MIAMI — A few days ago, feeling another wave of cheer, the blissful Phillies created a new celebration for every hit. “I can’t tell you anything about our celebrations,” backup catcher and main entertainer Garrett Stubbs said Friday afternoon. Someone knows how it started; Nobody wants to take out credit. It’s stupid and hilarious and it’s the Phillies. Some in the clubhouse didn’t know what it was and why they were doing it, but they had an idea. The gesture is suggestive enough without knowing it has its origins in “Major League II.”
“How do you spell that?” asked a Phillies player after they won their 13th straight away game — a game they shouldn’t have won. JOBU. Some of the batsmen are more demonstrative than others, juggling imaginary…balls. In the film, a teammate challenges Pedro Cerrano’s strength during a crisis. He takes it personally. He asks his manager to pinch hit in the ninth inning, and in the first pitch, Cerrano hits a game-winning home run. He turns to his shelter. He does the dance.
Cristian Pache is a 24-year-old former frontrunner who was disqualified from MLB’s worst team before the season. He was one of the worst hitters in modern baseball prior to 2023. He’s an elite outfield player, so he kept hitting bats. Because of this, the Phillies took him on a day before Opening Day.
Pache had fought nine times in the past 14 days. It had been almost a week since he had last thrown a punch. But he hit a narrow hit in the ninth inning Friday night with two outs and the tie run at second base. He took the first pitch. Then he hit a slider deep in the middle. Pache raised his right arm as the ball hit the midfield wall. Many of his teammates jumped onto the field.
Phillies 4, Marlins 3. After 87 games of the season, the moment had come. Pache enjoyed it.
Cristian Pache watches his home run start with two runs in the ninth round. (Jim Rassol / USA Today)
“Nobody’s going to hold him back,” said Alec Bohm. “I feel like it helps the boys do their best, doesn’t it? When you are just comfortable being there, being yourself and not trying to behave a certain way or do certain things. Just be yourself. I feel like that’s definitely something that has helped me and a lot of the younger guys here to perform well.”
When Pache floated to third base, he did. “Incredible,” said Dusty Wathan, the third base coach and closest to Pache. He let the big balls dance more forcefully than any other Phillies.
“I knew I hit it right,” Pache said through a team interpreter. “It was a real man who hit that ball.”
It will never feel like last October, because it is. For months, the Phillies talked about defying comparisons to 2022. Another slow start was no guarantee of a summer revival. Then they leaned in. After wins, they started playing Dancing On My Own again at the clubhouse.
The Phillies are 23-7 in their last 30 games. The 2022 Phillies have never had such a good 30-game stretch. These Phillies did it in 43 days without a single home run from Bryce Harper. They’ve played better in the last 30 games than they’ve played in a long time. The bullpen is elite – he hasn’t conceded a run in 25 1/3 straight innings – and has been the team’s most consistent unit all season. The Phillies, not just Harper, have failed to rise to power and many nights the offensive has sleepwalked.
It didn’t matter.
“It’s a good vibe,” said Zack Wheeler. “I just ride it. We ride as long as we can into the (All-Star) break and hope to be able to continue after that. We play good baseball.”
“It definitely reminds us to just keep playing,” Bohm said. “We can get hot for an inning and make a difference in the game. A win definitely puts you in a good mood. We’re getting some wins together and that definitely boosts morale. Guys look forward to showing up every day. We have fun.”
Cristian Pache and the Phillies celebrate his home run. (Jim Rassol / USA Today)
So, this is Pache. He spoke earlier in the season about how welcome he felt in the Phillies clubhouse. He then tore the meniscus in his right knee and ended up on the injury list before returning as a substitute. He has a certain flair, but when you’re not playing and don’t have a track record, it might feel inadequate to show it.
“He’s starting to open up a lot more,” Bohm said. “At first he was calm.”
While the Phillies were playing the Rays at Tropicana Field, Pache made a bold prediction.
“I told the guys that if I hit the ball out of the park in Miami, I would jump and have fun,” Pache said. “And then I actually scored a direct hit on my first shot. I just wanted to jump because it looks sexy.”
Brandon Marsh, hit hard by Pache, heard the reply. He laughed and then went to the other teammates to relate what Pache had just said. Everyone laughed.
But there was real work behind it. Pache was teammates with Marlins left closer AJ Puk in Oakland last season. He knew him a little. In the seventh inning, a Phillies coach told Pache to prepare for Puk. “Before that shot,” Pache said, “I went to the cage to get ready and watched a video where I saw[Puk]attacking the right-handers.” He wanted to stay on the ball and try to to hit him in the right center field.
He hit it 397 feet to dead center.
“Honestly, I’m still learning about myself as a hitter,” Pache said. “I have[Phillies batting coach]Kevin Long on my side, which is just great because I get to work with him every day. Super, super happy to be here.”
The Phillies are glad they took the chance. You won the trade with the A’s no matter what happens next. “It was a great reception from our front office,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “It was really.” Somehow, everyone the Phillies bring into their eccentric clubhouse finds a way to belong. Some welcome chaos. Others encourage it. Some are satisfied as spectators.
And there is Papa. A real man hit the ball and danced to prove it.
“I love it,” said one Phillie, “that he managed to round third base.”
(Top Photo: Jim Rassol / USA Today)