The Phillies Got Exactly What They Earned
There will be no hats, no pennants, no more parties, no parade. The Phillies lost Game 7 of the NLCS to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
There was an opportunity for so many things to go right, but so many that went wrong. Sentimentality and any good feeling can and should wait for another day. There are a few things I never need to see or hear again in regard to this 2023 edition of the Phillies.
The better team won the series. The Phillies didn’t lose it.
Don’t spin this as the Phillies losing the series. With a trip to the World Series on the line and two chances to secure it at home, they lost.
Why? The Diamondbacks got clutch hitting. They were flawless defensively, and they were bold and aggressive. They stole eight bases. The Phillies fell apart and turned the bats into sawdust.
They won’t be printing up “We Kick The Braves Asses When It Counts” t-shirts.
The Braves get to hang another division champion pennant that they know is not worth the fabric it’s printed on. What do the Phillies get? Nothing. There is no celebrating “We won two rounds t-shirts.” It felt good, but you caved under the pressure.
Learn from others’ stupidity, especially when you don’t even play!
It would serve the Phillies well to get a true, serviceable backup catcher. It would also serve them well to tell a bench player who they don’t even trust to play or pinch hit not to give the Diamondbacks a “Protect the Pool” slogan. What a dopey thing to do you just saw how a dumb comment from Orlando Arcia motivated your club.
The “Choke” Word
Fans can use it. I cringe when media members do it. If you are calling a player a choker, you are the guy who would never go into a clubhouse and call that player a choker.
Find a better word and maybe some perspective on the Phillies losing Game 7 to the Diamondbacks. Was this worse than the Eagles losing the last game at the Vet with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line after the 2002 season? Nope. That team was far superior to this one. Is it a worse loss than the Sixers losing Game 7 to the Hawks in 2021? No way. Again, that team was never supposed to lose that series or game.
Learn this lesson!
I was continually told that the Phillies’ poor approach at the plate and ridiculous base running decisions “didn’t matter” and that they won 90 games! If you show weaknesses over the course of 162 games they do matter and they probably will be what another good team uses to send you home in the Fall. Stop the sunshine and lollipops. Address the weaknesses and do things to change them.
The Phillies have been eliminated from the MLB playoffs. pic.twitter.com/XvPitqnqPU
— ESPN (@espn) October 25, 2023
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