How the Phillies' miserable decade traces back to a brutal 2011 finish

[@samm8994]

Inclined to believe that you guys have been sitting on this video for a couple months, just waiting for the Phillies to be eliminated from playoff contention this season to release it.

[@YankeesFan0620]

or because the MLB postseason begins next week…

[@jdog-un5jj]

If that’s the case I respect it

[@juliaz12345]

Yeah. This seems a bit too...timely.

[@coverkillernation]

It's not timely when the Phillies do this year in year out. We call that a rerun.

[@EternalSkies1999]

Yea now that you mention it, it does feel like they waited for us to be eliminated. Not surprised or mad about it though.

[@jakobe5859]

As a Phillies fan... this is going to be absolutely brutal. Edit: Nevermind

[@bigred22685]

Yep. Howard going down in game 5 was like a wrecking ball swinging into franchise progress and cut a HOF career short.

[@kirstynloftus826]

@@bigred22685 that was the end of any possible dynasty

[@backitchbaseball5993]

Same here, man.

[@samortmann5003]

Just wait for the Eagles one. 😬

[@iamgoodatmadden]

@@samortmann5003 Sadly I believe once the final pieces leave it will happen

[@gregullbagel]

As a Phillies fan, that 2011 playoff elimination was the harshest thing I've ever seen. Deep down, I knew we wouldn't be back to the playoffs in a long time.

[@philly_sports1558]

Me too. But I didn’t think it would be THIS long. Middleton needs to sell.

[@therealjaystone2344]

Lose to the Cardinals when the Phillies’ big 4 rotation was the best. The 2021 Dodgers supreme team (big 5) are going to the same path vs the Cardinals in the wild card game.

[@SnoFalcon]

@@therealjaystone2344 who are you calling the “Big 5”

[@therealjaystone2344]

@@SnoFalcon Kershaw, Buehler, Scherzer, Urias, Bauer (that cheater)

[@pocobull]

Ya, I thought I was completely gutted after the 2009 WS loss, but that loss to the Cardinals was way worse.

[@uncreative5766]

The ripple effect around baseball was incredible. The Phillies sought to shed payroll in 2012. After trading for the soon-to-be free agent Carlos Beltran at the 2011 trade deadline, the Giants couldn't convince him to sign a new contract. The Phillies, on a fire sale, parted ways with Hunter Pence, and he was the fire for the Giants in winning in 2012 and 2014. Funny how life works.

[@breedlove94]

I'd go further: the trading of Oswalt and Pence marked in earnest the beginning of the Astros rebuild. Phillies dealt Jared Cosart to the Astros for Pence, then Houston sold Cosart high in 2014 netting them a compensatory draft pick. That draft pick turned out to be Kyle Tucker who is now shaping up to be the anchor in their outfield for years to come

[@EaglesFan4Life17]

That Hunter pence trade, right in his prime nonetheless, was one of the worst trades in team history.

[@miamisportsculture2879]

@@breedlove94 was that cosart trade with the marlins? 😏

[@jwyh4162]

2012 Pence was mostly terrible during during the half year in SF, but he definitely rebounded in 2013 and was the Giants' 2nd best player in the 2014 World Series behind that Bumgarner guy.

[@TheDCGuitar13]

and youd think the Phillies would learn but instead they fire a young manager who goes on to San Fran to win 105+ games lol. Some teams just own others.

[@bengibbons4152]

Being a middle school/high school kid during the 2007-2011 stretch was incredible; my dad would always tell me how spoiled I was as a fan because I didn't go through the hard times, but now I understand completely. Those teams are even more amazing in retrospect to me now than they were at the time

[@ThePhl4ever]

retweet

[@KJ-wx2su]

@@ThePhl4ever I could've written this word-for-word; captures my feelings exactly. even with their new "core," the phillies don't have that same, almost magical feeling those 05-11 teams had.

