I was born in 1997, so it's fair to say that my memories as a Phillies fan really only started forming starting in 2004 or so. And there were obviously plenty of memorable moments that sprung up after that, all throughout the golden years of Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and company. Over the next stretch of seven or eight years, however, the frequency of those memorable moments died down in a big, big way.
Unfortunately, that stretch coincided in perfect sync with Freddy Galvis's career with the Phils, beginning on April 5, 2012 and ending (for the time being) after the 2017 season. In that stretch of six campaigns, Galvis played for a team that had 427 wins, good for precisely last place among all 30 teams over that span. But it's not as though there weren't any bright moments, and we have Galvis to thank for a handful of them. One of the most unforgettable moments for me came in 2013, when Galvis played the extremely unlikely role of the co-hero in what would be a miraculous walk-off victory.
He was never the best, but he was always a favorite of the fans, and the feeling was mutual. Upon Galvis's return to the Phillies prior to the 2021 trade deadline, he explained not only that he was ready to make some more memories in the City of Brotherly Love, but also that he knew he would come back from the moment he initially departed.
"I knew I would come back to Philadelphia," Galvis said (via Matt Gelb). "I have had that feeling since I left here. I don’t know why. I don’t know if it will be for two months, or if it will be for next year and the year after, but I want to be here and I want to win a World Series with the Phillies."
Seeing as Galvis played with many stars of the old regime, including the aforementioned offensive juggernaut of Rollins, Utley and Howard, it makes sense that he feels as though he's "the connection" between the team's winning ways of the previous decade and the winning ways of our current Phils.
"I played with the guys who won the last World Series with this team, and I know how they go about it and how they play the game and do all their stuff," Galvis said. "They passed it to me. I always talked to Chooch. I talked to Jimmy. I learned from Chase. I learned from (Roy) Halladay and Cliff (Lee). All those guys.
"I knew the mentality that they had to play. I’m the only person who has this knowledge right now. I was sad when I had to leave but now I’m back and I feel like that’s what I need to be. I came here with this organization when I was 16 years old. All I know is the Phillies’ way. … I don’t know if it will be just tomorrow or more than that but I’m going to really enjoy this."
Galvis was able to connect with some of those old teammates at Roy Halladay's retirement ceremony this past weekend — head to the third picture in the below post to bring back some nostalgia.
Whether or not his on-field contributions are vital to the team's success going forward, his presence in the clubhouse and that winning know-how will be invaluable as the season progresses. When Orioles GM Mike Elias shared the news that they had decided to move Galvis to Philly, the longtime middle infielder laughed and "was so happy that he apologized to Elias," per Gelb. Already, teammates are taking note of his infectious personality and wide breadth of of baseball knowledge.
And with the way the Phils are rolling right now, perhaps Galvis is already having the impact that such a trade was meant to bring to the organization.
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