"I want my f***ing trophy!" That was Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton while celebrating with team in the locker room following their NL East clinching win on Monday night.
When 2023 came to a disappointing end in the NLCS, the desire, the expectation, the demand of the 2024 Phillies was World Series or bust from day one in Clearwater. As a result, it can be difficult to shorten the focus and enjoy the now. But do not halt joy by looking too far ahead. 13 years is a long time to wait between division titles and is worthy of celebration.
"I think this is another step in what our ultimate goal is going to be this offseason, which is win the World Series," J.T. Realmuto said after the game. "Got to the postseason, now won the division. Next step, hopefully we get the bye, hopefully the one seed and we'll keep rolling."
The fear many fans have is if the Phils will be able to get a bye.
"We've still got some work to do. We still have to get that bye. It's very important to us", said Rob Thomson with champagne bottle in hand.
The good part of a bye is a week off while you watch your next opponent duke it out in the wildcard round. The bad? You have to go from ice cold to red hot or your season is over in a blink, as the Phillies demonstrated as a Wildcard last postseason eliminating division winning Atlanta in the NLDS.
This is where the importance of the Philly fan comes into play. Once the celebration is over and a bye is clinched, a frequent reminder to the team of what could happen if you kick your feet up, thinking you've already won something before playing a single game in the postseason, is necessary.
"We have the best fans in baseball. They showed out all year long. They continue to show out for us," a shirtless Bryce Harper said last night in the locker room after winning the NL East. "They're a lot of fun. It's hard to come in here and play, and you know I think it's a lot of fun to play in front of them."