[@mrsarcastic87215]

I started when we began bringing up the championship core in the early 2000's so I didn't know either until this collapse

[@NightHawk8137]

100%. I was in middle school for the 2008 WS. I remember being at a school event during the playoff run and there were about 50 kids in the cafeteria just listening to the Phillies game on the radio. I still kick myself for not going to the parade with my dad because I had had perfect attendance so far that year at school. I skipped the parade to go to school and ended up missing days anyways because I got sick. I skipped because I thought we had a dynasty. I thought the Phils would be contending every year for the next 5 years or so and I'd have more chances to go to a parade. How naive I was.

[@andrewanderson9930]

I was a freshman and sophomore in high school in 2010 and 2011 when my Rangers were in those back to back World Series. During those playoff runs I heard the same thing from my dad and grandpa about being spoiled too, and it's safe to say - I definitely took those teams for granted. Thought we were going to be competing for the title every season. Crazy to think how loaded those Phillies and Rangers teams were back then.. I thought for sure we were going to play each other for the WS in 2011, then those darn Cardinals came out of nowhere.

[@AndrooTheNerd]

It doesn’t even matter which team it is, I just love the Collapse series.

[@phoodiegames]

Same here

[@Keith_McDaniel]

Yessir

[@AndrooTheNerd]

@@SimuLord I remember that collapse so vividly but didn’t quite understand how some small tinkering done by Bird just blew up the whole thing.

[@mach5482]

You just love to watch the world burn...

[@AndrooTheNerd]

@@mach5482 I would argue that I love to watch the world learn. 🧐

[@Gdfsandoz]

Man roy deserved a ring that year he threw a perfect game and the no hitter in the post season. Of the best pitching seasons I've ever seen. Rip doc.

[@ArrowheadPride4Ever]

That was 2010 when he 27’d the Marlins and No-Hit the Reds. But the unbelievable loss to SF in the NLCS capped off a true ‘what if’ for Doc. But you’re right 2011 was tough pill to swallow too

[@dukekong2412]

Cody Ross had a few things to say about that.

[@ArrowheadPride4Ever]

@@dukekong2412 Cody freaking Ross. Dude hadn’t hit close to any respectful amount of home runs in his career. He had a career avg in the low 200s and he was just a fringe starter his whole career. Then out of nowhere after he he gets traded to SF this dude has an outer body experience. What an absolute joke that he hit all those home runs. Had to be juicing

[@vincentjames7210]

@@ArrowheadPride4Ever Phillies lineup couldn't hit that Giants pitching staff if they tried. Or were they juicing too. Salty ass

[@ArrowheadPride4Ever]

@@vincentjames7210 couldn’t hit? We scored over 20 runs almost 50 hits in 6 games and majority of games were 1 run games. Except of course a 6-1 drubbing in game 2 but we couldn’t hit giants pitching 😂😂😂. Giants were the better team and guys got more clutch hits late in games. Doesn’t change the fact that Cody Ross went from barely hitting his weight to HR after HR to then falling off the face of the planet again 😂😂😂😂 he LOVED that juice

[@moneymase3456]

Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse secret base kicks me while I’m down

[@noahfriedman6357]

Phillies fans knew watching Ryan Howard in a heap that it was over.

[@camsgaming6638]

For some reason I remember that one moment watching it as a kid. I don’t remember anything else about the game but that final throw to first and then seeing Ryan Howard hurt on the ground. Makes me really sad seeing it all again in retrospect 😔

[@mrsarcastic87215]

I was drunk and ready to cry

[@remisteele8904]

@@mrsarcastic87215 Same bro, same.

[@r0cky_2010]

i think he tripped over his own bat, leading to him injuring his achilles tendon.

[@ArrowheadPride4Ever]

As a Phillies fan I have been asking for this for such a long time. I’m typing this as the ads are still playing having not seen a second of it yet and I know exactly what it’s about. And it’s tragic honestly. 2011 winning 102 games and losing to the Cards in the DS, getting shut out in Game 5 was as painful as it gets. Ryan Howard popping his Achilles on the last AB was purely emblematic of what was to come for this team this past decade. The rosters we had back in 08-11 was simply amazing. The rotation?! My goodness. But 10 years it’s been. I think we have a good shot to be right back these coming years.

