Roy Halladay offers an eloquent and resonant take on the state of the Phillies
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Roy Halladay offers an eloquent and resonant take on the state of the Phillies
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Roy Halladay allowed two home runs and a triple in six innings of work on Tuesday. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)
A professional athlete's psychological exterior can sometimes appear impenetrable, particularly when that professional athlete is Harry Leroy Halladay. But every so often a crack appears, and you are reminded that even a once-in-a-generation player is not immune to the psychological stresses that afflict the members of the general population. One of those moments occurred on Tuesday night, as Halladay stood amidst a gaggle of microphones and notepads and cameras and admitted what should be obvious to us all. The Phillies are pressing. Halladay. Hunter Pence. Shane Victorino. All of them. A six-week slog through low-scoring losses and jarring headlines and crescendoing boos has taken its toll on this team, and I get the sense that we have reached a juncture that could prove to be one of the more dramatic turning points of this season.
Halladay spoke in his usual measured tone, but it was tinged with a sort of pleading honesty as he provided one of the more accurate and eloquent summations of the state of the team.
"The first two months have been tough for all of us," he said. "You do everything you can to fix it, and that's it. I think it gets back to going out and trying to play a little bit more loose and focus on your job. I think we've got, including myself, a lot of guys that are going out and trying to carry the weight of the team, and you can't play that way, and I think we've seen that. I think everybody is trying to pick up slack for what we may not be doing or guys we may be missing and all that, and that only seems to compound the problem. You put it behind you, but I think a lot of us just need to go out and play the game and have fun playing the game. You start pressing and you start trying to do things that you don't need to do and it makes things worse.
"Charlie says it all the time. You do it because you want to, not because you have to. I think it's hard when things aren't going the way you want them to go, but that's how you play the game, and ultimately it is a game, and I think that's important to remember. It's tough to do in places like this, where fans expect a lot, media expect a lot, players expect a lot, but I think it's important to try and find a way to keep that in mind and try to go out and play that way regardless of your own expectations and everyone elses. You've got to get to just playing the game and enjoying playing the game."
At times, Halladay seemed to be addressing all persons involved, from his teammates to us in the media to the front office. He is a player who likes to lead by example, and it is a hell of an example. But, he was asked, would he ever choose to deliver the message in a closed-door setting?
"Yeah, I would," Halladay said with a bit of uncertainty in his voice. "I think finding the right time to do that is tough. Guys are beating themselves up and you have a bad day and it's not necessarily the thing you want to hear or anybody else wants to hear. And it doesn't even have to be a team gathering. Just talking to guys and being teammates. We've got a good group. We've got a great chemistry. We've played good at times, and we haven't at times, and it's just a matter of going out and enjoying it. The more we press, it's not going to take care of itself. You prepare as well as you can and go out and let it all hang out."
Halladay seemed bothered by home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom's decision to eject Carlos Ruiz from the game with two outs in the Nationals' four-run third inning. According to both Halladay and Charlie Manuel, Ruiz told Cederstrom that he thought an 0-1 pitch to Danny Espinosa was a strike, then turned around to look at the ump.
"He didn't turn around, he didn't get in his face, he didn't use obscene language," Halladay said. "He simply said the pitch was a strike. He said it a couple times. I don't know. I've never seen one like that before. And it's unfortunate, because he's our best player and he gets run out of the game, really for saying a pitch is a strike. I've never seen one like that."
What struck me most was the way Halladay labelled Ruiz as the Phillies' "best player." He did so off-handedly, as if there was no doubt about it. At this moment, there really isn't a doubt. But I don't know that I have ever heard anybody outside of the media or the fanbase refer to Ruiz as the Phillies' "best player." Most underrated player, definitely. Most valuable player, at times. Most likeable player, almost always. But "best" is a description that does not come with a qualification. It is a recognition of pure talent, and anytime an athlete on the level of Roy Halladay labels somebody the best at something, it deserves a special note. If the Phillies are going to turn this thing around and rid themselves of the existential weight that seems to be strapped on top of their shoulders, it is guys like Halladay and Ruiz who are going to lead the way.
Heading into a four-game series against the team that ended their 2011 season and sent them into the sprial from which they now must emerge, it will be fascinating to see how these Phillies respond.
