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Even 40-Year-Old David Robertson Hit the Beer Bong in the Clubhouse
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
David Robertson was watching baseball on his couch three months ago. Now? He’s ripping beer bongs at 40 years old as the Phillies clinched their second straight NL East title on Monday night.
The Phillies bullpen looked like a problem early in the season. Matt Strahm didn’t look like himself. Jordan Romano and Joe Ross turned into disappointing signings. Guys like Carlos Hernandez and Jose Ruiz were not stepping into roles that the Phillies hoped for.
Dave Dombrowski and John Middleton took a chance on Robertson in July. It wasn’t going to cost any prospects or players, just money. He had not pitched in game action since the end of the 2024 season. Robertson worked out for a bunch of teams, and the Phillies eventually signed him to a pro-rated deal that pays him around the $10M mark after the luxury tax hit.
The Phillies will only have three months out of Robertson. Maybe that’s the best case scenario for the veteran, whose arm is fresher than anyone on the team at 40 years old. He spoke to Anthony SanFilippo of OnPattison about the closeness of this Phillies clubhouse and what it means to be fighting for a World Series Championship with this core”
“Look around here, it’s a fun group. I know we’re celebrating tonight, but it’s almost like a celebration every night when we win. It’s a great group of guys. This group that Dombrowski has put together is unbelievable. The core group that has been here for awhile. The deadline pickups. I hope it stays together for awhile because this is a fun place to play and this is where I want to be.”
It wasn’t Jhoan Duran who closed it out for the Phillies early Tuesday morning. Duran shook off J.T. Realmuto and threw a hanger to Andy Pages to tie the game in the 9th. Instead, it was Robertson getting out of the 10th with a scoreless inning to log his first save with the Phillies in 2025.
It doesn’t matter your age. You can never run from the beer bong, especially in a Phillies clubhouse celebration:
Robertson has been “a gift” for the Phillies. He had a 1.17 ERA in August. A two-run outing on September 1st raised his ERA two points. If you take that outing away, he has a 1.98 ERA. “Unc,” as some members of the Phillies call him, has made this bullpen deeper, something this team needed.
The Phillies celebrated on Monday night/Tuesday morning, something they’ve mastered over the last 3.5 years. They still have a job to do, especially at Dodger Stadium. The magic number to clinch a first-round-bye is seven. One more win over the next two days would basically seal it up. The Phillies should get used to this Dodgers team, because it may not be the last time they see them in 2025.
Luke Arcaini writes about the Phillies for Crossing Broad, covers the Phillies for FOX Sports The Gambler, and co-hosts "Phillies Digest" on YouTube. The wave is the worst thing in all of sports. Contact: lukearcaini8@gmail.com