May 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Phillie Phanatic entertains in front of a scoreboard prior to action against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia Phillies took a step forward in 2016. The players and organization gave the fans different moments throughout the season that allowed for excitement in the present and hope for the future.
Baseball is full of incredibly special moments. Every Phillies fan walks through the gates of Citizens Bank Park on a given evening hoping to see something special happen. They are hoping to see the big league’s next no-hitter. Some are looking to see the ever-so-rare cycle. Then, there are those fans who are just hoping to see their favorite players come up with the big hit or the important strikeout late in a game at the most clutch of moments.
Over the course of the last decade, the Phils have given their fans incredible moment after incredible moment. The core group that defined the latest run in Phillies baseball packed bags full of those plays on their ways out of town. However, in 2016, the new wave of players did a nice job beginning to create new memories for the fans. All the while, fans were treated to a few moments that helped them transition perfectly from the old generation with fond memories. Here, we’ll take a look at my top ten moments from the 2016 season.
No. 10 : Jeremy Hellickson Dominates Fish
One of the most intriguing stories for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016 was the resurgence of Jeremy Hellickson. When general manager Matt Klentak acquired Hellickson in November of 2015, he was hoping for the opportunity to flip him at July’s trade deadline. Instead, Hellickson became a very stable piece to the Phils rotation.
It was against the Miami Marlins that he had his most success. Against the Marlins, Hellickson carried a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 innings. Miami’s offense hit .217 in those six starts.
Ironically, they were the team with the strongest link to the right hander around deadline time. When the deadline came and went, Hellickson was still a piece of the Phillies organization.
Nearly two months after the deadline passed, Hellickson toed the rubber against the Marlins once again. On a warm September evening, Hellickson was purely dominant. The Marlins were able to muster only three hits against him, two of which were singles.
More impressive was the fact that Hellickson was all over the strike zone that night. He threw 33 balls in 106 pitches, not walking a single Marlin over his nine innings. The 29-year old struck out only five hitters, but it was his composure and ability to consistently find the zone with nearly 80% of his pitches.
The Phils would win that game 8-0, but the pitching performance that night will more than likely go down as one of the top pitching performances of the 2016 season…and not just in Philadelphia.
No. 9 Tommy Joseph Debuts
A feel good story is always welcomed in any sports city. In Philadelphia, a city known for far too many negative moments, it is an even more welcomed situation. Whenever the fans in this city have the chance to show how wonderful they can, it is special. .
On May 13, Phils fans were given the opportunity to shine ,and they certainly did. One of the best stories of 2016 was about a young man whose journey to the show was unlike any other player this city has seen in quite some time.
Tommy Joseph was acquired back in 2012 for Hunter Pence. He once was a top catching prospect in the San Francisco organization. When the Phils brought him over, they intended on using him as the catcher of their future, but Joseph could not overcome the injury bug. Every time the kid was able to get back behind the dish, he would suffer yet another concussion. Knowing Joseph could hit, the organization gave him a chance at a different position, one that would not put him at constant disposal to the injury bug.
His move to first base helped him toward success early in 2016 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. By the middle of May, the Phillies could not keep him hidden any longer and he was given the opportunity to rise.
On a Friday night at Citizen’s Bank Park, Joseph was greeted by a standing ovation of 22,000 fans. Granted, he struck out two times, but the first baseman also walked once and scored.
He went on to have a pretty successful campaign (.257 batting average, .813 OPS, 21 home runs, and 47 RBI in 315 ABs) and earned a much longer look in 2017. But for that night, Joseph was given the moment to shine that he has long awaited and truly deserved.
No. 8: Howard Walks Off the Tribe
Since his debut in 2005, Ryan Howard has found himself in the occasional big spot. And, in most situations, “The Big Piece” delivered.
However, the last few seasons for Howard had been full of critics and daily booing. As 2016 approached, the much-maligned slugger was put into a platoon with Darin Ruf and questioned about his consistent decline in production. Fans had been calling for his release for months leading into the season, but at the end of April, Howard gave those same fans a chance to turn back the clocks and remember the good times.
The Phillies had been red hot, winning seven of eight heading into the weekend series with the future American League Champion Cleveland Indians. After falling behind early, Howard and Carlos Ruiz hit back-to-back doubles cutting the lead from 3-0 to 3-2. The Phils would later tie it in the fifth. After the Phillies bullpen relieved Adam Morgan with six scoreless innings, Howard stepped to the plate to lead off the eleventh inning.
The chilly night led to only a few thousand fans standing in the Citizen Bank bleachers. But Howard gave them another moment to put into their glory day memory banks. He turned on a 3-2 fastball from Cody Allen and deposited into the right field seats for his sixth career walk-off home run. The Phils were now 13-10 and the giving Philadelphia a small bit of hope.
