Yes the Phillies are not performing well as of late. They are in the midst of a prolonged downward spiral. A continuation of these type of performances will revert sold out audiences to empty seats. It’s the nature of baseball and typical of fan bases - yes including Philly fans.
But even when the club could seemingly do no wrong during the initial three months of the season and fan chatter was widespread about World Series hopes the one constant remained. It’s not how you get to the dance but how you dance when you get there.
The regular season marathon is a test of organizational strength to ascertain which twelve teams have the perseverance to punch a ticket to the year end championship tournament. The crown of “World Series Champion” isn’t predicated upon which team wins the most regular season games but rather it’s earned by the team that is playing the best during the last month of the season when only twelve clubs get to take the field and get whittled down to the final two. That’s the constant of professional sports - It’s not how you get to the dance but how you dance when you get there.
Now that’s not to say that getting to the playoff dance isn’t challenging in itself. The grind of a six month season and 162 game schedule delivers peaks and valleys, good times and bad - triumphs and struggles. The timing of each is key - you obviously don’t want to be in a “mix-up” in September when the regular season finish line is crossed.
There’s an imperfect balance during the regular season. Team chemistry can wane at what some see as inconsequential - perhaps clubhouse mix is altered, a popular “26th man” is removed or unpublicized injuries impact daily performances, the kind that all players push thru over the course of the journey to October. In October stars shine the brightest. And that is the constant - It’s not how you get to the dance but how you dance when you get there.
So while some will abandon the bandwagon in panic or express prolonged disappointment in the current state it’s those same folks who will climb back aboard if “L’s” turn to “W’s” and glory is found in October. That’s the nature of the general fan throughout the entirety of pro baseball. Some may feel that “in this day and age” it’s the mantra of folks in general on most everything.
There’s a couple months left till the “Championship Dance” begins - the good news is that the Phillies have built a cushion of banked wins to soften the impact of the present swoon. The key is to find a way to turn their current slow dance into a faster and more energetic pace in September and beyond. The chemistry is being tested both inside the clubhouse and within the stands - time will tell if the winning persona returns or is accomplished by another club.
For the constant will prevail as it always has and always will - dancing at the end of the tourney is a one team party - getting there is earned by the group that dances the best in the tourney itself. Anything before that is simply qualifying to do so. Just sayin.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
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