Something that is commonly overlooked in baseball and other sports is the fans. Yes, the players are the ones who are playing the games and winning them. But the players aren’t the only people who influence the outcome of the team. Fans do too. Especially in Philadelphia.
I’m not saying that the players don’t make the team win or lose. I’m just saying that the fans can influence the way that the players play, and that they deserve a lot more credit than they usually get.
If you looked at the standings on July 22, you would see that the Phillies were behind the Atlanta Braves by seven games. Most teams in this position would think there was no hope of making a playoff berth. But the Phillies didn’t give up, and look at them now.
They are in first place in the National League East by five games. And I think that I can truthfully say that the fans played a big role in the Phillies success.
When they were down, the fans didn’t give up. No, they just tried to come up with reasons why the Phillies would make a comeback and make the postseason. But what some fans may not have realized was that by doing this, they were making another reason in itself.
Because what they did showed the players that the fans still had faith in the team, and that made the team have faith in themselves.
Also, as you may know, the Phillies fan base is well known for their greatness. And I don’t think it is a coincidence that the same team has won three consecutive division titles and two consecutive National League pennants. And where did most of the Phillies accomplishments come from? You guessed it. Comebacks.
The Phillies have had a lot of success in the past couple years. And for most of their success they had to make a comeback before they were able to win anything. I believe that the reason the Phillies have had so many comebacks is because so many of the fans never lose faith in the team. And this really makes a big difference.
The Phillies fans are great. They believe in the team day and night, whether they are in first place or last place or somewhere in-between. In this way they are the key to many of the Phillies accomplishments.
So I have something to say to all you fans out there:
Thanks, guys.
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