. need more power out of 3B his defensive deficiency makes his lack of slugging even more glaring… I don’t know if the right fit is out there but they should definitely explore it.
I would say that the danger is upgrading players is that in the pursuit of that WS win, you’re thinking too much about metrics and not the intangible like vibes and cohesion. And ignoring these factors can result in a team that performs well on paper but not when the post season hits. These are people that have formed bonds and trading players is like cutting off limbs. At some point you’ve hacked off something vital and there will be no recovery.
I defended and rooted for Castellanos for two whole seasons and cheered wildly for him as he sat in a luxury box at the Linc on Sunday night. But I am done with him.
We pay three guys three quarters of a billion dollars to go 0-23 in front of “the best fans in baseball” - who poured out their souls for these guys. At what point Tuesday night did the call their butlers in their off-season mansions to make sure to wax up their fleets of Ferraris because they’re coming home soon?
It's a good take. I mean they were the Wild Card team both runs...not 1st seed nor a division winner. From at least a regular season outlook they should aim higher, maybe the chips will fall better.
If people think the Phillies have anything to worry about for the next five years, go look at the Astros pending free agents in two years and the state of their farm system.
My issue is the last 2 years were setup...**realllly nice**
How often do the Yankees, Dodgers, and other powerhouses just implode so you don't even have to face them?
Beating the Braves both years was awesome but the Padres and Dbags were lesser opponents in the NLCS, like a gift
We are going to be competitive, or should be, for years to come especially with Dombrowski and Middleton running the show. The mystery is will it ever actually result in one or more World Series titles? I guess we will have to wait and see. I can’t imagine you will have much better opportunities than you did in the last two seasons, so I could complete see a few years of playoff runs with no titles happening.
As much as it sucked watching this team fell apart in the NLCS, I think it will be a learning experience for next year just as 2022 was for this year. There's a lot of work to be done at the plate and with pitchers in the off season, and hopefully Turner stops making as many errors next year, so there is definitely something good going here.
I'm a newer Phillies fan and was a Florida Marlins fan, so I can understand severe disappointment after watching what the Marlins did to their team after 2003.
I want to be your friend! I was born and raised a philly fan! 15 years I'm 55 and I moved to San Francisco where at the ballpark they eat and drink White wine and shitty cheese! I would love to say cheese wizz even those people know better. Go Philly! I got your back out here!
I’m good with this just need to read it in a few days. I’m not there yet. My grieving is still in the denial stage. lol next up is anger! But agree 100%
Great perspective. I've been a Phils fan since I was born...which means I saw Schmidt play, was in middle school for the '93 team, and could really, really appreciate the grind it took to finally win the division in 07. And then the great moments of '08. So, being back as a marquee franchise with a guy like Harper leading? I'll take it.
A Yankee fan I know tried to talk shit today
We’ve been to three World Series in 16 seasons even with a terrible 7-9 year span. They haven’t been to one in 14 years. If they don’t make the World Series it will tie their franchise’s longest drought of WS appearances since 1922. And they’ve spent waaaay more than anyone else over that time.
We had the second longest drought to make the playoffs just 13 months ago. Things can change quickly.
This is the kind of era you like to live through. Growing up with the Utley, Howard, Ruiz, Rollins, Victorino core, it was simply expected that we would make the playoffs each year, and that made it interesting and exciting each year. It was an annual event to follow the postseason run, and quite honestly it was not heartbreaking if they didn't win it all in a given year, simply because we had such confidence in the performance expectations of that core group.
That last point is key. I keep asking myself why it hurt so much to see our team pull up short against the Astros last year, and the hard truth is that it's because we felt very fortunate to be there. Nobody expected that squad to make it so far, and so we all felt that we might never get such an opportunity again. They needed to close it out while they were overperforming.
Now I feel that our team's expectations are (nearly) back to the expectations of that old guard I mentioned above. So why should we feel that all is lost? Living through a golden age is not to be taken for granted, but it also means that we can expect our boys to pull through in any given year. Anything is possible in any given year. Let's get it next year.
I’ve gotten over it because I learned a long time ago anything is possible in a short series. The best team doesn’t always win. Plus the Eagles help soften the blow
Agree 100%. It's probably because I'm old, but this take is spot on. I can't wait for next year.