No. 7: Vinny Dominates San Diego
At the beginning of the 2016 season, there were still question marks throughout the Philadelphia roster. One of the mysteries was newly acquired right-hander, Vince Velasquez. After his first start – and win – against the New York Mets, fans had reason for excitement. Velasquez stood confidently on the mound with the type of attitude reminiscent of Curt Schilling a la 1993.
Fans in the city were buzzing about the new, electric arm. Seeing Velasquez mow through the defending National League Champions made Philadelphia fans excited to see what was next from the new rotation workhorse. His mound demeanor and the confidence he exuded in New York really set the tone for what fans could expect moving forward.
In his home debut, the 23-year old threw a 16-strikeout, complete game shutout against the San Diego Padres. Velazquez’s performance came after he had thrown six scoreless innings in the aforementioned Phillies win at Citi Field. The incredible outing gave “Vinny” 25 punch outs in his first 16 innings as a member of the Phillies. It was safe to say that Phils fans were feeling pretty positive about their newly acquired right handed horse.
No. 6: “The Man” Returns
When August rolled around, Phillies fans had come to the obvious conclusion that the playoffs were out of the question. However, there were still moments for which they could find excitement. One of those moments came in mid-August when folk hero, Chase Utley returned to Philadelphia. It was only a year prior that Phillies fans had to say goodbye to the player they revered as the heart behind the run. The week he was returning to Philly would pack the stadium like it once did if only to show the second baseman the appreciation this city had for him.
As he walked to the plate in the first inning, the place exploded. Utley’s infamous walk-up music, Kashmir by Led Zeplin, hit the speakers. The fans erupted and PA announcer Dan Baker uttered his familiar phrase, annoucinng “Now batting, second baseman, Chase, Utley.” “The Man” strode to the plate for his first at bat at the place he once called home…as a visitor. He tipped his helmet to the crowd a few times and in a moment of admiration and respect, pointed at his long time partners in crime, Carlose Ruiz and Ryan Howard – the “Big Piece” would also homer in the game, adding to the return. The ovation lasted for what felt like the perfect amount of time before Phillies fans allowed Utley to step in the box.
When he did, Vince Velasquez set the 38 year old down on five pitches. Utley, however, would not go quietly that night. He would give his faithful fans a few more thrills. In the fifth, “The Man” took Velasquez deep to right field for a homerun that brought the stadium to its feet again. Two innings later, with the bases loaded, Utley delivered for Los Angeles – and sort of Philly – again when he took Michael Mariot out for a grand slam that not only broke the game open, but may have shattered the sound barriers at CBP. His tenth home run of the season extended the Dodger lead to 13-2 and provided the fans in South Philly the chance to give Utley one last curtain call.
No. 5: Howard Honors Mentor on Special Night
As the season wore on into the month of August, the Phils fell in the standings, but still had entertaining moments. One came on Alumni Weekend when the Phillies were inducting longtime fan favorite Jim Thome onto the Wall of Fame. In the meantime, Ryan Howard wanted to give his mentor and the fans who came to honor him another memory.
Quick flashback for those who need it. When Thome struggled and eventually went down with an injury in 2005, Howard stepped in and played extremely well. Howard’s success allowed the Phils to deal the then-35-year old first baseman to the Chicago White Sox. The fans in Philadelphia never forgot their love affair with Thome and made him the 2016 Wall of Fame inductee, leading to one of the best moments of the season.
With the Phillies and Rockies locked at three runs apiece and the bases loaded, Howard stepped into the box with the patented crouch and bat point. “Big Piece” squared up a 1-0 fastball and sent it on a one-way trip to the Colorado bullpen. As he stood and admired his 14th career grand slam, Thome exploded from his chair and rejoiced. Howard’s trot around the bases on the warm August night allowed fans to take only a few moments to travel away from fourth place. During that homerun trot, Howard was once again the hero Philadelphia wanted, or better yet, needed every night.
No. 4: Phillies Beat Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon. All you have to do is utter the name in Citizens Bank Park and the anger and vitriol radiates off the fans in attendance. Normally, hometown players who get booed in Philly are being criticized for lack of performance. However, when Papelbon was a member of the Phillies, he was ripped apart because of his attitude toward the organization and the fanbase. It goes without saying that when he returned to CBP, that treatment had not improved.
When Papelbon entered the game in the bottom of the tenth inning against a struggling Phillies team, the Nationals had just been handed a 2-1 lead by another Washington villain. Bryce Harper bashed a homer off Jeanmar Gomez to give the visitors and Papelbon a chance to escape with a series sweep. The annoying Phillies would not go away though.
Peter Bourjos laced a one-out double down the left field line.
Cedric Hunter flew out for the second out to center field. In stepped Andres Blanco, the Phillies top pinch hitter and he would deliver. A liner into left field forced third base coach, Juan Samuel, to wave Bourjos. It could be argued that not any other player on the Phillies roster would score in that situation, but the speedy Bourjos scored just ahead of a throw from Jayson Werth.