Comments (61)
Halladay is the man. And I hope they can turn this thing around sooner rather than later.— Apollo Creed- the solution is so obvious. trade howard and pence for brewers ace zack greinke.— bloodymess
- I've got the prescription for Doc, Utley, Howard and Polanco ...HGH...cure that achellies and fix that knee asap. SO what if they get caught, 50 games suspension??How about you never get to play again if you don't get healthy!! Should be legal anyway, in fact it is with a real Dr. Perscription. Trust me, HGH isn't what Bonds and Sammy were on when they were hitting 70HR's.— JuanSamuel4prez
- They are all pressing and it is palpable. They think they should be able to turn it on or off at will. When they finally relax as a team they will win 25 out of 30 and chase the gnat back to gnat-land.— jjthree
- Ever hear a huckster holler "Rotten Fish!" Roy and his agent are already deciding what team(s)he'd like to be sent to come July when the ship is finally sunk so he's not going to bad mouth the Phillies in any way. I'm sure he can't wait to get away from the hayside manager and on to a team with professional polish.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- I sadly think that if the team continues to collapse, even Doc might be up for a trade . Lee, Vic , Rollins , others too. And if Rube can get good return in prospects, the team just might clean house to rebuild. In the recesses of all our minds is: Ryan and Chase are really done and we smile, cheer but in the dark, know that this team is finished for this year.— Koons
- Halladay is like Utley was, an intense player whose desire and work ethic were never questioned. Unfortunately, Doc has seemed quite off this year; he's still a very good pitcher, but has lost a bit on velocity and the bite of his breaking stuff. It gives teams the sense that they can beat the Phillies, and I think it also creates a lot of self-doubt in the clubhouse. He is the firewall for this team, and he knows it. I think this stretch is a real character test for this bunch.
BTW, listened to the Nats feed on mlb.tv. Their announcers obviously are delighting in their team's play, but at the same time they are not trashing the Phillies at all; in fact I thought they were very respectful of many of the players. I'm disappointed, but I'm a Phillies fan for life, so I'm not going anywhere.— ijj - lancesimmens, the team did ok after Rowand left. But like I said, Burrell and Myers were here. Too many nice guys in this team.— EL Zorro
- Doc may be speaking in nostalgic terms. Saying the right things during difficult times, is what team leaders should step up and do.
That applies if the difficult times are caused by teams underperforming
I am afraid we are not talking here about underperforming by either Doc or most of the team members.
We are talking about diminishing skills.
I would rate Doc, Polanco, Victorino, Rollins and Pierre in that category.
This is why we are losing.
Pierre and Victorino can no longer throw in the outfield and runners advance and score unchallenged.
Polanco and Rollins are past their prime, period. Forget about any resurgance of their skills !
Doc has become hittable. Father Time has caught up to him, too.
This is a very pessimistic appraisal but a more honest one than Doc or the Phillies brass are willing to confront.
Does anybody really believe that any other team in either League would take Doc, Polanco and Rollins off their hands with their present salaries even if the Phillies did not ask anything in return ?
Enough said !— candidly - I love all these FAIR WEATHER fans talking about wasted money, and why do they go to the games, and pethetic...You were in a huge hurry to buy season tickets for the past 4 years! Be a loyal fan and have a little faith you whining maggots. The best teams must face a little adversity to get to the top of the mountain. Fightin Phils 4 Life!!!— Jamey D
- said it before, every team needs a soulful, inspirational leader, maybe Doc is the guy, I don't know, seems like we haven't had one since Aaron Rowland left town, but anyway, someone needs to step up and grab the reins of leadership and get these guys to loosen up and leave it all on the field. Then we will really see what we have. Those in the clubhouse are the only ones who know who the right person is, if it is Doc, have at it, if someone else, grab it and run with it, maybe Carlos Ruiz is the inspirational leader at this point, Chuck needs to figure this out, have a talk with the right person, and set them loose.— lancesimmens
- Oh, and Pierre looks younger than Freddy.
— EL Zorro - Yes, they are pressing, and they are pressing because there are not leaders on this team from the manager all the way to the players. The fact that two pitchers, Lee and Halladay has spoken the last week or so about the status of the team says it all. In the meantime, the player Charlie loves and talks about his leadership is taking a leave that could last until Friday. He’s in Philadelphia and can go home after the game to be with his family. One day was enough, IMO. That’s what I took when my boy was born. Utley is in the dugout, but he has never been a vocal guy, neither have been Chooch and Polanco. Freddy is a rookie, Victorino is goofy and Pence and Wigginton are newcomers struggling lately. Thome is rehabbing and can’t buy a hit anyway. Where is Pat Burrell when we need him and Brett Myers to keep the dugout loose?— EL Zorro
- 1-3 for the upcoming series...put a fork in them.
