I thought long and hard about writing this one, knowing how beloved Jayson Werth is in this city, but it's become too difficult to ignore some of the obvious signs. This goes to show you how absolved from all wrongdoing a player can be when they are performing at a high level.
Right now, Jayson Werth is not.
At first, all was good. Werth grew a beard in the off-season. We loved it. He started off the year on a torrid pace. More love. His perceived desire to win at all costs is exactly what Philly fans want out of a player. He counted down the days to spring training just moments after losing to the Yankees in the World Series, he gives answers like "win another World Series" on the scoreboard during in-game videos. And to this point, he always walked the walk.
Now, his struggles are allowing fans to see the other side of Werth- and not just on the field.
The first sign of trouble was when Charlie Manuel mentioned that there were some players in the locker room concerned about money (Werth is the most notable soon to be free agent). Then Manuel took it a step further and opined that it was affecting Werth at the plate- Werth denied it. Then he cursed at a fan. And gave a half-assed apology. TheDirty.com reported a rumor about him and Chase Utley's wife (likely not true, but the timing couldn't have been worse).
Wait outside of Citizen's Bank Park after a game and try to get Werth's autograph. On this day (as the players were leaving for the All-Star break), Rollins and Lidge both stopped in the short time we were there. Werth did not. We're not going to pretend that this is any real indication of character, but when we've been there, fans are 0-3 this year with Werth.
Another day, a fan who followed him to the stop light said Werth rolled down his tinted window just enough to say "get out of the way."
And now comes the comment from Delco Times writer Ryan Lawrence:
After Ryan Madson served up the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of the Phillies 4-3 defeat to the Cubs Friday afternoon, the dejected setup man stood his ground as a couple of questions were lobbed his way. A few feet away in the close-quarters clubhouse, when Madson’s brief Q&A session ended, Jayson Werth decided to chime in.
“Nice interview, guys,” said the starting right fielder, who went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, all looking, Friday.
Nice game, Jayson.
The writers tell us this is just par for the course this season.
CSN's John Finger notes a similar indifference from Werth.
What do our readers think?
He's Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls. Was level headed, caught on w/ the popular people & his head got too big for his shoulders
A trade doesn't seem to be the worst thing in the world as this juncture.
King of Swing.... and a miss.
looks like he's checked out. way too many called third strikes for a major leaguer as of late.
Time to go. He's been playing for himself all year (trying too hard to earn the big contract), and he's been an ass to the fans and sportswriters. He looks like he forgot how to hit. Trade him now, while we still might get something for him (somebody is bound to take a chance on him, to help a pennant chase).
Trade him for a bag of balls!
he used to be my FAVORITE player, but now i don't think i like him that much anymore.
We did get a lot of "he'll turn it around", "give him a break", and "I'd fuck him", but you would have been hard pressed to find even one of those negative comments three months ago.
Perform simple search for his name on Facebook and Twitter, and you'll find more examples.
He's not doing himself any favors at the plate by striking out looking seemingly every at-bat. He's obviously trying. But is he trying because he wants to win, or because the next three months will likely determine his (and the next two generations of Werths) financial future?
Either way, it's a lot of pressure. And Werth appears to be crumbling under it.
I would love for him to prove me wrong.
Similar reading [Crashburn Alley] [Beer Leaguer] [Team to Beat] [We're The Team to Beat].
this is all bull, he is having a bad yr and we dont have the money to keep him so its easier for everyone to start hating him and acting like he is cus he knows he is gone next season and doesnt want to go. Werth is awesome in my book and just in a slump as all ball players get into once in a while , give the guy a break.
Posted by: mary mcf | July 18, 2010 at 02:27 PM
We're not hating, we're providing examples of his struggles, attitude towards fans and media, and the seeming fall from graces he's had in the last 60 days.
Posted by: Kyle Scott | July 18, 2010 at 02:31 PM
idk about Werth, it goes two ways with the story.. he was never always a guy who put up huge numbers he just happened to have a good season in 08 and a great year in 09 but thats only TWO YEARS in his whole career.. i think we as fans of the Phillies expect too much of these guys to have the same avg. every single year and that just doesnt happen with most players on most teams.. i never fed into the Werth hype to begin with because he never played full seasons in mlb until he got to the Phillies... Werth shouldnt be held to All Star expectations he's just another run of the mill type of player.
Posted by: Akshun | July 18, 2010 at 02:44 PM
Fickle Fans. Werth might not be hitting right now, but do you really want to see butter-fingers Francisco in right field. It's not a popularity contest, it's about winning games and I, for one, think we stand a much better chance with Jayson Werth in the line-up then without him.
Posted by: Susan Leiggi | July 18, 2010 at 02:54 PM
I was at Wrigley on Friday. I sat about 10 rows from the short wall on the 1B line near RF. Jayson came over, smiled, chatted up fans and stood around for pictures. I'd call that a good attitude. Lidge also was a incredibly nice to all of us.
I think Werth is getting a bad rap from fickle "fans".
