Sunday Extra: Tampa Bay's Brett Phillips, a Man of Faith, Has an Amazing Week to Remember
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's right there on his shirt most days, and on his hat, too. For Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brett Phillips, his brand statement says it all.
"Baseball is fun.''
And it is. Everything Brett Phillips does on a baseball field, he does with a smile on his face. He thoroughly loves being a major-league baseball player, and is proof positive that little-boy dreams do come true. Growing up in Seminole, Fla., the first suburb north and west from St. Petersburg, he would go to Tampa Bay Rays games at Tropicana Field to watch the pros play the same exact game that he loved as a kid.
Now he's one of them, playing on that same field where those first dreams were formed. And this week, every time you turned around, there was the 27-year-old Phillips doing something amazing. Sure, those occasional ''viral'' moments that want to ''break the internet'' happen, but three days in a row? To the same guy?
That was Brett Phillips' week. It was all very cool, and it just got better and better every day.
He's the local kid doing great things, and then watching them all play out on national TV, from ESPN to the Today Show, and seemingly every other media outlet and platform in between.
"He's such a great dude on and off the field, and you root for guys like him who are are humble and truly appreciative of getting to play this game in your hometown,'' said former Rays pitcher and current broadcaster Doug Waechter, who was the first local hero for this franchise from 2003-06 as a St. Petersburg native who made it to the big leagues right at home. "That's one of the reasons why he has so much fun doing all those things, because he's always got friends and family around, and all those people mean so much to him.
"He doesn't take anything for granted. You want to root for guys like that, because he's such a great role model. Those kids who look up to him now? He was one of those kids himself not too long ago. And he's got a flare for the dramatic, right? It's must-watch TV with him, because you just never know what might happen and you never know what he might say afterward. This week has certainly been an example of that. Every night, you turn around and the kid is doing something unreal. It's very, very cool to see, especially for a good kid like Brett. I love that kid, I really do.''
He's not alone.
A Sunday stroll like the old days
One of the cool things the Rays do is let kids run the bases on Sundays after a game. Brett Phillips used to do that as a kid with his sister, Brittany. Last Sunday, after the Rays had beaten the Orioles, Phillips was out on the field saying hello to Brittany and some other friends.
“My sister was like, ‘Here we are 20 years later. Want to run the bases with the kids?’” Phillips said. “I was like, ‘Heck, yeah, I do.’ That was a nice little memory.”
Phillips circled the bases with the kids, and even did his arms-outstretched flight to home like he did after his 2020 World Series walk-off hit. The moment got shared on social media ... and went viral. The video has been seen nearly 200,000 times since last Sunday.
@Brett_Phillips8 just ran the bases with the kids
— RaysFanGio (@RaysFanGio) April 10, 2022
I love that dude @TriciaWhitaker @TBRaysTwins @TBTimes_Rays pic.twitter.com/d1igzLcQ9K
Even after he was done, he ran into the Rays locker room, where a little postgame celebration was going on after the 8-0 win. Phillips was euphoric. "I just ran the bases with the kids, It was so cool,'' he said. "That was so much fun.''
Then the next night, there was Phillips again. The Rays were getting clubbed by the Oakland A's for their first loss of the season, and the bullpen was getting taxed. Rays manager Kevin Cash came to him about pitching a few innings to save the bullpen for the next day.
"He needed me for two innings, but I told him I could go four,'' Phillips said afterward.
Phillips has pitched in a pinch before, and his antics and animations on the mound went viral then. So this brought back more memories — and then he made more.
Phillips worked his way through the Oakland lineup with his 40-something miles per hour stuff. He coaxed a foul pop near the third-base dugout, and he sprinted off the mound and made a brilliant sliding catch, able to do so thanks to lots of Slip N' Slide experience as a kid.
I’m gonna need a bigger heart so there’s room for all the love I have for @Brett_Phillips8! pic.twitter.com/0k0KLEaYjN
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) April 12, 2022
“When you come off the mound and you're going fast off a steep hill like I did, you have more momentum to get to where you have to be,” he said. “Obviously, going back to my Slip ’N Slide days, I know toward the end of the Slip ‘N Slide, you always want to be prepared to bounce back up, because you know you have someone coming behind you and you don’t want to get hit. So I just slid, popped up, and got back where I needed to be.”