[@fredcasdensworld]

No... no we don't have a shot, because MLB is starting to having the same problem the NBA has with guys coming along that don't have any heart or desire to win... just look at how this year's squad faded when they had an opportunity to catch the Braves this week

[@ArrowheadPride4Ever]

@@fredcasdensworld well that I will agree with about the heart thing. Harper carried this team like a dead Buffalo on his shoulders and will likely win MVP cuz of it. This team this year had absolutely no fire in them whatsoever and no ability to play the game the right way. And people in Philly said it was Kaplers fault. That kapler has to go. Granted he wasn’t SF’s first or even second choice but their success this season speaks for itself. His approach to the game was part of an evolutionary process that many managers have and still will take. Kapler is the NL Manager of the year for 2021 and will likely win the pennant at a minimum. And the Phillies, again, miss the dance. I do think Dombrowski gets the right guys in here over the next 2 years - his track record is one that shows he has an eye for certain players to fill a team. Some of these players: Didi, McCutchen, Half the bullpen and others have to go. You have a starting lineup multiple times a week where Brad Miller, Jankowski, Vierling are all in? This team will get it right but they need an injection of different players in here

[@carmencaputo7229]

Look at the 2008 core compared to our current core, most of the ‘08 core was developed within the organization while the majority of the current core were free agents before they came here. Our current farm system is a joke (27th in MLB), until that changes we’ll be mediocre at best.

[@joeleicht5764]

There was no shame in losing to the Cardinals in 2011. That was a team of destiny.

[@alleviate9262]

Sadly we don’t as we are stuck in mediocrity in a rapidly improving division and incompetent manager

[@videopar9750]

As a Phillies fan, this video was both nostalgic and heartbreaking, nostalgic to see all the Phillies players I liked, heartbreaking to relive the past

[@jamesbuttram4011]

Still hurts

[@YankeesFan0620]

The sad thing about the Phillies rebuild is it really didn’t acquire any big prospects from the draft (with the exception of Aaron Nola). In a couple of years, the Phillies started their old crazy spending habits again and they just haven’t been able to build a contender

[@philly_sports1558]

The problem with the Phillies is that their farm system is completely awful. I don’t even know how that’s possible after a decade of being terrible. Most teams that want to contend have a roster of homegrown stars and need a few signings and trades to take them over the top. With the Phillies, all of their good players have come from trades and signings, and they need a few homegrown stars to take them over the top. It’s such a backwards way of doing things but they have no choice.

[@warlordofbritannia]

I call it the Phillies' Phailed Rebuild--just to chronicle it, I needed to type five pages of notes That's five pages of single-spaced, type 11 font

[@nathanmoore4712]

Yeah def the biggest difference between the Phillies and the other NL East teams is that we never got a super star from our farm system. The Braves got Acuna, the Nationals got Soto, the Mets got Pete Alonso, heck even the Marlins have some really exciting pitching prospects, and after 10 years of a rebuild we get a decent starting pitcher in Nola, a super streaky first basemen in Hoskins, and Alec Bohm who wasn't even good enough to stay in the majors this year. Like how is that the peak talent of a farm system after a decade of rebuilding.

[@joshmaddox2010]

@@nathanmoore4712 Braves also got Albies, Swanson, Riley, Soroka, fried, and Anderson.

[@nate_storm]

@@joshmaddox2010 yep. nats also have victor robles and had trea turner. not only are the other NL East teams getting homegrown superstars, they’re getting supporting casts, too.

[@lebutzki]

The Detroit Tigers collapse would make a great one. How Dombrowski and Illitch did everything they could to win but was met with bad luck wrong match ups, and ultimately bad trades.

[@Spidahman4283]

I think they did the Rangers one as well already, but yeah, those 2 collapses would be great

[@uncreative5766]

Urinatingtree has an epic video on the Tigers

[@hardyworld]

Yeah, the Tiger's collapse would be a good one too. Must be frustrating for all these teams to watch these collapses to the Cardinals (Phillies and Rangers in 2011, Tigers in 2006, etc.). This Cardinal run the last 25 years has been incredible.