Just no offense to be heard from. And the sad part is people are waiting for Chase and Howard and these guys will make things even worse because they havent played and wouldnt be 100% anyway. But Pence is your #4 hitter right now....Pence.
-not bob levy— remyy - 99% of you (media included) are making mountains out of mole hills here. Let me break it down for you:
The Phillies are losing more games right now because their offense is less talented at the moment than it was last year. It's that simple.
Complain about the coaching all you want, whine about approaches at the plate, but the fact is that the talent level is down at the moment. Move on.— evolutionary - 1. warbiscuit,you only post negatives & never root for Phils. Who's your real team or are you a loser trying to prove your "smart"? Doc's a class act-why we care. It'd be sad if 2013 is his last as a Phil.
2. We're frustrated due to great run & high hopes. A shake-up is needed: 3B coach Samuel & GG? If we're not in it trade Pence, Vic & JRo. Galvis is as good but $11M cheaper. Use their huge $ for younger more disciplined OF, 3B and Hamels. Go Phils!— phillies6pack - These guys are in total denial. This team isnt pressing rather This team stinks! Pierre,polunco,vic,Pence,Mayberry,Ruiz,Fontenot ,Galvis. Sorry guys but that is a very lineup, a last place lineup.
Someone on WIP nailed. There has been a culture of losing that has slowly but surely infected this team. Part of it is due to injuries. Part of it is Rube stockpiling this roster with bad baseball players fromlosingorganizations.Schneider,Valdez,Martinez,Herndon,Qualls,Francisco,Nix,Wiggington etc.. But that is the nature of the beast when overpaid players like Lee,Halladay,Howard are making a combined $70 M a year.— joe smith - There are a lot of things which have contributed to this mess. "A culture of losing" sure isn't one of them, though. The WIP guy didn't "nail" anything although he may have been hammered when he called.
— Sam Crow - Two quotes over the past year succinctly and accurately place the proper perspectiver on baseball. Doc daid "... ultimately it is a game...". Let's not lose sight of that fact. IT IS NOT the health and well being of your family, or the security of the country....IT IS a game. Fun to watch, great to have some fun hearted, maybe intense discussions about it, but........it is a game, it is not life.
That reminded me of remarks by Cliff Lee last year after some tragic injuries around the league that occured when people risked their lives to catch or retrieve foul balls. Lee reminded us, "Guys, it is just a baseball!" Exactly it is just a baseball, from just a GAME! Live your life people........don't live it vicariously through the wins and losses of Philly sports teams.
BTW, thanks for the effort and entertainment, Doc, Cliff, Chooch, and every last Phillie.— uppdben - There's really no way to defend Ruiz for getting tossed. In the baseball book of unwritten rules, the catcher isn't supposed to look back at the umpire and hold up the game to argue. Ruiz was probably right about the bad calls but those unwritten rules will do it all the time.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- The best thing I read in Roy's words is the frequently forgotten "it IS a game" statement. Roy Halladay is the perfect messenger to get this across to the team. Things may get worse with the Phils before they get better, but if they can go out there to PLAY, their natural ability will win out. Events like the ludicrous ejection of Chooch (which so accurately describes the unprofessional, confrontational behavior of most umpires today) - just HAVE to be ignored. I know it so easy to say, but guys - you are far too good for this! RELAX!— dwp66
- Everyone and their mother knows Chooch is our best hitter right now, everyone but Chollie. He should be batting 4th with pence in the 3 or 5 hole where he is most comfortable. Pu— Trot
- Everyone and their mother knows Chooch is our best hitter right now, everyone but Chollie. He should be batting 4th with pence in the 3 or 5 hole where he is most comfortable. Pu— Trot
- Everyone and their mother knows Chooch is our best hitter right now, everyone but Chollie. He should be batting 4th with pence in the 3 or 5 hole where he is most comfortable. Pu— Trot
- Everyone and their mother knows Chooch is our best hitter right now, everyone but Chollie. He should be batting 4th with pence in the 3 or 5 hole where he is most comfortable. Pu— Trot
- Everyone and their mother knows Chooch is our best hitter right now, everyone but Chollie. He should be batting 4th with pence in the 3 or 5 hole where he is most comfortable. Pu— Trot