Phillips pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, ending his five-pitch inning — the lowest by a Rays ''pitcher'' all year — with a double play. He walked off the mound to a standing ovation.
5 pitch inning for America's favorite two-way player pic.twitter.com/Ui3DdT0Ud1
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 12, 2022
But Phillips gave up a grand slam in the ninth in a 13-2 loss. After the game, he completely dead-panned his way through a postgame interview, and it was hilarious. (The video is at the top of the story.)
He said, “If I don’t win catch of the year for pitcher, I’ll be highly disappointed” and talked ''like a pitcher'' throughout the entire interview. He even said that he was going to have tell his mom why he gave up a grand slam — “basically explain to her that I just didn’t have my best stuff tonight” — and that he was more mad about the two walks he gave up before the homer by Spencer Neuse ''a guy 200-pounds plus who's made of steel and can hit baseballs really far.''
Phillips' catch and his expressions on the mound made all the national highlight shows for the second day in a row. But that just set the stage for a Tuesday night that brought us all to tears.
A girl named Chloe, and perfect timing
Chloe Grimes is an adorable 8-year-old girl who got to throw out the first pitch on Tuesday night at the Rays' game. She's battling thyroid cancer for the second time — something no kid should ever have to go through — and she was part of the Rays' Children's Dream Fund effort that they do on Tuesday night.
Brett Phillips is her favorite Rays player. They got to meet before the game, and when they did, she gave Phillips a bracelet, a signed softball and a nice note.
In the third inning of the game, Chloe was being interviewed on the Rays' TV broadcast by Tricia Whitaker, and during the interview, Phillips hit a home run.
Now that's one special — and amazing for its timing — moment.
A young girl named Chloe who is battling cancer threw out the first pitch to Brett Phillips, her favorite player, tonight at the Trop.
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 13, 2022
He homered while they were interviewing her on air 🥺 pic.twitter.com/pc3PBJWLHn
After the game, Phillips was in tears in trying to describe what all that meant to him. At his locker afterward, he showed off all things Chloe had given him as if she was the hero — ''she IS the hero,'' Phillips said. "This is her story, not mine. I was just glad to be a small part of it.''
His home run ball got stuck up in the C-ring at the dome, but the next day a Tropicana Field maintenance worker retrieved it so Phillips could sign it and give it to her. All of that, too, made national news, and brought thousands of people to tears.
“She is such an amazing young lady who has had to deal with so much, and that was such a cool moment, that she could enjoy that so much,'' Phillips said a few days later. "It's amazing, really. She is 8 years old and battling cancer for a second time, which has to be so hard, and she chooses to smile and bring me gifts. I mean, really? She's doing that for me? Come on.''
Phillips has teared up several times since in talking about Chloe. He remembers what his life was like at 8, and it was all fun and games. Chloe is battling cancer, and she's a fighter.
"It's so much her story, not mine,'' Phillips said. "But what a moment. It was nice to be a part of it. That's why it means so much to me to be here, to play here, to be a part of this community. It means the world to me.”
Local hero appreciation
Waechter, who is in his eighth year with the Rays doing pregame and postgame shows on Bally Sports Sun, can truly appreciate what being that local hero means, and the former Northeast High School graduate said that he's been thrilled to see all these things happen for Phillips, a Seminole High School graduate in 2012.
"It's really fun seeing him play in his hometown, in front of friends and family all the time,'' Waechter said. "That's a really special thing, always having them there. There's no doubt, that all means a little more and you realize how lucky you are to have all of that. They get to come to watch you and support you, and that's great.
"It's very genuine with Brett. That's exactly who he is. Every time you talk to him, it's just uplifting, just because of the type of mentality he has and how much fun he always has.''
Phillips was drafted by the Houston Astros in 2012, and he turned down a baseball scholarship to N.C. State to turn pro. He made his major-league debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, and also played with the Kansas City Royals before being traded to the Rays in August of 2020 during their amazing World Series season.