Posted by: Mel | July 18, 2010 at 02:56 PM
Is it fickle fans, or Werth has always had his moments of "being a dick", but they were easy to overlook before? I'm on the fence. But there are a lot more anecdotal stories about Werth than are listed here, showing that he's not the best of guys.
Posted by: Kyle Scott | July 18, 2010 at 03:04 PM
I like Jayson Werth. His attitude needs a bit of adjustment right now...the guy is under a microscope and needs to just start playing more solid ball. I'll be sad to see him go...
Posted by: Deneen | July 18, 2010 at 03:48 PM
I don't disagree with pretty much anything said here. It makes me sad because I LOVED Jayson. I loved the stories of how he asked Charlie what he had to do to be an everyday starter, and how he worked and improved and became the star he was in 08 and 09. Now things aren't going so smoothly. It's definitely easier to excuse crappy behavior/dick like attitude when the player is contributing hugely to the teams success. Hell, look at Cole Hamels. Put yourself in his position for just a minute though. He was riding high, things looked great, he was a huge part of the core on a team that won a world championship after looking like he may not even be an every day player, and now he is struggling, he's concerned (overly?) about where he's going to end up and of course about how much money he will make. The rest of the team is crumbling around him (injuries, slumps). Not to make excuses, but I'm sure he's stressed out. We all get stressed out with our jobs, but and entire city doesn't put us under a microscope and analyze our every step. That being said I try my best to give him a break, it's not easy. I hope he can turn it around. I'd hate to see him leave, especially leaving a sour taste in the fans mouth (insert dirty joke here).
However, I was devastated to see Rowand go...and things worked out pretty well there...
Posted by: EEB | July 18, 2010 at 04:33 PM
Would you honestly sign autographs when the fans of your team have been talking about the necessity to trade you all season? For the fans that accused you of having an affair with your teammate's wife? I'd be fuckin' pissed.
You're going to base a guys character off of the fact that he won't stop his car to sign autographs? Ever think he's in a shitty mood because the team as a whole has been underperforming?
Yeah, Ry-How and Lidge stop to say hi to fans. Ryan is an absolute image for the team. He IS our franchise player. Lidge is trying to save face. He is trying to get on the fans good side again.
Werth on the other hand, is in the mouth of every fan, negatively. Look at the comments above. Of course he's playing for himself. With Ryan's contract, the Phillies essentially said, that they will move him if needed. That was the statement they made.
How the hell would you react to that?
Of course he yelled at a fan for catching a ball that he could have easily snagged for an out. Many of you have said that you, as a fan would probably have caught that ball too. But, as Jayson Werth, with someone interfering with your JOB, I'm pretty sure that you would yell at the guy as well.
Come on, guys. Isn't it obvious that because the team is in a slump, we look for the scapegoat? And many people have sadly made Jayson Werth the scapegoat...I feel bad for the guy.
Posted by: David | July 18, 2010 at 08:57 PM
I totally agree with you David!!
Jayson Werth is still my favorite!
Posted by: Karen Uzdavines | July 18, 2010 at 09:18 PM
David, first of all, it was J-Roll who stopped, not Ryno. And we're not basing our assumption off that. In fact, we noted that was of little importance, but just another nick the armor. Cursing at fans, snippy with the media, struggling at the plate, and having the manager mention the money affect you are factors as well. Not to mention the slew of fans who have changed their tune on him. There are more stories, but since we can't confirm them they weren't printed. It paints a character picture of the guy that is starting to have more light shed on it while he is struggling.
Posted by: Kyle Scott | July 18, 2010 at 09:26 PM
I needed a kidney and a new cornia and Jayson Wetth came out of right field and into section 108 row 4 seat 9 at Citizens Bank Park and without hesitation donated both to me. Also in all this good will he signed my Phillies cap and gave me the hair from his beard the last time he shaved in a sandwitch bag. I love Wetth.
Posted by: bill | July 18, 2010 at 10:30 PM
More light shed on it? No. Absolutely not...Lets be honest. If the Phillies were winning, no one would bitch about Werth cursing at the fan in the RF foul section. Everyone is just using him as a scapegoat. Its obvious. I honestly don't think he has changed. He was always a ruff and gruff guy. If he became an asshole to Philly fans? I personally wouldn't blame him. As a die hard fan, I honestly would applaud him for standing up for himself...having a backbone, if you will. How about we focus the blame on other things. Like the shitty bullpen. Maybe we should be looking at possible situations that could help improve the team instead of pointing out why you think one player is being a bully on the playground lately. Stop being a fucking pansy and grow up. If you're going to write/manage a sports blog then why don't you discuss important shit instead of saying why Jayson Werth hurt your feelings. Or, honestly, maybe you should just grow a pair of balls. (FYI its ok if you cry. Not everyone will make fun of you. But I sure will.)
Posted by: David | July 18, 2010 at 11:13 PM
omg, he stuck up for a teammate against idiot journalists and blew off fans after a bad game. Trade him now. Gimme a break!! It's articles like this that are fanning the anti-Werth flame.