[@3434drew]

Yeah SB will only pander to big market teams even if barely tragic. They won a goddam championship.

[@Spidahman4283]

@@3434drew didnt they do a Royals collapse already?

[@DehumanisedOnYT]

This pops up the moment I put my earphones in after leaving work. Secret Base, you are just too good to me

[@TheKing60210]

Man I have to go to work in an hour. Might as well watch this

[@jduke93]

Currently watching this at the bus stop and I also just got done work lol

[@angelusgnz5784]

damn either you work early as hell or you’re an east coaster

[@DehumanisedOnYT]

@@angelusgnz5784UK actually!

[@nutmaster652]

same, except i’m a phillies fan 🥲

[@iamgoodatmadden]

One year later and they are in the world series!

[@YsnipezYMw2]

And they lost 👍

[@The090919900222]

Rest In Peace Doc His career would've been complete if he won a championship in Philly

[@Rytoast99]

He did

[@I_IS_A_SPOON]

He was in toronto when the Phillies won the world series

[@nathanielmcdonald17]

@@Rytoast99 He missed out on both World Series Expeditions.

[@bcdm999]

He honestly deserves an honorary WS ring from both the Phillies and the Jays

[@furioussherman7265]

The ultimate insult came after his death, however. Doc himself had said he wanted to be inducted into Cooperstown as a Blue Jay, but his wife decided not to have him wear a cap on his plaque. What a way to treat the greatest player in Blue Jays history, eh?

[@aqgpandemic5406]

I wasn’t a Phillies fan but my brother is and so when I was younger I would always root against the Phillies to spite him. But I still remember watching that Howard injury on live TV and even my vindictive younger self couldn’t feel anything but pity.

[@jrbehr4643]

I hated the Phillies at that point after they bounced the Dodgers in 08 and 09, but I was straight up mortified seeing Howard go down like that

[@TheSasMaster101]

As a Phillies Fan, I hate that we've spent a decade in the gutter with absolutely no prospects to show for it and so sad and disappointed that squad didn't win more. But what makes me mad, is that the man who put us here, Ruin Tomorrow Jr, is now one of our analysts and shits on our current players. But hey, we got over .500 for the first time since 2011, so all is good.

[@TheChainChasers]

Yadi molina put yall there just like chris carpenter put the phillies here

[@erikbunty2016]

Just barely, because of those damn Marlins.

[@Shinde425]

@@erikbunty2016if the Phillies won the WS I would have given partial credit to Marlins. That grand slam indirectly propelled the Phillies to the postseason.

[@noahk6476]

Philly got two punches in the gut that decade, one is this and then the kawhi shot killing the process

[@MazeDaGr8]

Not to mention Flyers getting smacked in the Stanley Cup by the Blackhawks & The Eagles winning that Super Bowl then immediately going back to being terrible

[@JWex-jy7sk]

Three punches if you wanna count all the playoff disappointment the Flyers have had ever since losing to the Stanley Cup in 2010 Least they’ve won a Super Bowl in that decade to drown out the pain of all those things.

[@edogthebigdog]

The process is not dead yet. If they get a good return for Ben Simmons, they could go all the way

[@MrBlazemaster525]

@@edogthebigdog Sixers would be lucky to get a bag of Doritos and a Twinkie

[@recoveringdaydreamer]

Even though I love all four, the Phillies will always be my favorite major Philadelphia sports team. That being said, the Kawhi Leonard shot was in an entirely different universe of brutal.

[@NickPR87]

Hats off to the Giants and Royals for being able to figure out how to remain championship contenders while developing their talent, making timely trades and signings that don't disrupt their formula.