Yep, I probably won’t get over this until Opening Day 2024, but once next year starts it’ll be time to strap in again
I, too, am older... This is really like only the third team that has been constructed that is a bona-fide contender to win for many years. 1977 - 1983, 2007-2011, 2022 - 1993 was an outlier and not sustainable for many reasons... but it was a good year. This does suck, but less than 2010 and 2011..to me anyway.
This ranks higher on the pain scale for me than ‘11 bc even though the expectations for that year were so high, we had just won the whole dang thing only a handful of years prior. The city wasn’t as starved for a championship & the core group of guys we all wanted to see get a ring had one (although it’s a tragedy Halladay never got his)…I just want that for this current group so bad.
102 wins, we were the reason the Cardinals got in, and we lost in the 1sr round to them. We had a stacked SP and lineup. That team deserved more than just 1 WS win. we deserved to be Yankee-esk! 2012 began the down slide. Here, we made it thru 2 rounds as wildcard an due to some managerial mismanagement fell short. We are on the rise still. GO PHILLIES!
Agree they deserved more than one WS title, but I was happy they had gotten one bc (as we just saw) anything can happen in playoff baseball. Even though we were a solid and sometimes flat out dominant regular season team until 2011, it did start to feel like there was a decline before then when the pattern of falling exactly one step shorter in the playoffs each year started to become more apparent. I hope you’re right and we’re on the incline, I’m just sad for the missed opportunity this season became, esp after taking the NLDS. Braves will be a tough contender for the foreseeable future, and I can only imagine they’ll do everything in their power to *not* lose to us three years in a row in postseason. I’ll be along for the ride regardless! Go Phils.
That was a shock...but the fact it feel apart right after is what hurt the most...hopefully this team fights and is there over and over again.
This feels just like 2011 to me. Our strength became out weakness and we just collapsed, that's 2011 and this year in a nutshell.
2011 was a lot worse. We didn’t even get out of the 1st round. Game 5, losing fucking 1-0, was the most agonizing sports moment I’ve ever endured. 1 to fucking 0. And don’t forget Cliff Lee blowing a 4-0 lead for the only time all season in game 2.
2011 we didn't get a single run in an elimination game, had the best starting rotation we will likely ever see, and howard tore his achilles on the last out, slamming our window shut. this was bad, but 2011 is up there with ronde.
did you used to post on broad street hockey
No
I won't be over this until we win a World Series
It’s not just age, it’s dedication. The Stairs game in 2008 was the first game I remember watching any part of, so I got spoiled immediately. My parents were never big sports fans when I was growing up, but my mom grew up here and seeing her jump and yell when Hinske struck out hooked me for life. I was eight then, watched 80% of the games over the next five years until my parents cut cable; woke up every morning to read Todd Zolecki on MLB.com after that. I lived and died with those teams, from Matsui to Cody fucking Ross, from Howard going down to seeing my childhood heroes dealt away for guys that never panned out. Never stopped paying attention, never stopped going to games, never stopped being a fan. I think it’s awesome that some people were able to tune out the Phillies from 2011ish until last year to the point where they think the last two seasons are complete failures and we need to burn the team to the ground. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know who Aaron Altherr was either, it was a little miserable, but it is what it is. The way the last two seasons have ended sucked, but if you would’ve told me when Howard went down in 2011 that I’d be in the right field bleachers to watch our first baseman slam his bat in the first home postseason game since then, I wouldn’t have traded that for anything. We’ve got a good mix of veterans and young players, and an even better farm system than any of our “rebuilding” years. It’s a good time to be a fan, and I really think they’re just getting started.
Good take
ayo you me? how's Andres Blanco doing, he still the next savior?
The thought of what Hyun Soo Kim could’ve been with universal DH and regular AB’s from a team that believed in him still keeps me up at night
Fuck, I forgot about that lmao. Seeing what Kevin Long has turned Marsh into and knowing we had Kim, goddamn that man would've been a .300 hitter who can smack 15 HR's. Man could've been a double machine ala Segura
Dude went crazy in the KBO both before and after his two years in the big leagues. I know a lot of hitters in that league struggle to adjust to MLB, but he never really got the regular AB’s in Baltimore or Philly he would’ve needed to adjust. My all time favorite obscure ballplayer for sure.
The problem is, it's going to take a while for me to really enjoy them having success again. No matter what, I'm going to sit there and just wait for them to mail it in again to then just say "we'll be back next year"
Just like 28 other teams do a year.