Posted by: Tess | July 19, 2010 at 10:44 AM
And those comments from readers? You asked people if they had comments against Werth. Ever think of asking for comments for Werth? No. You went ahead and decided to bash the shit out of him. Did you ever think that there may be people out there who still appreciate Werth and would hate to see him traded? No. You didn't.
Posted by: David | July 19, 2010 at 11:19 AM
I posed it as "your thoughts on Jayson Werth right now?" Go ahead, search his name on Facebook or Twitter, tell me what you find.
Yes, we did factor that in, and we acknowledged it, but 3 months ago you wouldn't have found one negative Werth comment.
Posted by: Kyle Scott | July 19, 2010 at 11:36 AM
John Madden used to always say "winning is the best deoderant." That's what I see here in this scenario. All of the kind of annoying things star players do get swept under the carpet when you are playing well and the team is winning.
Perfect example is the 1993 team, who by all accounts were some really miserable guys who hated the media (ironic now since so many from that team are in the media), did the bare minimum when it came to being fan friendly, etc. But nobody cared in 1993 when they nearly won a championship. A few years later when the team stunk we had no use for grumbly guys who weren't playing well and/or were injured all of the time.
I always say how you handle adversity says a lot more about you than how you handle success. J Roll and some others have proven they can take it when times are bad. Werth...not so much.
Posted by: John E. | July 19, 2010 at 12:30 PM
lol listen to the video and the blogger filming is completely yelling bullshit to try and make it look like werth is a sick. Can u say propaganda! Dont post a video trying to trick ppl u moron. Way and try and fabricate what actually happened.The world has no place for ppl like u. Jealously is very ugly. Ur upset b/c Jason is about top become very wealthy. I will never read this blog again.
Posted by: kylescottisamoron | July 19, 2010 at 01:47 PM
A) not me yelling B) that video certainly wasn't the crux of the article C) yeah, im jealous because he's about to get paid a lot, so i don't like him. (sarcasm)
Posted by: Kyle Scott | July 19, 2010 at 03:30 PM
look, don't hate on us for pointing out what others are thinking. the trending topic amongst fans is "trade werth", that wasn't the case 2 months ago.
members of the media, who see werth daily, note his negative attitude.
charlie hinted at it.
we've seen him curse at fans, snub fans, and have heard MANY other rumor about him.
im as big of a werth fan as there is, but let's face it, he's kind of a dick. he gets a pass when he's performing, but now that he's not, it's starting to be uncovered. we're going to mention it.
if you don't like it, don't read.
Posted by: Kyle Scott | July 19, 2010 at 03:38 PM
You posted the article w/space for replies-you'll get ppl's opinions. The vid is nonsense. Whoever followed Werth's car & then got upset b/c Werth said, "Get away," is he a stalker? This person followed Werth to a stop light-seriously? He's lucky Werth didn't drive over him.
For a month the media has been blaming Werth for every ill the Phillies have. If they were winning it would be Howard & Utley who'd get the kudos, but b/c they're losing - it's Werth's fault? They, like you, are focusing on his poor play at the plate. Hey he's not the only one playing badly! But the focus is on Werth b/c unfortunately it's his FA yr. The media has propogated the rumor that he's asked for big money-not true. Dollars haven't been talked. Werth said in late-April/mid-May they discussed waiting much of the season to see how he played, even if it went against him. I think that's more than fair, & it shows he wanted to stay. Then RAJ immed signed the $125mil/Howard deal 18mos in advance of nec, AND said more than once they didn't have the money to sign other players.
SO: Werth's been quoted as asking for money he didn't ask for, quoted as saying things he didn't say, daily another column wants to trade him, he's being made to seem like the one reason the team is losing & the only one playing badly, and now fans on the internet are hating him?! He's said nothing but good things about the coaches, the team, the city, the fans, etc. and this is his treatment? Wow, imagine how you'd feel.
I've always liked him. He's a solidly great player. When his confidence returns he'll kick ass again. As much as I've loved the Phillies since childhood - I hope he does leave, then he'll kick the Phillies ass on his new team. It would serve all of us right for allowing such rotten treatment of a player who doesn't deserve it.
Posted by: just saying | July 19, 2010 at 05:54 PM
Why don't people hop off it? He's human.
Posted by: philthyfan | August 12, 2010 at 03:52 AM
I agree. Dealing with the media is tough enough. He's a baseball player, I doubt public speaking was in the job description.
Posted by: viendork | August 12, 2010 at 03:54 AM
I read that Lindsay Lohan is poised to land $1 million for first post-jail interview. I'm lost for words... this must be a sure sign we live in a crazy world.
Posted by: jason | August 19, 2010 at 08:00 AM
I read that Lindsay Lohan is poised to land $1 million for first post-jail interview. I'm lost for words... this must be a sure sign we live in a crazy world.
Posted by: jason | August 19, 2010 at 08:00 AM
Why does a pretty gal like her want to land herself in trouble? Lindsay pls stay clean and healthy, drinking will ruin your life and future...
Posted by: mark | September 21, 2010 at 06:58 AM