Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is known for many things, such as slugging home runs, throwing runners attempting to steal bases out, and overall being the “best catcher in baseball.”
Unlike most athletes, what Realmuto is not known for is having an active social media presence. He joined Twitter in November 2011 and, to date, has only tweeted 876 times — or roughly .25 tweets per day. Yet, the two-time All-Star made his first tweet in more than a year Friday evening, not to talk about his five-year, record-setting AAV contract for catchers which became official earlier in the day, but to respond to one Phillies fan in particular.
Fans have to love Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto’s latest tweet.
The Phandemic Krew was a staple this past season at Citizens Bank Park. Although fans could not attend games inside the venue, their attendance was surely felt and heard through air horns, drumlines, and even chants — the “Sign J.T.” one being their most popular.
To accompany their chants for the organization to re-sign Realmuto, Krew staple Evan Holahan crafted a large sign that read “Sign J.T.” Throughout the season, many well-known Phillies organization figures signed the sign in support of the ask, including broadcasters Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke, Tom McCarthy, Jim Jackson, and even Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton himself.
Fast-forward to Friday evening, the Krew tweeted a video of Holahan with his sign, once again outside the Citizens Bank Park gates. Holahan revealed an “-ed” suffix extension, allowing it to read “Signed J.T.” — mirroring the Phillies’ creative social media push throughout the day.
The kid with the #signjt sign has a message of thanks for @JTRealmuto. Let’s make sure JT sees this and know we appreciate him!@Phillies #phandemickrew #phillies #signedjt #signthesignjtsignjt pic.twitter.com/gFSFxHHkTL
— The Phandemic Krew (@PhandemicKrew) January 30, 2021
J.T. Realmuto will meet up with the Phandemic Krew, a staple from last season.
In the video, Holahan asked Realmuto that hopefully one day, he, too, could “sign the sign.” Before day’s end, Realmuto replied:
Thanks JT! You have no idea how much this means to Evan and the Krew!
— The Phandemic Krew (@PhandemicKrew) January 30, 2021
Realmuto coming back only gives Phillies fans hope that with him, Bryce Harper and other pieces along the way, the team will contend in 2021 and beyond. His late-Friday tweeted surely left a smile on me, and I am sure it did the same for many others as well.
This is not a dream, the Phillies came through and signed J.T., and soon, Realmuto will “sign the sign.”