Inside The Phillies

Alarmed Philadelphia Phillies Fans Fear Eagles-Esque Collapse

Philadelphia Phillies fans hope their team doesn't end up like the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tyler Maher

Jul 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler reacts after allowing a run.
Jul 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler reacts after allowing a run. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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Philadelphia Phillies fans have seen this movie before, and they don't like how it ends.

Older Phillies fans will remember the infamous 1964 squad that blew a 6 1/2 game lead with 12 to play, squandering the NL pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals in one of the most famous chokes in baseball history.

Younger fans don't need to go as far back to recall a similar a similar collapse, especially if they follow the NFL as well.

It was just last fall when the Philadelphia Eagles were on top of the football world. Coming off a 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Eagles came roaring out of the gates. They started the year 11-1, racking up the best record in the NFL and seemingly on their way to another Super Bowl appearance.

Then, without warning, it all fell apart. Philadelphia lost five of its final six regular-season games as its defense unraveled (Matt Patricia didn't help), blowing the NFC East to the Dallas Cowboys down the stretch. The Eagles were mercifully bounced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs, sparing their fans additional agony.

Now, just a few months later, Phillies fans are wondering if the same thing is happening to their team. After jumping out to the best record in baseball, Philadelphia has crashed over the last few weeks, losing 11 of its last 15 games and getting swept by the New York Yankees at home to end July. The parallels are eerily similar.

Fortunately, the Phillies still have plenty of time to figure things out. The postseason is still two months away, and the front office just brought in some much-needed reinforcements at the MLB Trade Deadline. Maybe the team just needs a little more time to gel.

Philadelphia better get back on track soon, though, because its fans aren't going to wait much longer.

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Tyler Maher

TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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