[@julianbell9161]

I mean, the Royals collapsed after they won in 2015

[@andrewalbers2431]

how are the royals championship contenders

[@omariparker3769]

Yeah.. the Royals aren’t the best example… neither are the Giants really. They spent multiple years of suck after their run. Hats off to the Dodgers and Rays though

[@drsalt328]

The royals are a very bad example

[@weirdofromhalo]

The Cardinals are honestly probably the best example of not having to rebuild while maintaining playoff teams (even though the front office really needs to make better signings).

[@zukariousgaming4159]

I would love to see a long term breakdown of the organization like you did with the falcons. I am a long term philies fan and the history of the team is something to admire. The struggles the team has gone through, how they where a force in the late 70s and 80s. The build up to the 2008 world series, the fall into what is today. A team that I feel is coming out of a rebuild missing some key pieces but a team that doesn't know what they want. Three seasons ago it was pitching focused down into the bullpen. Into what is now a bullpen with the wors ERA, WAR, AVG Against. Yet we have an team that offensively can put up 5+ runs a game. I would love to see a deep dive into this organization!

[@TheLastPrime38]

That Era of the Phillies was an absolute power house team. Howard, Rollins, Utley, Victorino, Werth. Insane team. They could've won more rings than just against the Ray's.

[@erikbunty2016]

And should've.

[@johntate131]

But they didn’t….

[@archonambroseus]

I'm a Cubs supporter, and I wish I could put this video in front of the eyeballs of every other Cubs fan who is mad about them clearing house this year. There's no guarantee they'll rebuild smoothly, but hanging on to aging stars just for the privilege of watching them decline is what makes this sort of thing happen.

[@JoshyP744]

How do you like that Crow character you guys got for Baez?

[@dougg2012]

@@JoshyP744good.

[@dougg2012]

Seems like it’s working

[@imc440]

I appreciate the decision to show a pic of Amaro that makes it look like he was a guest at Al Capone's nephew's birthday party.

[@arizonawrestlinginterviews1040]

Secret Base, I've wanted you to do this video for a LONG time. Thank you so much! And as a loyal Phillies fan, if anyone needs me I'll be sitting on the floor in the corner sobbing uncontrollably. 😢 😿 😭

[@qman66]

Hey I'm a Mets fan but I remember watching that 11 LDS when Howard grounded out happy they lost but seeing him on the ground like that was really sad. You knew his career would never be the same.

[@wuztron]

This one hurts. The run from 2007 to 2011 was a lot of fun. Even if we came up short more times than not.

[@tombaird7902]

I mean 1 championship and 2 World Series appearances are pretty great for a five year window.

[@wuztron]

@@tombaird7902 Right. But when you consider the talent on that team they probably should have won at least two. Going all in on starting pitchers, in hindsight, was probably overkill. Guys like Ibanez and Polanco were solid. But they should have spent some of that capital to recoop the runs that Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins were no longer scoring.

[@tombaird7902]

@@wuztron Yeah I definitely agree also the farm system by 2012-2013 was scarped. Most teams that contend for five years win at the end of the run, the Phillies might be one of the few teams to peak early and falter after roster upgrades. I like the 2008 team, there are a lot of fringe to 50/50 hall of famers who I like.

[@nathango269]

As a Phillies fan, this is hard to watch. But I agree. Oh well, there’s always next season.

[@carrivelcrib2508]

And that next season was pretty great

[@lucasborja3797]

I’ve never so happy and sad at the same time for a video

[@ericstencovage4058]

As a 5 for 5 Philly sports fan, this kills me. That 2007-2011 run brought some of the most joy I have experienced from my teams. Now some are just happy we finished with a winning record this year. Sad

[@juliaz12345]

