It has been an exciting “Red October” for Philadelphia residents and fans as the Phillies’ long awaited success has returned since their last advancement to the World Series in 2008.
The Journey There
The Phillies left the regular season holding a record of 87-75 which granted them third place in the National League East Division. From there, the Phillies, along with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets continued on to the National League postseason. The San Diego Padres beat the Mets in the Wild Card rounds, as the Phillies kicked the St. Louis Cardinals out. The Phillies were ranked the sixth (and last) seed of the playoff teams but continued on their victory run and beat the Atlanta Braves, the previous World Champions.
From there, the San Diego Padres was the team to beat, which the Phillies did, with a winning 4-1 record in the National League Championship Series. This record is what is carried the team to the World Series to face the Houston Astros, an intimidating opponent. This past weekend was the first two match ups against the teams in Houston, leaving the series tied 1-1. They are now to return to Citizens Bank Park for Games 3-5.
A Team to Root for and A New Favorite Song
These games have provided fans with much entertainment and excitement, something that Phillies fans haven’t had in quite a while. Perhaps the most notable highlight of the season, aside from Bryce Harper’s line drive in the eighth inning of Game five, would be the remix of “Dancing on My Own” By Calum Scott and Tiësto. The team has totally resurfaced this song, acting as a parallel to their newfound success on the rise. The song hit almost 254,000 streams the day the Phillies beat the Braves and it has made it on iTune’s Top 100 sales this month.
Philly Fan Culture
Being at a school that is made up of majority Philly locals, the energy is apparent all throughout campus and downtown. Students in Phillies shirts and hats alike, all coming together to watch the games and sing “Dancing on My Own” win after win. Junior Matt McAllister chose to miss the Penn State Whiteout game and head home to the city to experience the game live last week. “This team is special,” says McAllister, “it’s been something to look forward to every night. It’s a little hard to focus on school right now but it’s such an exciting time of year.”
Philly fans have a long-lasting legacy of passion and enthusiasm (nicely put) and it’s something that the team needs now with the stakes so high. “Unless you’re wearing Phillie red or you’re a Phillie, they don’t like you—and I love that, “says Harper, “I love every emotion that they have…. They just want you to work hard. They want you to play hard. They want you to be who you are, no excuses.”
For more updates on the Phillies, along with other current events, be sure to follow @VALLEYmag on socials.