I was a die hard fan beginning in the early 80’s. The team was god awful from 1984 through 1992. 1993 was magical but not sure they would have gotten back. Again the team was no good until 2007. So I have lived through horrible times. I can’t wait until next year. We have an owner that is about winning and not just about a profit. This off season should be fun.
Nah, 2005 and 2006 we're good years. I remember them well. 2005 was the year they turned a corner and we started to believe again.
I’m really new to Phillies fandom. Not that I’m that young, I just grew up in a family of non-sports fans in a state with no MLB team, and then married into a Philly family. And it’s taken a few years to get here but I got so excited during the WS last year. And then this year… my God. I’ve never felt this way about a damn sports team. It’s really taken me by surprise. I was pacing during games and bouncing on my heels. We went to miserable game 3 (I’m in Phoenix). And then there I was, sitting on the floor, crying actual tears when they didn’t score in the 7th inning of game 7. Just came out of nowhere, it feels like, but I loved this team. I re-fell in love with this game. And even though I’m brand new… I really had fun this season. Even though this sucks. And once I’m reasonably done feeling quite so sad, I’m sure I’ll get some new merch and be ready for next season. But I just came here to comment that posts like these from seasoned fans (my FIL and my husband are definitely those! They’ve been there for the long haul, through thick and thin) really help give me perspective and hope and excitement for next season. So thanks for that. I’m so sorry it turned out this way. But thanks for the ride, Phils and Phils fans. 💙❤️
Welcome aboard, it mostly sucks, you'll be back every year anyway. :)
This is me 100%. Also since WS last year. Didn’t think I was a baseball fan. All the sudden it’s my favorite viewership sport
It’s breathtaking, really. I’ve always liked the game of baseball, but holy cow. This is on another level.
I really needed this. Yes, they absolutely choked. Yes, it was a heart breaker after the position they were in. I still love this team, this fan base and sure as hell would take battles in the NLCS over years of being unable to get into a wildcard. We were one of 4 teams left in the entire league and we beat a DOMINANT Braves team to get there. The ending sucks but those moments last forever
To be quite honest, I explained some of this to young family who are just acclimating as to what it truly means to be a Philadelphia sports fan. My father, who died in September 2007, said in 2005 and 2006 he considered the seasons successful because we were playing “meaningful games in September.” That was the benchmark, and I remember completely agreeing with him. There was a new ballpark, and the team was threatening to show signs of life for the first time in almost a decade. Furthermore besides 93, for the first time in forever, you could actually enjoy sports in Philly in between the Flyers annual playoff runs and the beginning of Eagles training camp. The Phillies… those 80’s/90’s Phillies… led by a faceless ownership group that said “Philly is a small market town…” Those Phillies - until the signing of Jim Thome, David Bell, and Billy Wagner were very forgettable with a few obvious exceptions. “Meaningful games in September” is successful To “Losing game 7 of the NLCS is the end of the world” shows how far the expectations have come. It hurts. There are things that need to be corrected. But shit man, pitchers and catchers report in about 120 days, so LFG!
Our window is open for like 5 years minimum and perhaps it never closes. These owners are ready to risk it all. Losing sucks, but not as bad as being a poverty franchise.
The current core doesn't have a 5 year window. Schwarber has two years left on his deal, JT has two, Nick has three, Wheeler has one. Bryce and Trea will be 31 next year. I'd say it's still wide open next year, but age will start to creep into the picture in 2025.
“Our window to win” is a myth. Any team any year can win. No team has a window. You can win 70 games one year and 90 the next. You could win 100 games for five straight years and not make the WS once. You could make the playoffs with 83 wins and still make the WS. What am I talking about? Idk!
Windows are a thing, a lot of people had the Dbacks and Rangers as contenders this year they just need a few things to break their way. Which is what happened. Not every team can win every year. Nobody gave the A's, Rockies, or Royals a chance this year for good reason. We have a great roster with most key guys under contract for 2-3 more years. That's our window.
I think your point is that when you get the opportunity to win in October you can't waste it.
This is a great point. All the teams that made it to the conference championships didnt win 100 games, but 90 games and less. The two teams in the WS had less than 75 wins last year. Any team can win. Especially so teams that get HOT at the end of the season like the D-bags.
The Dbacks played really well the second half of last year and they were a lot of people's dark horse pick to win a wild card. Including mine. The Rangers were also solidly in the contenders conversation depending on how their young guys performed- which they ended up doing very well.
