Phillies Owner Reportedly Delivered Fiery Speech About Winning World Series
On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Philadelphia Phillies will get their season underway with the opening Spring Training game as they embark on their journey to lift the franchise's first World Series title since 2008.
They were close in 2022, coming up two games short after owning a 2-1 lead over the Houston Astros.
It looked like the Phillies were going to get back to the Fall Classic once again last year, but coughed up a 3-2 lead at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Players have talked all offseason long about using that disappointment as fuel in 2024, and it seems like everyone is chomping at the bit to get back on the field.
Perhaps nobody is ready for Opening Day on March 28 more than Philadelphia's owner John Middleton.
He is as committed as ever to bringing another World Series championship to the city based on the amount of money he's shelled out to put this team together.
At Spring Training, Middleton reportedly delivered a fiery speech to the team that was the same message he told Ryan Howard 15 years ago.
"I want our f---- trophy back. Go get it. It's time."
With the star-studded cast that is in place, they are certainly in their window to win the World Series.
J.T. Realmuto spoke with John Clark of NBC Philadelphia about what the owner had to say.
"John [Middleton] gave a pretty heartfelt, a pretty emotional speech that brought up the championship years, but also the years that they just missed ... it was pretty passionate and pretty inspiring."
Phillies fans everywhere share the same sentiment that Middleton expressed.
It is time.
Prior to making the playoffs in 2022 as a Wild Card team and going on an improbable run, they had a decade long postseason drought that was marred by seven losing years.
It was a dark period for the franchise.
They've come out on the other side putting themselves in a great spot to finally stand on the mountain top once again.
Now, it's up the players to go out and earn it.
