Nick Castellanos after Alec Bohm drama: “Hats off to the city of Philadelphia”

Mar 25, 2022; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a run in the first inning against the New York Yankees during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2022; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a run in the first inning against the New York Yankees during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Castellanos praises city of Philadelphia, Phillies fans after Alec Bohm incident

It’s only Wednesday, but already, it’s been a big week for Philadelphia Phillies soundbites.

First, Alec Bohm dropped a NSFW quote that got caught on camera during Monday night’s game. After making three errors in three innings, he was understandably frustrated.

Bohm owned up to his comment during postgame media availability, saying his emotions got the best of him, but that he didn’t really mean what he said. And in classic Philly fashion, his openness about having a moment of frustration actually improved his standing with fans. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game, but when he came in as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, he received a standing ovation.

Witnessing his teammate’s rollercoaster 24 hours, Nick Castellanos was amazed, telling reporters:

“Everything I’ve been led to believe about Philadelphia is the exact opposite. Hats off to the city of Philadelphia.”

Castellanos seems like he was born to be a Phillie. First, his “I don’t have a college degree. I hit baseballs” comment, then he buys Ben Simmons’ old house and his family sages it to cleanse the bad vibes, and now this.

There’s been a great energy shift for the Phillies since the lockout ended. Before the lockout, it felt like they weren’t going to do anything to build on their first winning season in a decade. While the Mets signed Max Scherzer and Starling Marte, and the Rangers got Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the Phillies stayed relatively quiet. But after 99 days of one of the worst offseasons ever, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did what he did best, and went all in. It was even more impressive than his previous spending sprees as Red Sox GM because he managed to convince Phillies ownership to exceed the luxury tax threshold for the first time in franchise history.

The lineup is significantly improved with the additions of Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, and it feels like the clubhouse energy is, too.