This is not Dave Dombrowski’s first rodeo — but it is probably going to be his last. Though he can keep doing this for a few more years, the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations just put his foot in his mouth like a cheesesteak from Pat’s, Geno’s, Dalessandro’s or wherever you can find street meat in The City of Brotherly Love. This is one passionate fanbase and these people deserve better.
The Phillies were an obvious pick to make it to the postseason this past offseason. Whether it was winning the NL East or getting in as a wild card team, it did not matter. Once it became apparent that they were going to get the No. 1 seed in the National League, they were my pick to win it all. It was their time to shine and they blew it in the NLDS to a bitter rival that happened to be the No. 6 seed.
Not to pour salt into the wound of irony, but it did happen, just like this dumb quote from Dombrowski.
And when the Phillies do not win a World Series with this core, you can put that on their tombstones.
Your championship window is only open for so long, so you owe it to your fanbase to be aggressive.
Dave Dombrowski hints that the Phillies’ championship window is closing
What Dombrowski said is just not good enough. Neither is bringing back Rob Thomson and his entire coaching staff. Something got lost in translation in between the end of the season and their NLDS exit to the hated New York Mets. After reaching the World Series in 2022, the Phillies have exited the postseason one round worse than the year prior. That means 2025 could be an exit in the NLWCS…
While I believe there is enough talent on the Phillies roster to sustain excellence, you cannot think for a second about taking your foot off the pedal. The Mets have ascended, and don’t think for a second the equally hated Atlanta Braves won’t bounce back from their snakebitten to hell season of 2024. The NL East could once again send three teams into the postseason, but nothing is ever guaranteed.
Let’s be perfectly honest. All three of these rival teams have gone through dry spells since 2000. The Mets have been more down than up, but they have had their moments, such as right now. Atlanta has had three peaks and two valleys since 2000, while the Phillies are very much in the midst of their second peak. This division should be a lot of fun, but if Dombrowski is not up for this, he needs to go.
Not winning a World Series with this core would be the biggest failure in Phillies baseball history.