Comment removed.- I feel for Halladay. He wants to win. But the Phillies seem just as interested in the "entertainment" provided by Rollins.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- Looks like every other GM in the league knew something when they did NOT bid for Rollins ... $10M per is generous for a good field, no hit shortstop. The biggest problem though is waiting for godot like (sorry to go literary) obsession with the return of Howard and Utley. If they play at all, they will not be the same players they were even two years ago much less four. Time to rebuild. They have quality position players in Victorino, Pence and Ruiz. If Victorino goes, oh well. Stuck with Howard's monster deal and Rollins for two more years. Anyone else who can go should. No more waiting for Mayberry and Brown. Get some real bench players. Convince Chase it's time to open a dog shelter. Just as in 93, Monty got sentimental and gave huge deals based on past success.— boomartin
- Obviously Holliday is talking about a certain lack of leadership by example on this team. I think Utley provided that quietly for years. How many times have we seen Utley take a walk to allow Howard to get all those RBI's when another player may have been swinging for the fences to up his own numbers. I think Utley was the model of a team player, and this team right now, is not playing as a team. For example, if Chooch is the best player, then why isn't Pence taking a lot more pitches. Pence has to realize this is not Houston. He doesn't have to do it all. Pence is a very good baseball player, he doesn't have to try and swing for the fences every at bat.— Ron
- Diekman looked terrific but using for 5 batters probably means not available for today. Brillant!...No question Chooch best among position players at this time. Should we start calling him Mr Chooch? Pence is just too overaxious at plate. Dont enjoy being critical of someone who gives 110% but he's not going to see many hittable pitches if he keeps going out of strikezone. Mgt. has to get it to him somehow. Then again Hunter has probably been hearing it many times.— Don w
- @nazblueeagles11 maybe because they aren't fair weather fans. Apparently you are one though. So, look in the mirror when you utter the word pathetic.— Spider Rico
- It's like a chicken-egg thing. They'll play the game with infectious enthusiasm when they're winning...they'll play like they're relaxed when they're winning...they can't be relaxed when they're losing in difficult ways every night.— Jeffy3
- Man we have a lot of Trolololol's our here. Stop waisting your time writing and our time reading. You hate the Phillies? Good for you. You think they dont have a shot? Good for you. Now just one more question, you have any tickets for the phillies? Please, by all means, give them to me...— StraitandNarrow
- I reject out of hand the notion they are pressing. The opposite is true.They have quit. The baserunning and defensive blunders attest to that. This team is old and is rotting to the core. It is time for the organization and the fans to accept the run is over and it is time to tear this team to its foundation and rebuild. Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Papelbon, Ruiz, Victorino, Pence, Rollins and Howard (if anyone will take that gargantuan contract) should all be gone come July 31. Hamels and Victorino walk this winter one way or the other. Things will not improve until everyone accepts this reality.— imsick
- The biggest thing is that Charlie and Ruben have made some bad decisions of late and now they are pay, Werth would sure look good in our line-up right about now. The Phillies will have to rebuild sooner than they think I hope that the farm system is loaded if not we will soon return to the dark ages where always finished in the basement or close too it. As far as Howard hitting is concern he lifts up his head to soon and takes his eye off the ball even Stevie Wonder can see that— Slyy
- Chicken and egg analogy: You win, you enjoy, you play loose, you keep winning. You lose, you try harder, you play tight, you keep losing. Unfortunately, the lineup we're trotting out right now is pathetic.— eman
- I read an old article about Mike Schmidt being in a slump at the plate. Dick Allen was talking to him about it, saying and I am paraphrasing, Mike, you've got to go out and enjoy the game, play like you did when you were a kid-- remember when you would skip supper to play baseball? Just play and relax. Enjoy it like you were a little boy, again. Schmidt took his advice and proceeded to hit four home runs in the next game. I wish I could simply remind our team of this same thought.— Joe Gonnelli
- @24, I agree with you wholeheartedly.....and....It's been clear from day one that these guys have been pressing. The starting pitchers can't go out there thinking "I can't give up any runs today or we'll lose" and the hitters who've developed certain styles of play through the years, styles that have been successful and gotten them to the Major Leagues and in many cases to AS games as the best players, can't at this late stage "change" who they are or what their approaches are. Any attempts to change from what has gotten them here (the show) will cause more negatives to happen than positives. Rodan and Renoir were both great "artists", but one sculpted and one painted. If they switched chisel for paintbrush (their approach to creating works of art) with eachother, I doubt we'd have seen the prolific works of art they ultimately produced.
