Phillies And Their Fans Are No Match for the Diamondbacks
Arizona was never supposed to reach the World Series. But manager Torey Lovullo and his players got there by finding comfort in the chaos.
I should have seen the Arizona Diamondbacks coming.
I would have if only I had seen the video in advance of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
It was posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Jamie Apody of WPVI TV in Philadelphia and it revealed all that needed to be known about the upstart Diamondbacks and their manager, Torey Lovullo.
The scene depicted took place approximately 90 minutes before a game the Diamondbacks had to win to stay alive in the National League Championship Series. Lovullo was standing behind first base during batting practice when a few of the early arrivals at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia started letting him have it, as is a true Philly fan’s habit.
“Yo Torey, Marte sucks”
“We gave you those two games.”
“Hey Torey, tell Corbin Carroll to get some non-rookie pants that fit.”
Lovullo’s response was to engage the enemy.
He actually walked over to just in front of where the Phillies fans were bellowing, one leather-lunged Philadelphian, in particular, and eventually brought up Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
That brought a predictable response initially.
“E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!”
Lovullo wasn’t deterred.
“You know why I like your coach?” he asked amid the tumult. “Hang on, hang on, wait. You’re so loud, you gotta relax. Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath and relax. You know what I like about your head coach? I’m complimenting you bro, nice and easy. Can you take a compliment?
“I like your head coach for the Eagles. You know what his nationality is? Italian, bro, Italian, that’s right.”
The hecklers’ response to that was to break out in laughter.
But Lovullo and the Diamondbacks had the last laugh.
They weren’t about to be intimidated, even heading into the cauldron the Phillies’ home park annually becomes in October.
And they weren’t.
They won Game 6 on Monday night, 5-1, and Game 7 on Tuesday night, 4-2, and they are World Series bound.
One reason why is Ketel Marte is actually a very good player.
Another is Corbin Carroll is probably going to be the National League Rookie of the Year and is an emerging star.
Still another is that the Diamondbacks play small ball in an era obsessed with the home run and are unapologetic about doing so.
They play defense. They steal bases. They get ’em on, get ’em over and get ’em in.
They play old-school baseball when seemingly everyone else is obsessed with analytics.
And they do not blink.
That’s why the Diamondbacks were able to storm through Milwaukee and Los Angeles and then rally from a three-games-to-two series deficit and beat the Phillies twice in Philly.
Almost nobody thought they could do that but they did it, anyway.
They’re a great story, an unconventional, relatively nondescript, 84-win team with baseball’s No. 21 Opening Day payroll advancing to the World Series.
Who needs the Yankees or the Phillies or the Dodgers or the Braves or some other brand name?
If you appreciate baseball, what baseball used to be and what baseball still ought to be, you appreciate the Diamondbacks.
And the Texas Rangers, who have done it a little differently but, likewise, qualify as a team star-gazers and casual fans would just as soon not see advance to the Fall Classic.
It should be a classic matchup.
And we should know by now not to take lightly or to dismiss the Diamondbacks.
Lovullo, after all, is a Pisan.
