I kinda hate the Phillies

[Tom Servo]

They may not be a division rival like the Cubs or Cardinals but man, I hate them. I long for the days when the Braves won the division every year and the Phillies underachieved. There's just something about their talent, payroll, fans...I just find it all infuriating.

[mbgrayson]

Phillies 2011 payroll: $165,976,381. (The Reds, by comparison, have a total payroll this year of $80,826,667).

[The Operator]

I couldn't agree more. They've basically become The Yankees of the NL.

They do have several players I like, mainly Halladay-Lee-Hamels.

But as a whole package, I loathe them. And on top of that, their fans are so undeserving of getting to watch that great team. These are the people who booed Santa Claus. They booed Joey Votto last year for absolutely no reason other than he was a Red. I even remember hearing a smattering of boos when The Reds went up early in Game 2 and it looked like they were going to win. In summary, they're pathetic and it's a shame they get treated to such a world-class team in terms of talent. But whatever.

[Johnny Footstool]

A decently-run organization with deep, deep pockets.

[WVRedsFan]

I watched tonight's game, but may skip the rest of the series. What is the use? We score one or two and they clunk out three or four and win. It's the same thing over and over. I hate them and all their money. I remember when the Reds tried to obtain Vidal Blue and it was an unfair advantage. The rule doesn't exist today, and so they dominate. Heck with them. Last year's playoffs were enough for me.

[marcshoe]

One of my favorite non-Reds teams since the days of Luzinski and Shmidt, but that pitching staff is downright silly.

[KronoRed]

I'll take the Phillies over the evil Braves.

[mth123]

I'll take the Phillies over the evil Braves.

Me too.

[Red in Chicago]

I actually like the Phils (except when they play the Reds).

[cumberlandreds]

I dislike their fans more than the team. Most of the players seem OK to me. I love their pitching staff. It's one of,if not the best rotation, I have seen in my 40 years of watching baseball.

[Roy Tucker]

I dislike their fans more than the team. Most of the players seem OK to me. I love their pitching staff. It's one of,if not the best rotation, I have seen in my 40 years of watching baseball.

That's where I'm at too. Their starting pitching is just ridiculously good. It's hard not to admire how they go about their craft and work like the devil. I'm not particularly keen on how they beat the Reds' brains out, but from a pure baseball standpoint, man, are they good.

Phiily fans are another story though. I really can't think of anything good to say about them. They are like GABP-South-era Cubs fans at their worst.

[PuffyPig]

They were able to obtain Halladay, Lee and Oswalt through having deep pockets.

What a difference $$$$ makes.

[RedLegsToday]

I don't know if I hate the Phillies, but, I do kinda hate Cole Hamels. Last 2 times I've seen him pitch live he shut out the Reds in the playoffs and then shut them down except for a gift triple to Phillips. He's the new Oswalt. Luckily, we only see him once or twice a year, instead of 5 times like we did the Astros and Oswalt.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Phillies 2011 payroll: $165,976,381. (The Reds, by comparison, have a total payroll this year of $80,826,667).

Ladies and gentlemen ... here is the main reason why baseball has dropped in popularity in our country. What's funny is the morons that try and defend the system. The Reds' payroll isn't even that low. There should be no possible way that another team has more-than-twice the payroll of the Reds. And the Yankees is probably more than 3x more.

It's ridiculous. I hope the Phillies get beat in the playoffs just to hear their trailer trash fans cry about it. It was hilarious when the Giants beat them last year.

[OesterPoster]

Ladies and gentlemen ... here is the main reason why baseball has dropped in popularity in our country. What's funny is the morons that try and defend the system. The Reds' payroll isn't even that low. There should be no possible way that another team has more-than-twice the payroll of the Reds. And the Yankees is probably more than 3x more.

It's ridiculous. I hope the Phillies get beat in the playoffs just to hear their trailer trash fans cry about it. It was hilarious when the Giants beat them last year.

Ditto. I hope the Brewers win it all, or at least the NL pennant.

[chicoruiz]

There should be no possible way that another team has more-than-twice the payroll of the Reds. And the Yankees is probably more than 3x more.

Sometimes I think that the wild cards in each league should be the teams that acheive the most wins per payroll dollar. It's just crazy enough to work, I tell you...

[RichRed]

An article to give Phillie-haters hope.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6910166/father-time-philadelphia-phillies

[mdccclxix]

The Phillies were once a hapless franchise...it's amazing what a few winning seasons and some momentum in the playoffs can do...7-8 years down the line they can't fit all the people in the stadium every single night...Winning...IS...(very)...Important.

[mdccclxix]

Oh yeah, I hate the Phillies too. Especially Victorino.

[cumberlandreds]

The Phillies were once a hapless franchise...it's amazing what a few winning seasons and some momentum in the playoffs can do...