As a Phillies fan, this whole collapse has been heartbreaking. That being said, it's not the first time it had happened to the team. After the Phillies made the World Series in 1993, the team invested heavily in their core players. Unfortunately, like the core of the 2008 team, they too were aging and injury prone. Loads of horrible contacts and aging players caused the franchise to be absolutely horrible until the minor league system produced the likes of Rollins and Utley. That wouldn't happen, though, for a good 10 years or so. While the 93 Phillies are still my favorite team, with the likes of Daulton, Eisenreich, Kruk and Schilling, the 94 team could have been even better, if not for the strike shortened season. No team was hurt more than the Phillies and the Expos. The Expos may have had one of the best teams ever in 94, but so did the Phillies. Both teams took loads of time to recover from the strike, especially the Expos, precipitating a move to Washington. The Phillies didn't regain attendance until opening the new ballpark in 2004. They didn't start upping their payroll until 2007, and they didn't get good until their last holdout from the crappy years, Abreu (who was a amazing player himself, and who won a few titles on other teams after being traded), was traded to the Yankees. Sad to see him go, but the trade opened up the floodgates for the younger future stars to make their way up from the minors and get the opportunity to shine. Philadelphia sports fans have always been patient. There are many loud people along for a manager's head after the team plays poorly, but that's anywhere you go. The Eagles have won one Superbowl and only made it to a Super Bowl twice before then. The Flyers have always been pretty good, but haven't crossed into great territory for a bit. The Sixers last made the finals in 2001, but have loads of promise with this core of players. The Phillies were a beacon of hope. They had last won in 1980, and had the miracle season of 93 ended by Joe Carter. The 2008 win was amazing. It was the first championship in Philly since Villanova amazingly won the basketball tournament in 85 and the Sixers won in 83. It meant so much to the city. And the continued success meant so much as well. To see the team decline the way they did, especially after tying up loads of payroll in the core of that team, was devastating. Thank you for reminding me just how badly the Phillies upper management had mismanaged the team over the past decade.

[@freeparking301]

That 1993 season was a great ride even if it ended the way it did. We got lucky that year avoiding the injury bug because a lot of those guys had injury problems is the past and after that season. I always wonder what could’ve been if Fregosi had one more decent arm in that bullpen. West, Andersen and Williams were spent arguably even before the World Series and even though Mason was a nice piece we got at the deadline it just wasn’t enough. Heard Ricky Bottalico tell a story on the radio that if the Phillies didn’t acquire Don Pall at the deadline he would’ve been called up during the stretch run of that season. Obviously we will never know if he would’ve been able to perform on the big stage but having another fire baller in that pen would’ve helped. Game 6’s ending sucked but Game 4 is the one that hurt the most. It’s 14-9 just get 6 more outs!!! And they had no other options but to send L.A. and Wild Thing out there. As for the present. Watching this front office that’s obviously cheap when it comes to those who make the decisions sucks. Klentak and Mcfail (yeah I’m gonna spell it that way) still keep their jobs because they don’t want to buy them out and of course Girardi will finish out his contract because why buy someone else out and pay another manager on top of it?! It’s going to be the same old story next year because Middleton won’t spend over that luxury tax and they won’t blow it up because of the investment in Bryce Harper. Hopefully they can purge more of the cancerous elements out of that clubhouse (Herrera and Nola specifically) and the manager realizes his Yankee butt buddies aren’t gonna cut it in the every day lineup (Gregorious and the bench guys). I feel they completely mishandled Bohm taking him on a ten day road trip and having him ride the bench the whole time me then sending him to AAA. Yeah that really helped us beat the damn Diamondbacks!!! And then they bring him up this week to watch games rather than play him. He’s the future not these veterans who may or may not be here next year. Also Knapp over Marchan…really?! I know this is nitpicking but Girardi doesn’t trust young players and it isn’t helping the situation. Somewhere Nick Maton is sitting around thinking about his OPS being one hundred points higher than what we have at shortstop now.

[@juliaz12345]

@@freeparking301, 1993 was every single player on that team having career years and taking loads of steroids. They won't admit it, but that whole team was the epitome of the steroid era. While certain players, like McGuire and Bonds, were the poster boys for the era, the 93 Phils were almost all juiced. They captivated the city with their ragtag, blue collar personalities, but that team was as good as they were because they were doped.

