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The Philadelphia Phillies fans have built a reputation as one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports.
Phillies fans have also been known to be one of the toughest fan bases to play in front of, as they are not afraid to boo their own team’s players when they’re struggling. On Tuesday night, the team booed Rob Thomson for not going to Jhoan Durán with a five-run lead.
Durán’s entrance and early success with the Phillies have excited the fan base, and they wanted to see him pitch. While they were booing Thomson last night, recently their boos have been directed toward Max Kepler.
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The 11-year veteran is not having a good year, but had two hits, two RBIs and a home run in Tuesday night’s game. After being on the receiving end of so many boos this year, Kepler spoke about the fans after the win.
“I think it’s their love language,” Kepler said of fans booing, per the Inquirer’s Scott Lauber.
Kepler is slashing just .204/.295/.366. His struggles are part of the reason the Phillies acquired Harrison Bader at the deadline. Earlier in the year, he was complaining about his playing time, but he has grown accustomed to his new role, playing against lefty starters.
“At this point I’ve accepted it,” he said, per Lauber. “It’s a collective thing moving forward. We want to win ballgames, and I’m going to do whatever I have to do to be a part of this puzzle. I think everyone in that so-called platoon is accepting of that and understanding of that.”
Kepler may not be having his best season, but if he can make any sort of positive impact the rest of the way, fans will quickly start cheering him on.
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