So many games in an MLB season bring countless moments. The storylines intertwined within those games have a way of pouring out gushes of excitement and leaving us wanting more. Those moments that have the biggest impact on our beloved clubs are the ones we remember for years to come.
Baseball is unlike any other sport with its connection to the city. The personality of the players can shine and fans get the privilege to express their feelings to the players on the field. If a player is struggling, fans will let them know. The player could be met with boos when a terrible at-bat takes place or can jolt the crowd awake with a little extra juice after a no-doubt home run.
When the city of Philadelphia wraps its arms around an athlete who is struggling, there is nothing quite like it.
In 2023, Trea Turner, who signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies heading into the season, was struggling mightily and needed a spark to get things going. Philadelphia native Jon McCann knew exactly what Turner needed.
Trea Turner's ovation documentary now available to the masses on Netflix
McCann, a diehard Phillies fan is from the city's Bridesburg neighborhood and goes by the name of "The Philly Captain" on social media. Little did he know, the video he posted on social media the night of Aug. 3, 2023 would go on to be a documentary covering Turner's resurrection here in Philadelphia, per MLB.com's Jason Foster.
His push to show Turner love and support was the spark the team was looking for. The documentary is called "The Turnaround" and is available now on Netflix.
Netflix has officially premiered The Turnaround, a documentary short about the Phillies fan who helped orchestrate a standing ovation for Trea Turner during his hitting slump in 2023 pic.twitter.com/16dcqK34zZ
— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2024
The documentary, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on Sept. 1, exemplifies what the Phillies mean to McCann and what the turnaround did for Turner's tenure in Philadelphia. McCann's struggle with mental health helped cultivate the idea of using his platform to uplift Turner at a time when nothing seemed to be going as planned.
On Aug. 4, Turner was hitting just .235 with 10 home runs through 107 games in 2023. In Philadelphia's prior seven-game road, he hit just .103. Rob Thomson even dropped him to eighth in the batting order to take some of the pressure off.
Turner went 1-for-4 the night of the ovation. The next night, he went 2-for-4 with a three-run moonshot that put him at ease the rest of the way (subscription required), per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. In the 48 games following, Turner hit .337 BA / .389 OBP / .668 SLG. Good for a 1.057 OPS. He also hit a whopping 16 home runs and drove in 42 runs over the last two months of the regular season.
HE ANSWERED THE CALL#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/TquMSmVkV8
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 5, 2023
The Phillies went on to set a franchise record in home runs hit in a month with 59 homers in August. Because of McCann, Philly fans and Turner's continued confidence in himself, he was able to hit nine of his own. His success rightfully carried into 2024 with another selection to the All-Star game and a much-needed bounce-back year.
Philadelphia has a reputation for being mean and bitter in the past. What outsiders sometimes don't understand is how much we care about our club day in and day out. As fans, we can only control so much. As Phillies fans, we have the means to make it known and leave no confusion that we're with the players through it all.
McCann knows well how rewarding it can be. "It's nice to be nice, sometimes."