[@freeparking301]

@@juliaz12345 Definitely won’t argue with that. Dykstra was a prime example of what greenies and steroids can do. And as much as I don’t wanna tarnish the late Darren Daulton, a catcher with that production isn’t a very common thing. (That also goes for a certain catcher in LA at that time.) And the way Inky was hitting moonshots I wouldn’t be surprised he wasn’t just eating a well balanced breakfast either. Hell Dave Hollins said about his broken hand in which he came back from in only two weeks that “Coop (the team trainer) can get us back from anything.” Yeah with a nice diet of painkillers and rehabilitative steroids. Even with all that though they’re still beloved. Their starting lineup with Inky had seven of eight position players with an ops over .800 and the eighth being Duncan in this case I think was around .720. Hell of a lot more fun to watch a team that hits the ball and doesn’t strike out a million times looking for launch angle homers even though they did get their fair share of bombs.

[@JHockeyFan]

NCAA titles don’t count, only pro titles. Totally different system

[@juliaz12345]

@@JHockeyFan, which is why I included the Sixers in 83 in my post as well.

[@MazeDaGr8]

The Phillies are one of those teams that should be a lot better than what they are but bad decisions & questionable money management are Always causing them to be terrible

[@10DollarProductions]

That 2007-2011 run was a complete anomaly. I'm a huge Phillies fan too, this team has just always been historically bad for some reason.

[@williefaulker]

Lol our bullpen has been cursed

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

Pssh, I'll take a collapse if it means I get a championship. I legit worry I'll never see the blazers win any thing in my life time.

[@WorldwideWyatt]

Same with the Hornets

[@Tinil0]

=(

[@enjikap1217]

I say they got between a year and 3 to make the finals otherwise it's gonna be a rebuild

[@jst25]

Padres fan here, us too.

[@CreatedByWin]

Pacers here, yup

[@lynngatrell7965]

Having experienced the same catastrophic injury to my leg that Howard did, I totally sympathize. That injury is no joke! The fact that he never came back 100% doesn't surprise me. I ruptured my Achilles' tendon in 2016, and here we are near the end of 2022, and I still feel it! If it hasn't fully healed by now, I doubt it ever will. I can still walk just fine, but jogging and doing other athletic things are problematic, and I'd rather die than get this injury again. The pain was unbearable, and the post-surgery recovery was excruciating. As I say to everyone about this injury, pray it never happens to you.

[@lorddalek]

Another thing to consider about the Philies' early 2010's meltdown is it literally gave birth to the Giants' even year dynasty. Without fleecing them Pence for Schierholtz and those useless prospects, San Fran doesn't go to the 2012 World Series let alone 2014 as well.

[@Bucketgetter215]

And now with kapler

[@lorddalek]

@@Bucketgetter215 Not gonna lie, I was completely meh over Kapler's hiring considering how his Phillies teams consistently underperformed. Guess it was just the teams and not him.

[@SmoothCriminal12]

@@lorddalek Yeah. The Giants were perfect for a micro manager like Kapler. No manager is gonna win in Philly with that garbage pitching depth.

[@NightHawk8137]

Ryan Howard crumpling into a heap immediately, and permanently, extinguished whatever was left of the spark that made those teams special in my eyes. Honestly though, I'll live through 50 bad seasons because I got to hear Harry Kalas call the World Series win for the Phils in Philadelphia and you can't ever take that away from me.

[@jon-eriksuermann]

You’re perspective is awesome!

[@NightHawk8137]

@@jon-eriksuermann thanks. I just consider myself incredibly lucky to have gotten to listen to Harry Kalas call games in my formative years as a young Phillies fan. I realize that its incredibly rare to find, let alone hold onto for 39 years, a talent and a voice like that of HK.

[@shchef18]

Oh man. Going through that championship lineup almost made me cry. That was my childhood

[@bruvachris3040]

Please release more of these! The ‘Collapse’ series is always a fantastic watch. Don’t care which sport or team, I’m watching every single time

[@hmmichael438]

The irony being that by beating the Braves in the final series of the season…..that allowed the Cardinals to make the playoffs 😂

[@copycatjsh]

They finished off the Braves' collapse with one of their own! Karma called, left a message.

