Opening Day 2021: A Chance to Reset, Be Welcomed Back to the Park, and Welcome Others

Every media outlet is giving the same information leading up to the regular season. I don’t know about the rest of you but there’s only so much I can hear about the weakness in the back of the rotation, the potential hole in center field or the desperate need for the bullpen to improve from last year. Instead, I’m going to offer you a preview of what 162 games with PhilliePhitz will look like.

There is a misconception that to enjoy baseball you need to be an analytics guru and smarter than the next guy to walk in the room. This is far from the truth. At the end of the day, baseball is a game. From the time we are children we are taught that games are meant to be inclusive. This is my mission. Baseball is a game whose history aligns with that of America’s. Back in the times of the World Wars, baseball was what brought everyone back together at their conclusion. Stars were welcomed back from service, reentering our hearts and eventually, the record books. Then in a time plagued by hate, Jackie Robinson and baseball delivered one of the biggest blows to racism by breaking down the color barrier. Even now, we continue to witness examples of the power of baseball. After one of the darkest days in our country’s history, 9/11, President George W. Bush chose to take to the mound in iconic Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch as a sign of our strength and unification. Of all the ways he could’ve picked to make a statement, he chose our game for a reason. I believe it is because baseball history has always been synonymous with the history of advancement in America. Our most recent example came just last spring when the Covid-19 pandemic suspended all sports. Yet in a reality none of us were prepared for, baseball was one of the first ones back, allowing fans to feel a connection to the outside world from the safety of their own homes. Ultimately this boils down to what I see as the biggest superpower of our game; unification.

I recognize this blog may seem to be risky to write given the touchy nature of the events I’ve brought up, yet it is a message I feel fans need to hear. Baseball is the only sport of America’s big four that has its regular season in the summer, the season when families spend the most time together. Given the unifying power of the game I’ve mentioned, I believe it is our responsibility as fans to welcome and educate anyone interested in our game. It is time to go away from trying to outsmart each other, but rather engage in meaningful dialogue to continue to pass on and enrich the history of this great game.

For anyone who hasn’t been put off by my message, this now serves as a promise to you. My brand as PhilliePhitz will serve one main purpose: to grow our game. As soon as you click my site one of the first things you see is a tagline of “Where EVERYONE cares about baseball.” This exemplifies my desire to act as a safe haven for anyone interested in baseball, no matter their knowledge level. It truly hurts me to hear when I’m told I am writing about a dying sport. This is why this season’s content is targeted at the common fan. I will be leaving the high-level information-based content to kings of Phillies twitter, like Alex Carr or Jack Fritz, two people who have influenced me. I aim to simplify the game, breaking down decisions and stories for anyone to understand and enjoy. In this, I hope to develop a welcoming community where questions are met with informative and kind responses. We all continuously discuss how little the MLB Commissioner's Office does to grow the game but the truth is, it starts with us as fans. We are the first ones interacting with new or prospective fans. It’s our duty to do what we were taught as children and welcome others to join the game and teach those who don’t know how to play rather than ridicule them for their lack of knowledge. This is my vow, and I hope anyone who has gotten this far in this blog will take this mission on with me. As we return to the ballparks for the first time in two years it is time we honor baseball’s history, embrace its unifying power, and grow the game.

I look forward to interacting with everyone in my first 162 game season as PhilliePhitz and wish everyone a happy Opening Day 2021!

Sincerely,

PhilliePhitz