RAJ has assembled good players, good guys, good citizens in our community but as a well oiled functioning baseball machine they are failing miserably even without the help of the umpiring crews which seem to be constantly stacked against the Phils pitchers. It would seem that MLB has a new "agenda" promoting new franchises with new ownership groups/regions and new up and coming star players and the Phils aren't on the "hot list" any longer. The harder you try to remain relevant or produce for your next contract or carry your team til the injured players get back, the worse it gets. Whether you think Halladay is washed up or not, you have to appreciate his honesty and his candor, especially after the game he pitched. This team still has talent but their "psyche" is shot. They are emotionally drained already from just the first 2 months of a very long season. I don't see how a physically limited shell of an Utley or a gimpy for another 6 months Howard is gonna be able to help out very much this season if at all.— Mark1npt - i wish the commenters around here had as much class as roy does.— slanted and enchanted
- I love the Phils with a passion, and it is very tough to watch them leave men on base night after night. Whats missing is Ryan Howard, everyone is quick to run him out of town. Well now we know what the offense is like without him. I hope he gets back soon.
- People underestimated the absence of Howard. Whether you like him or not, it's a big part of their offensive problems. His missing power in the middle of the lineup affects the whole lineup. You wonder if he can be back in some capacity in June sometime. — s
- All you dummies are gullable as hell. This man is a phoney Yes they gave him ywo CY YOUNG awards.Maddox,Glavin,(I think he's as phony as doc).Smokes have something the best pitcher in baseball does't have.Something if he is so great he would have led his teams to. A WORLD SERIES RING a championship. No doubt if the phils had won one he woul have got all the credit for it.WHAT A BIG PHONY.— tobyjoe
- There you have it folks...the most congenitally idiotic post in philly.com sports history: Roy Halladay is a big phony.
Please spare us any future posts tobyjoe. - i still believe they'll eventually turn it around, coordinate timely hitting with decent relief pitching, play like pros if not champs, end up winning 55% and slip into the playoffs. still, this does not negate the disgraceful showing of these first two months. seasoned pros - and forget for a moment their bloated salaries - can be off-center for a week, even two; but an entire quarter season is an absolute sham. i just cannot see the turnaround i'm talking about with amaro and manuel running the show. they just have to be let go. btw, it would be fascinating, were it possible, to dig into chooch's psyche to determine how come he's been immune to the 'pressing' that's plagued everyone else on the club.— bubba church & granny hamner
- Pence needs to pretend he's still in Houston and nobody cares what he does on the field or at bat. I sometimes wonder if Jimmy has backed off any aggressive leadership role because he doesn't believe that Utley and Howard will contribute that much this year and thus the team will be .500 at best.
The real concern is why Roy and Cliff aren't as dominant as they were in prior years. The lack of runs isn't their fault. But they are giving up more homers than usual. I sense they are also having to pitch deeper into counts to get outs. - You captured what I also thought was the best part of that talk Murphy: Halladay saying Ruiz was the best player like it was just a regular part of everyone's conversation. I looked at him and there was nothing forced or fake there. In his heart Doc believes Ruiz is the best player and just assumes the rest of us see that too. Ruiz, more than any player to me, is the guy playing without pressing and just going out and doing what he does as best he can and getting it done. Hamels is another one who's just doing what he does. Same for Galvis even though he has the extra dimension and pressure of being a rookie. Guys like Pence and Victorino are really pressing.— s
- Richie Allen is right on the mark.
Warbiscuit has got to be kidding. Two bad outings and Halladay is a "mediocre washed up former star?". No credibility.