Different paths, but same results, playing at home.
"It's unbelievable playing here like that, in your hometown, though Brett does have a different route than I had. I grew up here, was drafted by the Rays and came up with them and came up to the big leagues here, but I didn't appreciate all that until I left, and had to play somewhere else,'' Waechter said. "Brett was somewhere else first, and then got to come here. And now that he is here, you can just tell how much he appreciates it.''
All the local adulation is no surprise to Sam Roper, the long-time Seminole High School football coach who had the pleasure of coaching the 6-foot, 195-pound Phillips during his senior year.
"I've coached a lot of kids, and Brett Phillips is one of my favorites,'' Roper said. "I mean, top-of-the-list favorites. He is such a tremendous kid, and he's worked hard for everything he's gotten in life. To see him have all this success here is great, because he really appreciates where he's from.
"He's never gotten a big head, either. If I text him to congratulate him or something, he'll always text me right back or call me. And when I took my grandson to a Rays game, Brett made sure to come over and take pictures with him, and really made him feel special. He's just a wonderful kid; he really is.''
Roper joked that Phillips was always a baseball player first, but he was glad to have him around. Phillips played football in the fall as a freshman, but then was told in the spring by his baseball coaches that he couldn't play football, so he didn't.
After a coaching change though, he came to Roper in the fall of his senior year and asked to play.
"It was kind of funny, really, because he came to my office to tell me he wanted to play football, and I had a little fun with him,'' Roper said. "I told him I didn't know about that, because the kids and been working hard all summer and how it wouldn't be fair and the kids would have to make the decision on whether he could play.
"He thought I was serious, but I couldn't keep it going. We were all picked out of equipment though, so I told him to get his butt up to Allen's (Sports Center) and pick out the best helmet and all the best equipment that he needed. He played both ways for us that year, and, no surprise, he was a heck of a player because he's such a good athlete.''
What stuck with Roper the most about coaching Phillips that year was how hard he worked and how much fun he had, playing with his friends. Everyone knew baseball was his future, but he played a year of football with his pals anyway and loved it.
"I'll tell you this much,'' Roper said. "If he had devoted four years to football like he did with baseball, he probably could have played Division 1 football too, he was that good. But we all knew his baseball future. And we're all thrilled to have him here now.
"We've had other major-leaguers from Seminole, but it's great having Brett right here at home, playing for the Rays. He's still an important part of our Seminole community, and we love him for that.''
Wearing his No. 35 with pride, and a heavy heart
It took a few years into his professional baseball journey, but when he got to the Rays two years ago, he was able to uphold a promise that he had made a long time ago.
When Phillips was a freshman at Seminole, he lost his dear friend Nate Richardson in a car accident. And he made a promise then to Richardson's parents that whenever he got to the major leagues, he would honor Nate.
"Nate Richardson was one of my really good friends. He passed away in really tragic car accident, and he always wore No. 35,'' Phillips said. "I told his family that whenever I got to the big leagues, I wanted to honor their son and my good friend by wearing No. 35.
"Unfortunately, when I got called up to the big leagues by Milwaukee, Brent Suter was already wearing No. 35, so I got 33 instead, which was fine. When I got traded to Kansas City, they just gave me No. 14, no questions asked. When I got traded to Tampa Bay (in late August of 2020), Nate Lowe was wearing it, and I thought that was cool that he was Nate and my friend was Nate. But then Nate Lowe got traded in the offseason, and I asked if I could have it, and Tampa Bay was gracious enough to give it to me.''
The very first thing Phillips did when his No. 35 jerseys were made up was drive to the Richardson house in Seminole, in what was a very emotional moment.
"The first thing I did, I got a jersey and went to the Richardson house and I surprised Mrs. Richardson with it,'' Phillips said. "I let her know that her son's memory lives on in me every time you see me in this jersey. We are all still very close, and it's the same for me. When I slip on that No. 35 jersey every day, I think of Nate, too.''
