Phillies Star Continues to Shine Since Ovation
On Aug. 2, it was natural to wonder if the 11-year, $300 million contract secured by Trea Turner was a mistake.
Fast forward to now and the deal could be considered a bargain.
In slightly more than two months, Turner has endeared himself to the rabid Philadelphia Phillies fan base.
He’s hitting for contact. He’s hitting for power. He’s stealing bases and sparking the lineup. He’s flawless in the field.
After that Aug. 2 loss to the Miami Marlins in 12 innings, Turner had scuffled through a maddening 0-for-5 night. He was hitting .238 and batting eighth.
His first 107 games were subpar to say the least.
Then came Aug. 4 when the fans at Citizens Bank Park gave their star multiple standing ovations to get him going thanks to a social media push from sports talk radio WIP.
Did it ever.
Turner finished the regular season with a .276 average, 26 home runs, 76 RBI and 30-for-30 in stolen bases.
He has carried that momentum into the postseason with four more hits during the two-game sweep over the Marlins in the Wild Card round.
If the Phillies harbor aspirations of winning the World Series they’ll need Turner to keep competing at a high level.
When a player – even a standout such as the star shortstop – changes franchises, there can be a lull.
Nick Castellanos went through a rough transition last season. Turner was struggling mightily through Aug. 2. Fans became concerned because it was such a prolonged slump.
Turner has been succeeding far too long to believe it would last.
The standing ovations gave Turner, and the Phillies, the push that was needed.
Pretty remarkable.