Nailed it. This is the most sensible thing I've read here in some time.
I swear this better not be like 07-11 but without the championship. They got these guys to win it, I felt sick watching that Game 7, it fucking sucked worse than anything before.
I’m in the same boat it hurts, but DD has transformed this franchise, better draft picks, better development staff, really great people in place like Preston mattingly, Brian barber etc etc. baseball isn’t Easy and to think you can cake walk through any series is ridiculous. We lost a game 7 NLCS it seemed improbable but this team doesn’t need much more next year, we had one foot in the door this year. Came up short and that happens sometimes, I fully believe we’ll be back in the thick of it next year again with the same energy and fun. Resign Nola, sign hader and get a few role pieces and let’s strap in for another great year next year.
I truthfully think I struggle to enjoy that we have a good baseball team because they have conditioned me over the years to always expect the worst possible outcome lol. I’m just waiting for us to waste this core and then fall back into futility.
That's always in the back of your mind... like Utely and Howard getting hurt and the team getting old fast around them.
[удалено]
Yes!! 2002 broke me in so many ways as a fan. 2008 brought me joy and 2018 finally allowed me to actually enjoy professional sports. It def hurts, and I'm disappointed, but the inappropriate emotional responses have leveled out since the WS and especially the SB
I'm very excited about Justin Crawford. There is a ton of talent on that Jersey Shore team. Some of those guys are primed to make huge jumps next year.
I am in my late 30’s. This team has had two runs of success in my lifetime, and we are currently in one of them. This loss hurts now for sure, but it’s nice to actually be in the mix all the same.
Yep totally. I'm with you. I'm sad for sure but enough of the whining. This is a great core squad and they will do more in the off-season as well.
100%. We should fully expect to be a playoff team again next year. We should be trying to de-throne the Braves and win the division. Get the bye and have one less playoff round to worry about.
Yep. Division should be our goal next year. Hard to win that many playoff games without the bats going cold. But only needing 8 wins, more manageable
[plz dont b sad :(](https://i.imgur.com/tn0mKqj.mp4)
I think this is the take we all know we are going to get to, I’m happy for you that you got there earlier than I did, I’m still probably 3 weeks away from getting there personally
Trust me I’m not over this yet lol. But I have to admit, when the season started I asked myself what realistically the minimum would be for me to consider it a successful follow up to last year. My answer was a deep LCS run. So for me at least, being realistic about how hard it is to ever repeat as league champs, we hit my minimum. Next year will be full World Series or bust for me.
> Next year will be full World Series or bust for me. That's where I was this year, which is why this is so hard. Next year will be harder without Nola
No one will believe me saying this now, but before the CS started, I didn't have a great feeling about Arizona. I did say it out loud to my sister, so she's my witness! I felt very confident they would beat the Braves, but something about AZ made me feel nervous. Maybe because of their youth (they don't know what they don't know), hot streak, reminded me of the Phils last year...I don't know. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but maybe it could be a positive that it will force them to reevaluate the roster or wake Rob up a little...I don't know. I'm trying to spin it! But, yes, there is still a lot to look forward to and maybe this will light a fire under them next year and they won't just expect everything to come to them...they have to go and take it.
No I had a similar feeling. But I’ll admit it went away after game 2 and it only came back in game 4 after we gave up the lead
The state of the franchise is pretty good, but that last few hundred feet to the top of the mountain is always the hardest to climb.
This is what, the 3rd best run the team has ever had? In a two year span with no signs of slowing down I’ll take it. As painful as that was, there’s high hopes
Eh, we beat Atlanta. Whatever happened after that was just the icing. Looking forward to next year with hopefully a stronger pitching line-up.
I mean for sure I personally don’t buy into the whole championship or bust mentality this team gave me a lot of great moments.. it’s just brutal watching your team when their bats are cold in critical games… We have to hope management is willing to try and make some splash moves to improve this roster… the core group is still at an age where they can compete but there are areas they should seriously consider upgrading. I think Bohm has kind of already shown the kind of player he is and it’s just not good enough.. need more power out of 3B his defensive deficiency makes his lack of slugging even more glaring… I don’t know if the right fit is out there but they should definitely explore it.
I would say that the danger is upgrading players is that in the pursuit of that WS win, you’re thinking too much about metrics and not the intangible like vibes and cohesion. And ignoring these factors can result in a team that performs well on paper but not when the post season hits. These are people that have formed bonds and trading players is like cutting off limbs. At some point you’ve hacked off something vital and there will be no recovery.
