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The Phillies Have the Camaraderie That’s Needed in October
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
Baseball is a journey.
It’s not like any other sport. It’s not a 17-week season with 1 game every 6 days. It’s not an 82-game basketball season. It’s a 7 month grind of 162 games, plus the postseason. Players see their teammates more than their families for over half of the year.
If there’s one thing the Phillies are never lacking, it’s vibes. For some reason, people in Philadelphia have grown to hate that word over the last few postseasons due to their results. But you can’t survive 8 straight months with seeing people you don’t like everyday.
The Phillies are a tight-knit group. They’re all friends. They drink a beer together in the clubhouse after some games. They golf together. They hangout with each other outside of the stadium on some off-days.
This core has been together for long enough to need that. Sure, some guys come in and out. But the Phillies have been one of the most consistent rosters in baseball over the last five years when it comes to roster similarity.
Not just their teammate, but their friend, Zack Wheeler, is done for the season. It’s a brutal blow to the Phillies rotation, although they still have the horses to get through the postseason. Every team in baseball goes through injuries, but it’s about how you respond to the adversity that defines a team.
Wheeler was back at the ballpark on Thursday to catch up with his teammates. They all missed him. Cristopher Sanchez, who is taking over Wheeler’s role of being the Game 1 starter, had a long conversation with Wheeler on Thursday afternoon. Not just about baseball, but about life.
Sanchez is tasked with taking down Shohei Ohtani on Saturday afternoon in Game 1 of the NLDS, which starts at 6:38 EST. While Sanchez has to stay with Ohtani on the mound, he’ll also have to face him a couple times.
Three years ago, you would’ve been crazy for calling Cristopher Sanchez a Game 1 starter. Now? His team, along with the city of Philadelphia, has all the confidence in the world in their lefty.
“His confidence. From watching him the last few years, he’s continued to get more and more confident. He believes in himself,” said Phillies catcher JT Realmuto. “His stuff has always been good, but his command over the years has gotten a lot more dominant.”
Confidence in your teammates comes with trust. The Phillies are around each other too much not to have it in eachother. They’ve gone through ups and downs this season. Players have been sent to different roles, guys have been shipped out, new guys have come in. It’s all part of the process of the long baseball season.
Cristopher Sanchez and his fiancee, Kaimary, celebrated their son’s first birthday this past weekend. The entire Phillies team showed up. Not just for Sanchez, but for his entire family.
I spoke to Tanner Banks at Friday’s workout, and he harped on the importance of off-the-field relationships with your teammates. He said this team has a relationship that is above everyone else’s.
“You’re gonna see these guys everyday in the clubhouse, I think, to see like the familial camaraderie away from the field…you know, you know that they’re gonna go to battle for you and your family,” said Banks during Friday’s workout.
The Phillies had another birthday party a little while back and had a huge attendance from players and families. Banks said his eyes were opened that day. He has two sons. One of them fell while running around with other kids and cut his head open. It spoke volumes that multiple players on the team dropped everything they were doing to not just help Banks, but his son as well.
“Three or four of the guys, like, really quickly, jumped around, gathered around, and did this, this, this, and this. And it really gave me an inside look at that, the teammate and family bond,” Banks said.
You have to play complete baseball to win in October. Mistakes have to be limited. But mistakes are limited when you have full trust in the guys around you. The Phillies have a tall task against the Dodgers that kicks off in a little less than 24 hours. But this team couldn’t be in a better spot. They’re confident and ready, on and off the field.
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