Faith at the core of Brett Phillips
Phillips and his sister attended Christian schools as young kids, and his Christian faith has always been very important to him, It's totally at the core of who he is now, beyond the baseball player who see every night.
Brett Phillips, the person, has all his ducks in a row, and it starts with his strong faith and relationship with God.
"I went to a Christian school from preschool through fourth grade, and I accepted Christ in my life in seventh grade, and it's the best thing I've ever done because I give all glory to him,'' Phillips said "It's everything to me and it means everything in how I go about my business. I know a lot of people kind of get scared of religion and such, but for me, my definition of my faith is just to love and respect everyone. I am called to love and respect everyone, just like he did. That's as simple and as mild as it gets, and it doesn't have to be anything more than that. It works for me.''
And when Phillips has a week like this, where he's touched so many lives and brought joy to so many others, he knows what's at play.
There's a higher power to all of this, for sure.
"This week, it's God showing up and saying to me, 'Hey, you're going about your business the right way,' '' Phillips said. "I give all the credit to Him for that, for things to happen how they do for me. It's recognizing the writing on the wall and moving in the direction I am going. It solidifies everything I believe.''
That Tuesday night with Chloe, that little 8-year-old girl fighting for her life, was extremely emotional for Phillips, too. He's prayed a lot about it since, and he greatly appreciates the connection he now has with Chloe and her family.
"It posed the question to me the other day after the Chloe situation,'' he said, choking back some emotions while talking about it in the visitor's locker room in Chicago. "Every single day, every one of us has to deal with the consequences of our actions. I have learned that the consequences to loving, to respecting, to giving joy, and to giving energy are a lot better than being disrespectful or being angry all the time. It's a no brainer to me. You're going to run into people who are miserable, and you just move on from that.
"For me, I'll always treat everyone with love and respect and live with the results. More often than not, it's always turned out great for me. I am really blessed to be where I am in my life, there's no question about that. I have a great family, great friends and I love everything about my life right now. Who can ask for anything more than. that, really?''
That foundation makes him appreciate those moments with Chloe or his friend Nate's mom. Those things matter. Sure, the game-winning hit a in World Series matters too, as does a crazy grand slam streak or stealing a hit or a home run in the outfield — he did both of those things Friday and Saturday in Chicago, and they are just minor footnotes to his week — but it's Brett Phillips the person that matters.
It's been a week that he'll never forget.
Brett Phillips
Rays outfielder Brett Phillips answers questions at his locker in his ''Baseball is Fun'' T-shirt.
Brett Phillips
Brett Phillips smiles at a question last Tuesday after his dramatic tear-jerker home run.
Bracelet from Chloe
Brett Phillips shows off the bracelet that 8-year-old cancer patient Chloe Grimes gave him.
Brett Phillips
Brett Phillips shows off the bracelet that 8-year-old cancer patient Chloe Grimes gave him.
Ball from Chloe
Rays outfielder Brett Phillips shows off the signed ball and note that he got from 8-year-old cancer patient Chloe Grimes.
Note from Chloe
Rays outfielder Brett Phillips was choking up while reading the hand-written note that he got from 8-year-old cancer patient Chloe Grimes.
Brett Phillips pitching
Brett Phillips signals two outs after his sliding catch off the pitcher's mound in front of the Oakland dugout. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips out
The third base umpire signals ''out'' after Brett Phillips made his sliding catch in front of the Oakland dugout last Monday. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips home run trot
Brett Phillips circles third base after his tear-jerker home run that he hit for cancer patient Chloe Grimes. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips pitching
Brett Phillips was called on to pitch innings on Monday. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips sliding catch
Brett Phillips makes a sliding catch in front of the Oakland dugout last Monday. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips catch
Brett Phillips makes a sliding catch in front of the Oakland dugout last Monday. He called it the catch of the year by a pitcher. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips tips cap
Rays ''pitcher'' Brett Phillips tips his cap to his outfielder after a catch at the warning track. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips celebrates
Brett Phillips celebrates in the dugout after his dramatic home run. (USA TODAY Sports)
World Series hero Brett Phillips
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brett Phillips celebrates after his walk-off single during the 2020 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.