If you told me a couple months ago that the Philadelphia Phillies were going to win the National League and be in the World Series, I would have laughed a hearty laugh in your face while thinking of all the other baseball teams that were theoretically better. Oh, you mean the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres — two teams that have been heralded as contenders — would be beat by them? I am aghast.
Oh, well it is happening, in case you are reading a Philadelphia sports blog and wholly unaware of anything outside of hockey. And speaking of the sports in this city, one team (the one we write about on this website) is stuck in this weird mushy-middle of being terrible but somehow starting the season well enough to have us tilt our head sideways and go oh, what is this now?
Since this city’s sports teams share one gelatinous hive mind, we have to determine what our Philadelphia Flyers can learn from the much more successful sibling Phillies. Looking at how this team go to the World Series, we have to then switch it to hockey, somehow.
Don’t be scared to get the big free agent
The Phillies went out and got the free agent in Bryce Harper, but then also got J.T. Realmuto, just for fun. Those are two team-changing players and were the best players available in their positions when they were signed.
Sometimes the best decision is the most obvious one. Now if only the Flyers were able to sign one free agent (a winger?) that could have changed the entire make-up of their team. Plus, it would be great if he was a local hometown boy and really wanted to play in Philadelphia. That would have been incredible. Too bad!
Get rid of the assholes
In the middle of this season, the Phillies got rid of both Odubel Herrera and Jeurys Familia, two players that have had some trouble outside of the baseball diamond. And no matter what your opinion is of some investigations — we are being vague here, sorry — you can always imagine that it is not the best vibe in your clubhouse to have some dudes that are probably pricks to begin with.
The Flyers have some pricks, to say the least. They just traded and signed for one this summer, to be honest. So just get rid of them and don’t worry about anything else. Being happy where you work is worth more than a whole lot, and we all know how it is to work with a prick.
Secure your depth
The Phillies had their stars, but before this year’s trade deadline, they acquired Noah Syndergaard to strengthen their rotation, David Robertson for the bullpen, and Brandon Marsh who has turned into a hero in the outfield. They just went ahead and solidified some of the shaky foundation and is now dangerous in a whole lot of situations — much better compared to how they started their 2022 season.
Now, while the Flyers might not have the top stars like the Phillies have compared to the top players in their sport, they do have some talent in their lineup. But more than in baseball, hockey is a sport that is won by a team’s depth — just look at what Connor McDavid has had to suffer through in the first seven years of his career — so going out and getting above-average players to serve as your support, can be a good thing and lead to more wins.
Changing the front office is an option
Dave Dombrowski was brought on as Phillies GM before the 2021 season, and they went ahead and changed managers in the middle of this season after firing Joe Girardi. They were certainly not afraid to change anything outside of the roster, even while balancing the fact that they have some star hitters in the peak of their careers. It might have been a risk when they made the decision, but it clearly has paid off.
So, the Flyers already did the coach and we know that John Tortorella will be here for a very long time. But in the front office, we know that things are just totally messed up and if things continue to go downhill (in general) GM Chuck Fletcher is probably going to be the first management firing of the 2022-23 season. Just please do that and hire someone smart, with a track record of success, but still able to think forward and isn’t your traditional Sport Dude.
Not so out-of-the-box, but just that hire that we can all nod along with and agree that it was the right choice.
Please, just do something that one of the successful sports organizations — it’s cool that this applies to multiple teams in Philadelphia — would do and go from there. Copying is okay.
