Phillies Fans Who Left Early, Please Don’t Go To Another Game

I couldn't believe it. As I headed to the bathroom just before the top of the 8th inning started I saw people, a lot of people, heading for the exits. People with freshly purchased Phillies shirts, hoodies, and hats decided "you know what, I think we should head out and 'beat the traffic." The fan in me was floored.

I had waited a LONG time to see a World Series game in person. I realized heading to the game how LUCKY and FORTUNATE I was to have a ticket to the hottest show in town. Financially I couldn't go in 2008 or 2009, but I had secured a ticket 13 years later. I showed up, the team did not. And trust me, I was pissed. But that didn't mean I was going to head out early because that isn't what being a fan is all about.

I've always hated the sheer idea of leaving a game early. When you purchase a ticket to a movie you dont head out 10 minutes early saying "I think I know who the killer is so lets head out and beat the traffic." Ive always thought it was weak. But the difference between leaving a Tuesday game in August against the Marlins and leaving a World Series game is like the difference between I-76 and the Audubon. So to see so many people heading for the exits early was disgusting.

If you are one of the fans who left early I simply ask that you don't attend another playoff game again. Let the real fans go. Let the people that WANT to be there go. Because you clearly didn't. You can use EVERY excuse in the book for heading out early, and I'm simply here for none of it. Because the reality is if the team were winning you would've stayed. You had plans to go down there and sing "Dancing on My Own" and watch the team inch closer to an improbable World Series title. And then you just decided to head home early.

"I have work early"

So do I. So do a lot of fans. They stayed, you left.

"The team didnt show up."

This team has shown that they are never out of it. They have literally come back from a 5-0 deficit IN THIS SERIES. But you left early.

"I have a long drive."

So were you going to leave early if they were up 5-0? I think we all know the answer to that. But they were down so...you left early.

Unless it was a family emergency, there wasn't a good excuse for leaving early. Not with this Phillies team. Did they come back? No. But can you EVER count them out? No. Not during this playoff stretch. But then again you probably wouldn't know that because you just remembered for the first time since 2011 that Philadelphia has a baseball team.

It wasn't everybody. In fact, it probably wasn't more than 15-20% (maybe less, I'm not a mathematician.) But those that left early simply didn't deserve to be there. The Phillies aren't in the World Series very often. Fans were clamoring for tickets to that 9 inning game and you left after 7. So please, next time, just dont go. Because you clearly don't realize how lucky you were to simply have the opportunity to watch that in person.

The Phils are goin to the series for the first time since 2009 and that probably means that you could use some new gear. One can never have TOO much, but we here at the Fanatic figured you needed to add to your collection. We have four new designs in the Fanatic Pro Shop.

GET YOUR T SHIRTS HERE