— VicM - Doc seems to be a standup guy. Good analysis, but I don't think it will change anything. They're just not good enough this year, even if they stop "pressing." Eventually you get knocked off the mountain. The question is, do they have what it takes to climb back up? It doesn't surprise me that he said Ruiz is their best player. The pitching staff has always had total respect for him. He's finally getting his due from everyone else.— Sam Crow
- blah blah ...team sucks - Halladay is nothing more than mediocre washed up former star these days and rube had no business giving up the farm for 2 good years of an aging star, hamels is the future and now rube can;t re-sign him , Pence is another of rube's awful expensive trades, polnaco has been useless --cant hit or run -since he got here ...most of tema is useless trash that only an imbecile would spend $177 million to put together such trash— warbiscuit
- I agree with Doc. However, it's up to a capable manager to get his players in the right frame of mind in order to get the maximum out of each and every player. Moving guys around in the lineup isn't the way to put a player's mind at ease. Up until this point, Charlie hasn't had to do much. Now that a capable manager is needed, he ain't it. I thank him for what he's done here, but it's time to move on. Time to bring in Sandberg, a fresh face, a younger guy who's been there before. Before you start getting rid of players, the easiest thing to do is move to a different manager. Everything to gain and nothing to lose.— beegal99
- I also think it's interesting that Chooch has undoubtedly been the best hitter so far, & it's also very apparent that he NEVER tries to do too much. He just takes the pitch as it comes; never over swings. Pence & Vic, in particular, would be wise to watch tape of Chooch's AB's.
— Clean187 - One must agree on both of Halladay's points. The team is pressing and needs to go back to playing like they enjoy it. Stop trying to be Howard or Utley and be themselves. Halladay got it right about Carlos Ruiz, who seems to improve every year, leading by example, has become the de facto team captain.— eicholson
- Compare last year at this time, happier times, when the team was loose, veterans produced, and all the pieces were in place (perhaps except Oswalt) - 28-17, Utley activated on this day or around this date, interestingly Posednik signed to a minor league contract, and Madson was lights out.
No question these guys are pressing. But the difference in the past when a few pressed at the plate throughout the season others picked them up, defense remained solid, and the pitching came up big. This year, all but Ruiz seem to be pressing at some point or another (or have lost their mojo altogether), have lost skills, and have managed to take the defensive mistakes to the plate, and the offensive woes to the field.
Baseball teams have three legs to a stool: pitching, hitting and defense. Halladay is correct; the starters are now beginning to press because they have been asked to carry the mess that the other two legs haven't produced night in and night out, day in and day out, and they simply cannot throw complete game shutouts every night.
The plan is flawed MontCo. You, RAJ and CM should quickly huddle and fix it before the stool collapses.— 24sDad - Thanks for the realism Doc. The problem all along I feel, has been the manager. He can not direct the field operation. He can not motivate. He has "friends" on the team that cloud his thinking such Rollins. What a waste that contract will be. And why he didn't move Chooch--THE BEST PLAYER--up in the order earlier in the season when NO ONE else was hitting is beyond me. And he has no ability to know when Doc or Cliff Lee should come out of a game. They both have thrown too many pitches and now we're paying for it. On top of that the front office has signed overaged guys to carry the load ever since 2009 starting with Raul and then Polly. What is Contreras doing here? Everyone knows he's even older than his passport says. The core was already aging and Amaro has simply sped up the process. Add to that the fact that Ryan Howard lost the complete concept of where the strike zone is and became a guess hitter more than 2 years ago and what you now see is what you get. It was fun while it lasted. Sign Papelbon to big bucks and let Hamels go without a wimper...what is there for Papelbon to "save?" Sadly the Gillick years were an illusion. No wonder he left town while the gettin' was good.— Richie Allen
- The real question is...why are people still wasting their good money and selling out the place to see this team? Pathetic— nazblueeagles11
- And why, pray tell, are you wasting your obviously valuable time reading and commenting???People spend their money for enjoyment. If they do not enjoy going to the games, and have tickets, there are plenty of people who do enjoy the game, win or lose, and will go. It's baseball, Major League baseball, and either you're a fan or your not.You are entitled to your opinion, but remember, it is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. (HTML deleted) — jlmfl
- The "problem" is that most of us who continue to sell out the ballpark are season ticket holders or fans who purchased tickets back in December/January/February. Can't do anything about it now and the Phillies wont take them back, so it is better to show up and at least have a nice night out than sit at home and stew about the money I just wasted! — alaver
- And people wonder why Garnett called us "Fair weather fans" — birdman0110
- I think Halladay is spot on. One think I've noticed this season, as opposed to years past, is that the Phillies passion & excitement while playing the game was infectious. It was something the crowd fed off of. And that passion & exuberance just hasn't been shown by the team so far this year. Maybe because they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. Maybe it's because this is a veteran team whose exuberance has waned as they age. Whatever it is, though, they need to find it again, because as Roy said, whatever they're approach has been so far, it isn't working.— Clean187
- There are lot of phillies who look like its a chore to b out there.
Time for them to go.
And its obvious who they are at this point.— fmMD
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