And the second half of a season usually is a harbinger of the season to come. Playing it back isn't going to go well. Major changes need to be made. DD as to be bold here.
Sudden, disappointing loss for the fans that spent the second half thinking the Phils would get dominant again with every W. What happened to the Phils' hitting stars? Had high hopes for this team until the last out. Great season ending in great disappointment.
Here's hoping DD signs another All Star hitter. It's a cheap shot to criticize DD's shopping in the bargain basement.
All along, it was unrealistic to expect the flip a switch and suddenly be the team we saw in March through early-July again. Yes, they did kind of flip a switch in 2022, getting hot after stumbling a bit to the finish. But being an underdog and being a favorite are two different mentalities. Could be this team is better suited in an underdog role. This isn't unique to the Phillies. The Nationals went into several Postseasons as a division champion but could never win a Postseason round. But then they won it all as a wildcard, upsetting everyone they played along the way. The Braves in 2021 were an underdog story once they got past the NLDS. The Dodgers are perennial favorites who fold.
Since 2022, the Phillies are 4-1 in Postseason series in which they were the underdog, or at least the team that did not have homefield advantage. They are 1-2 as favorites, beating only the Marlins in 2023.
In 2023, the Phillies were the hot team in the post season until they weren't. Recall they won 7 or the first 8 post season games and seemed destined to play in the WS again. They then lost 4 of the next 5 games against the Diamondbacks, and they were out of it.
I was never confident because of how the Mets beat the Brewers. Baseball is a game f inches and fr some reasons the beisbol gods decide each year that a certain team is going to be given the luck. I was totally fatalistic that we would lose to te Mete. Our offense is so streaky, thqt I felt they were going t be cold. The pen blowing up was a surprise. Shades of Mitch Williams and Crag Kimberly.
I didn't realize until reading one of the articles today how much bigger the Mets payroll is than the Phillies.
DD doesn't have the financial resources to be FA bold. Bold could be a top prospect like Painter having an MLB impact at some point around mid-season. It could also be a couple of our minor league pitchers filling significant bullpen roles. Bold could be the very cheap scouting/signing/improving a minor league FA or Rule 5 guy to fill a spot. DD hasn't had a ton of success with his trade deadline deals; the Mets outdid us there. We have a large cast of FA stars, and expensive ones at that, on this year's team.
Is it bad that I'm rooting for them to make a ceremony out of raising the flag to be able to boo it as it happens? An outburst like that from the crowd would be legendary.
I think the pennant is already flying. The Phanatic had it the day they clinched. Someone who actually went to an NLDS could confirm if they noticed it was up already. But you definitely don't have a ceremony for it like the NL pennant. I never noticed the 2023 flag.
The ring everyone got for 2022 is starting to feel faintly ridiculous too. Not to diminish what the 2022 team accomplished, but how do you talk a big game about World Series or bust when finishing second actually did get you an outrageous piece of jewelry, and now it's the only one in three tries?
Well, that will feel ridiculous for them too if they don't accomplish anything else. And Middleton really talked up the Phillies ring. The biggest, most expensive ring given to the most people ever (not even counting the replicas employees later got).
I feel like 95 wins and an NL East title actually is just as big an accomplishment as not quite winning a tournament, tbh.
You have to get to the playoffs as the first order of business. Hoffman and Estevez showed worth in that regard. To get the big buck$, you have to shine when the lights are brightest. In that regard, they both regressed. I do not think that I'd pay the price that they (and their agents) would want.
