Many people know of the baseball pun, “I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger, but then it hit me.” Ever since its creation in the 1860s, baseball is a sport that many Americans have come to love. The sport began in New York, but there were other variations around the country. The New York style of baseball became popular before the Civil War, when middle class amateurs decided to pick up the sport as a hobby. As the sport grew, the number of teams and the level of competition increased as well. Over the years, cities have developed teams that attract huge crowds that show their support on game days. A team that is held dearly in the hearts of people around our community is the Philadelphia Phillies. The team was founded in 1883, one hundred and thirty two years ago, but has only spent the past twelve at Citizens Bank Park; their home field. Although they have only won two world series, their most recent being in 2008, the team still has a fanbase that supports them through both the good seasons and the bad seasons.

The Philadelphia Phillies and their fans hope that their season will turn around as soon as possible. Although it is early in the season, the Phillies have a 11-22 record. It may be a losing one, but the team has had points in their season when they have had a few game-winning streaks, which provides hope for their fans that their record and season will hit a turning point and start to improve. The team played their biggest game of the year against their rivals, the New York Mets. Although they lost, the Phillies still hold onto hope for their future.  Even though the team is going through a year of rebuilding the team after losing some major players, they still have some old timers that have really helped their season. A player that has helped them in particular is Ryan Howard. He has been with the Philadelphia Phillies since the start of his career in 2001. The Philadelphia Phillies have been successful because of talented players like Howard, who keep the fans assured that the season will bring more wins.

Although the Phillies may not be having their best season, there are a few students who still show support for the team. One student in particular, Will Bodycot ‘17, has been a huge fan his entire life. When he was talking about the 2015 Phillies season, he shared, “The season so far hasn’t been that much of a surprise due to the Phillies being in a process. I looked forward to seeing the development of prospects over the next couple of years in hopes that the Phillies can build a winning team.” Another student who is very interested in baseball, Mikayla Echevarria ‘18, expressed, “The Phillies seem to be making some positive things happen, but then start to slack off again throughout their season. Hopefully, they will only have positive and motivated mindsets as they head towards the playoffs.” Even though the team is not having their best season, there are still many loyal fans that hope things will turn out for the better in the future for the Phillies record.

Overall, the Philadelphia Phillies have been a team that has had the support of many local Philadelphians and Delawareans that continue to stay with the team despite their rocky start. The fans are hoping that the Phillies will find motivation within their community and from their constant support.