Stop us if you've heard this before: Nick Castellanos made a head-scratching quote to the media. Well, it happened again. The Philadelphia Phillies' outfielder's latest comment will only make fans more irate following the team's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Divisional Series.
Castellanos has been in controversy with the local media and Phillies manager Rob Thomson in recent months. He has had a habit of making eyebrow-raising comments to the press during his time with the team.
Given the current state of the team along with his reduced role in the outfield, it is understandable that the fans have had enough of him and his demeanor. The Phillies failures in the playoffs have nothing to do with anybody other than the players and organization.
Nick Castellanos' comments after Game 2 will only make Phillies fans more irate
According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, Castellanos offered what can be interpreted as criticism of Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park (subscription required).
“The stadium is alive on both sides, right?” Castellanos said after Monday's Game 2 loss, per Gelb. “When the game is going good, it’s wind at our back, right? But when a game is not going good, it’s wind in our face. So, the environment can be with us, and the environment can be against us.”
Castellanos does have a point in that Phillies fans can quickly alternate between cheering and booing, especially during the postseason. An MLB fan base is much more engaged during October. However, the outfielder should come to expect this after playing here for the last four years.
Other than New York and Boston, Philadelphia is arguably the toughest place for athletes to play. However, these places can be the most rewarding for players when they are feeding off the joy, positive energy and excitement from fans.
The Phillies fan base doesn't want to hear Castellanos' latest gripe, especially when the team is one loss away from their season's end. Manager Rob Thomson, the offense and the bullpen have underachieved through the first two games of the NLDS series against the Dodgers.
Blaming Phillies fans with team on brink of elimination is a tough look
From the fans' perspective, not only do they not have patience for Castellanos' quote, but the outfielder is stating the obvious about the fans — that cheers can quickly turn to boos and vice versa depending on what happens over the course of a playoff game.
It hasn't all been boos during this series for the Phillies either. If Castellanos has an issue with the fanbase expressing their displeasure (subscription required), that is on him. Yes, many fans can take things too far sometimes. That is the case with many other fans throughout several countries. The Philly fans at Citizens Bank Park have erupted with cheers and enthusiasm when the offense has delivered and when the pitching has done well during the two playoff games.
There is no better place for athletes to play than Philadelphia when they're having success. However, when things are not going well, the fans and local media can be ruthless. However, at least Phillies fans have enough interest in baseball and want to spend their time and money attending games, especially when the franchise is a playoff competitor. There are plenty of other cities in the country where the fan interest in an MLB club does not compare to the level of passion of Phillies fans.
If Castellanos' quote is to be interpreted as a criticism of the fans, it is just another comment he has made implying that Philadelphia is not the right fit for him. Based on everything that has transpired between him, the media and manager Rob Thomson, the team should explore moving on from the enigmatic outfielder in a trade this winter.