October 01, 2015
Jeremy Affeldt was one of those left-handed relievers that always seemed to prove critical in the playoffs against Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and the rest of the Phillies’ lefty swingers. In the 2010 National League Championship Series, he had a 3.38 ERA and four strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched.
Affeldt’s playoff success didn’t end there. He went on to also play a pivotal role in the Giants’ subsequent World Series titles in 2012 and 2014. Today, the 36-year-old Affeldt announced his retirement. For The Cauldron, he crafted a very well-written piece on the five things he won’t miss about Major League Baseball. Number five on that list was the City of “Brotherly Love.” The quotations are his, not mine:
So first, let me be clear. Philly is a great sports town, with passionate fans and a palpable energy. The problem, though, is that the city, more than any other I've played in, seems to condone and almost revel in its fans crossing the line. Nowhere else in this country—again, based on my experience as a 14-year major leaguer and the conversations I've had with other players—is the opposition treated in such a repeatedly vile and borderline threatening manner.
We are out here to play a game, and even though we are paid handsomely to do so, professional athletes should not be subject to vulgarity, personal attacks or epithets. Sadly, in Philadelphia, this kind of fan conduct is far too typical. The irony is, while Phillies fans succeed in making many players dread traveling there, they also (not surprisingly) impact the decision-making process of those same players in free agency.
There is no way to actually know if Affeldt’s free agency theory is correct. Raul Ibanez seemed like to it here just fine, as did Jim Thome (late edit: How could I forget Cliff Lee? Shame on me). The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays did lodge many of the same complaints after the fact, though.
Ironically, Affeldt begins the piece humblebragging about his 0.86 postseason ERA (which I would too, it’s excellent) and ends it by wagging his finger young players for “incessant showboating” (translation: having fun). I just felt this deserved to be pointed out.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
