Freddy Galvis Records First Career Hit as Phillies Fail Around Him
By Justin Klugh
In your head, Freddy Galvi’s first hit was a game-winning exclamation point on an improbably comeback that set the tone for the rest of the season. Of course, anything can happen in your head.
In my head, Ryan Howard clocks Brian Wilson’s last pitch of the 2010 NLCS over the right field wall. Chase Utley can dive to his right without leaving the bottom half of his legs behind. And that hipster kid I work with who “likes” the Pirates ironically has spilled that scalding hot Americano all over his face, courtesy of my mind powers.
So, let us push past our ridiculous expectations and be thankful that Freddy Galvis’ batting average is no longer “nothing.”
Any excitement about Freddy was mustered up through the haze of Chase’s absence, and though genuine, is also a bit of excitement we weren’t expecting to want to have. He’s young! We’re old, mostly! He’s a rookie surrounded by vets! He’s a talented glovesmith!
He isn’t very good at hitting! But that’s okay! He’ll be too busy turning cartwheels and doing back flips and soaring through the air like a rocket ship fueled by bad hops and diving stops!
So, we all kept saying how cool it would be to have him aboard, so we could watch the highly touted prospect develop and put all our worries about production at second base at ease. Yes, yes; we know he’s weak offensively. But, like, what if he isn’t? What if he’s this, um, breakout hitter who catches everyone off guard? What if it’s the story of the year? My god; what if we’re watching the first chapters of a legend?!
Well, Freddy didn’t hit quite the way our made-up fantasy that spit in the face of all evidence had explained it. There were no heroics. There were no walkoffs (For the Phillies, anyway). There was just Freddy, holding a bat, and swinging it hard.
And yesterday, he did it. He got that first Major League hit. And it was great; a two run double that had Ryan Howard hopping out of the dugout (donned in the traditional “I’m here, but still hurt” windbreaker) and waving for the ball.
It ended a shutout, it got him to break through. Freddy is a blast to watch at second, even though we know the alternative, and we all knew what this was going to be like. We did. And that’s why this isn’t a disappointment at all. It’s a just a young guy, hitting a ball for the first time, while the team around him, you know. Doesn’t.