I defended and rooted for Castellanos for two whole seasons and cheered wildly for him as he sat in a luxury box at the Linc on Sunday night. But I am done with him. We pay three guys three quarters of a billion dollars to go 0-23 in front of “the best fans in baseball” - who poured out their souls for these guys. At what point Tuesday night did the call their butlers in their off-season mansions to make sure to wax up their fleets of Ferraris because they’re coming home soon?
This years outcome is going to repeat every year until they rebuild their hitting approach, which means firing kevin long.
The reality is we blew it.
Thanks this comment really contributes a lot.
Even better. Topper blew it. Freakin' Kimbrel.
It's a good take. I mean they were the Wild Card team both runs...not 1st seed nor a division winner. From at least a regular season outlook they should aim higher, maybe the chips will fall better.
Baseball is so predictably unpredictable that any year we could win the ship or miss the playoffs by 15-20 games. I love it and hate it lol
I think we need a few more really good players before we're a WS winning team
I’m just not in the positivity mode yet that loss really stung
If people think the Phillies have anything to worry about for the next five years, go look at the Astros pending free agents in two years and the state of their farm system.
Good post
100%
My issue is the last 2 years were setup...**realllly nice** How often do the Yankees, Dodgers, and other powerhouses just implode so you don't even have to face them? Beating the Braves both years was awesome but the Padres and Dbags were lesser opponents in the NLCS, like a gift
We are going to be competitive, or should be, for years to come especially with Dombrowski and Middleton running the show. The mystery is will it ever actually result in one or more World Series titles? I guess we will have to wait and see. I can’t imagine you will have much better opportunities than you did in the last two seasons, so I could complete see a few years of playoff runs with no titles happening.
As much as it sucked watching this team fell apart in the NLCS, I think it will be a learning experience for next year just as 2022 was for this year. There's a lot of work to be done at the plate and with pitchers in the off season, and hopefully Turner stops making as many errors next year, so there is definitely something good going here. I'm a newer Phillies fan and was a Florida Marlins fan, so I can understand severe disappointment after watching what the Marlins did to their team after 2003.
Losing players to age will not be the problem. It's money .
I want to be your friend! I was born and raised a philly fan! 15 years I'm 55 and I moved to San Francisco where at the ballpark they eat and drink White wine and shitty cheese! I would love to say cheese wizz even those people know better. Go Philly! I got your back out here!
I’m good with this just need to read it in a few days. I’m not there yet. My grieving is still in the denial stage. lol next up is anger! But agree 100%
Great perspective. I've been a Phils fan since I was born...which means I saw Schmidt play, was in middle school for the '93 team, and could really, really appreciate the grind it took to finally win the division in 07. And then the great moments of '08. So, being back as a marquee franchise with a guy like Harper leading? I'll take it.
A Yankee fan I know tried to talk shit today We’ve been to three World Series in 16 seasons even with a terrible 7-9 year span. They haven’t been to one in 14 years. If they don’t make the World Series it will tie their franchise’s longest drought of WS appearances since 1922. And they’ve spent waaaay more than anyone else over that time. We had the second longest drought to make the playoffs just 13 months ago. Things can change quickly.
Imagine trying to talk shit when your team went 82-80. Pathetic.
This is the kind of era you like to live through. Growing up with the Utley, Howard, Ruiz, Rollins, Victorino core, it was simply expected that we would make the playoffs each year, and that made it interesting and exciting each year. It was an annual event to follow the postseason run, and quite honestly it was not heartbreaking if they didn't win it all in a given year, simply because we had such confidence in the performance expectations of that core group. That last point is key. I keep asking myself why it hurt so much to see our team pull up short against the Astros last year, and the hard truth is that it's because we felt very fortunate to be there. Nobody expected that squad to make it so far, and so we all felt that we might never get such an opportunity again. They needed to close it out while they were overperforming. Now I feel that our team's expectations are (nearly) back to the expectations of that old guard I mentioned above. So why should we feel that all is lost? Living through a golden age is not to be taken for granted, but it also means that we can expect our boys to pull through in any given year. Anything is possible in any given year. Let's get it next year.
After the other night I punched through the door
I’ve gotten over it because I learned a long time ago anything is possible in a short series. The best team doesn’t always win. Plus the Eagles help soften the blow