Blanco advanced to second on Werth’s assist attempt, which allowed for Freddy Galvis a chance to win the game. The shortstop known for his defense had strong numbers – in a small sample size – against Papelbon before this at-bat (2-2 with a walk, homer, and RBI) and he was poised to add to those numbers.
Galvis reached out and poked a 95 mph 1-2 fastball down the left field line. He would raise his arm in celebration as the ball landed out of Werth’s reach. Galvis’s teammates poured onto the field and mobbed him while Papelbon slowly walked off the field with his head hung in shame. And the fans of Philadelphia rejoiced. Beating the Nationals is fun and all, but beating Papelbon, that is pretty incomparable.
No. 3: The Game Ending 7-2 Double Play
The middle of May brought about one of the most memorable finishes to a Phillies game in recent memory. Fans have had the opportunity to witness many walkoff hits, game-ending double plays, and even the perfectly-time strikeout. However, they have not quite seen what happened a clear night in mid-May.
The Phillies had become MLB’s Houdini act with a 13-1 record in one run games. They were in the midst of a weekend series with the Cincinnati Reds and had already recorded one of those 13 one-run wins in game one of the three game set.
On Saturday night, things looked a bit more comfortable for the Phils as they headed into the ninth. David Hernandez entered the game with a 4-2 lead and immediately found himself in trouble. He issued a walk to Jay Bruce, allowed a double to Eugenio Suarez, and an RBI double to Adam Duvall before finally getting an out a ground ball to Andres Blanco. However, with one out and the tying run on third base, it felt as though the Reds would be finding a way to tie what once looked like a Phillies win.
When Jordan Pacheco, a pinch hitter, lifted a flyball high in the air toward left field, it seemed a 4-4 game was certain. This seasons’s Rule 5 pick, Tyler Goeddel, settled underneath the ball, got behind it, and put everything he had into his throw. The ball brought Cameron Rupp into the baseline, and the Texas native stood in and took a major blow from Suarez, but held onto the ball. And the Phillies held onto yet another one run victory as a result of the ever-so-common 7-2 double play.
No. 2: “5-4-3 The Phillies Turn Three!”
A West Coast road trip is not always the easiest aspect of baseball for a fan to enjoy. It is especially true when a team out of playoff contention is playing next to the Pacific Ocean at the beginning of August. The games tend to seem a bit lazier, and those night games that start at 10:00 PM can be quite daunting for even the most diehard of baseball fans.
However, Phillies fans were given quite the treat on the final game of the first series on their August road trip to San Diego and San Francisco. The combination of Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez, and Tommy Joseph turned the 32nd double play in franchise history.
Edubray Ramos began the seventh inning with two walks to Derek Norris and Jose Rondon before Jabari Blash strode to the plate. With the Phils clinging to a 6-5 lead in the rubber match, the 0-1 pitch to Blash was chopped toward Franco at third. The Phillies’ third baseman picked up the ball and stepped on third nearly simultaneously. Then, he rifled onto Hernandez at second base, who turned and fired to Joseph who was awaiting the historical turn. The Phillies went on to defeat the Padres that afternoon, but in the grand scheme of a rebuilding season, a triple play is something those three young players will never forget. And it was pretty memorable for the fans too.
No. 1: The Biggest and Most Well-Deserved Thank You
No fan enjoys the last day of the baseball season. Well, no fan except the ones whose team is the last one standing. For Phillies fans, that was not going to be the case in 2016. However, the last day of the 162-game marathon brought smiles, standing ovations, and tears of joy for Phillies fans young and old. As each fan entered the gates of Citizen’s Bank Park, they were handed an oversized Ryan Howard head to help celebrate the career of one of the greatest Phillies of all time.
Before the game, fans and Howard were treated to an incredible pre-game experience. There was a video tribute that highlighted some of the best moments in the career of the man known throughout Philly as “The Big Piece.” The Phillies honored him with a commemorative plaque that Howard’s son, Darian, placed in the spot where his 58th homerun landed back in 2006. Phillies Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt presented Howard with the replica of the plaque on the field.
More from That Balls Outta Here
Then, Howard took the mic. It was obvious to everyone in the stadium that he was overcome with the emotion of the moment. He made it clear that he did not have a plan about what he wanted to say, but even more clear that he was extremely thankful to the fans of Philadelphia. And they showed their appreciation right back. Each time their important piece of history strode to the plate that Sunday afternoon, he was greeted with a standing ovation that did not end until he reached the dugout. While there were no fireworks off Howard’s bat that day, he was lifted from the field in the ninth inning to one of the loudest ovations CBP has seen since the run came to an end.
It was obvious that despite the up and down relationship the fans had with Howard, the love and appreciation for his contributions to the franchise and city truly never wavered. And it certainly never will.
Thanks Piece.