Not to mention lots and lots of money to spend on the best players available.

[fearofpopvol1]

I couldn't agree more. I was fortunate enough to go to game 2 last year of the NLDS. Now, I fully admit that wearing my Reds gear to their park was asking for trouble, but I believe in supporting my teams no matter what. With that said, it was every bit as bad as you could imagine. I almost got into 2 different physical altercations. 1 was diffused because my friends were Philly fans but the other was heated. I'm all for fun trash talking at games, but not when it's vile and nasty and that's most of what it was at CBP.

I really don't blame the players themselves for these problems, but how many instances now have the Phillies had with opposing team's fans in their park that were inexplicable? It sure seems like a lot and I would have to say that ownership should take additional precautions rather than just "accept" that it happens.

[reds44]

Remember when Utley didn't get hit by the pitch, was out at second, and missed third base and still scored a run in game two last year?

[Edskin]

Many times my hate for teams stems from my hate for said teams fans...I really don't hate the Phillies...until I remember that most of their fans are also probably Eagles fans too :(

[Chip R]

I don't necessarily hate the Phillies but I'd sure like to see them stop embarrassing the Reds.

[nate]

I'm kind of getting over my "hate teams because they're consistently good" phase.

I more in the "hate teams because their players and/or manager/coaches say/do lame thing or are the Cubs" phase.

[CarolinaRedleg]

No kind of about it. I'm sick of the Philkees.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

I don't hate the Phillies, I hate the system. The Phillies are just the behemoth mega-market East Coast team that has decided to play that system to perfection. It's completely baseball's fault for allowing this discrepancy to exist.

At least we're not in the AL, where the Yankee$ and Red $ox have both figured out how to get automatic free passes into the ALCS each year. In the NL, we only have to worry about the Phillies, since the Mets, Cubs and Dodgers are too stupid to use their advantages.

Either way, what's the point of getting to the playoffs if you're the Reds or any other feel-good team that's captured its fan base's imagination (Rockies in '07, Rays in '08, Reds in '10)? You'll eventually run into the unbeatable goliath with four No. 1 starters in the LCS or the WS. It's futile.

[mth123]

I don't hate the Phillies. I hate the idiots who didn't make a move or two to put a team on the field that could actually compete with the upper echelon teams. The Reds still have a good core but a still too thin line-up and a weak rotation. An awful lot of complacency from the GM all the way down to the Batboy after 1 season being the tallest midget in the contest.

[Johnny Footstool]

Honestly, anyone who isn't focusing all his or her hate at the whiny, crybaby Cardinals isn't fulfilling their duties as a Reds fan.

[Roy Tucker]

I don't hate the Phillies, I hate the system. The Phillies are just the behemoth mega-market East Coast team that has decided to play that system to perfection. It's completely baseball's fault for allowing this discrepancy to exist.



Another gem from the pantheon of John Fay.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110902/SPT04/109030358/Reds-spotlight

The Reds could follow the Phillies model. Grow some young talent, keep it around, win some games, improve attendence, and bingo, $165M payroll. Genius.

[Chip R]

Another gem from the pantheon of John Fay.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110902/SPT04/109030358/Reds-spotlight

The Reds could follow the Phillies model. Grow some young talent, keep it around, win some games, improve attendence, and bingo, $165M payroll. Genius.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/bawanaal/PicardDoubleFacepalm-1.jpg

[kaldaniels]

Another gem from the pantheon of John Fay.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110902/SPT04/109030358/Reds-spotlight

The Reds could follow the Phillies model. Grow some young talent, keep it around, win some games, improve attendence, and bingo, $165M payroll. Genius.

The homegrown Carlos Ruiz is the secret to the Phillies success!

[WebScorpion]

Another gem from the pantheon of John Fay.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110902/SPT04/109030358/Reds-spotlight

The Reds could follow the Phillies model. Grow some young talent, keep it around, win some games, improve attendence, and bingo, $165M payroll. Genius.
Brilliant! Limburger cheeseheads!
http://adage.com/images/bin/image/photo/08-Guinnessold-092407.jpg

[MrCinatit]

I've been a bit of a Phillies fan since Pete signed with them - it has stuck with me, ever so slightly.
While some of their success can be attributed to "the market", I am not quite buying all of that. Why have the Baltimore Orioles found the same success? Are they not also on the East Coast. Same goes with Washington. Maybe even Pittsburgh (though further inland). Some good management has helped put them ahead.
Look at the Dodgers and the Cubs. Both are in large markets - but neither has been able to win consistently in recent years to save their lives. Both suffer from not-so-good management. We can even look at the Yankees from the mid-1980s until the mid-1990s, or even the mid-1960s until the mid-1970s. They still had the same market and were still the Yankees...but poor management lead to some pretty awful, underperforming teams.