[@movieracket1726]

Ryan Howard's son went to my elementary school... He visited our school a couple times and we played kickball with him. Great memories and a great guy!

[@buffalowildwings2246]

As a Phillie Fan , This Hurts My Soul

[@thenumberquelve158]

It's kind of refreshing to see the GM actually regretting his poor decisions at the end of the road when he sees the wreckage. Usually they see the wreckage and assume it was everybody else's fault.

[@EashwarKantemneniiamawesome]

Aaaaaaaand we back

[@BSJinx]

10:01 Thus did Amaro earn the great nickname "Ruin Tomorrow, Jr." And ruined it has been.

[@kevinbrzostek7552]

I remember that 2011 defeat to the Cardinals. I was kind of depressed afterwards because I truly thought that was our best chance. Still waiting to see them go back

[@Moneyaddthenmultiply]

This video hitting different now 🤔 👊 LFG

[@sdvard3]

As a Nationals fan, I'm gonna enjoy this and hope that this rebuild works out so we don't get one of these videos in 2027

[@Raincityroller]

I dont even care about the phillies, but I love this channel.

[@Hyndergogen9]

Best sports content on the internet.

[@chasemcbride15]

I was a little kid going to these Phillies games back in the day. Good times man and I really miss these teams from 2008-11

[@clubberlange4119]

You forgot one key element. The shift came into play and as well as injury took its toll on that vaunted phillies offense .

[@hawkeye18100]

I have two ideas that I think would make great Collapse episodes: How the 1994 baseball strike killed the Montreal Expos and how a questionable weight jump and a couple bad knockouts derailed the career of Roy Jones Jr

[@brianlara6451]

Matt Williams agrees about ‘94. The giants were coming off a 103 win season and had a slugger challenging the real home run record

[@thebrotasticbro9465]

Yea 94 was crazy

[@bradsully6620]

That strike also screwed ken griffey Jr because he was on pace to break maris's hr record. I was one pissed off 9 year old that year.

[@chillvibed]

I'm 30. But dont remember 94 that much if at all ....1994 for baseball seems like such a ridiculous year. Not even covid stopped the seasons from playing out...but a strike

[@austinbingnear5755]

It’s kinda of ironic that after this video was uploaded 367 days ago the Phillies would return to the playoffs for first time in since 2011 as a sixth seed to beat the Cardinals in NL Wild Card Series then they beat the defending World Series Champion Braves in the NLDS 3 games to 1 then they beat a fellow Wild Card team in the Padres in the NLCS 4 games to 1 to make the World Series for the first since 2009 where they would lose to the Astros in six games but I’ll tell you what man what a ride that was

[@josephreifenberger1330]

In case there was any question about how badly Amaro did as GM, it should be noted that his next job in baseball was 1st base coach for the Red Sox

[@carmencaputo7229]

He now does color commentary on some Phillies broadcasts 😂

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

Really if you look at it as not minding he went all in for a few year run he wasn’t terrible, the team just underachieved in the playoffs. They were serious contenders for 3 years once he took the job and the team only got better during that initial span after 08. His mistake was not knowing when to totally blow things up.

[@henrywood1304]

This hurt a lot, but at the end of the day, I’m glad we got some Phillies content

[@BigAddy]

As a Braves fan, I’m going to enjoy this but I’m also scared there will eventually be a video for these past Braves teams

[@ryanwhitlock7350]

"how the Braves turned 14 division titles in 15 years into literally only 1 ring."

[@10DollarProductions]

Not for a few years, you guys have such a deep lineup right now. Seriously, how many 25+ home run hitters do you need?!

[@benkidd4954]

For a collapse to happen they have to be good at some point lol

[@JohnDoe-sl6di]

You guys have a shot of winning your first ring in decades

[@jsnike91]

Crazy to see how after winning the World Series in 2008, the Phillies took a step back every season afterwards. WS lose in 09, NLCS lose in 10, NLDS lose in 11 and no playoffs in 12. Even crazier to see that those 3 post season loses were to the eventual WS champions. If only my Phillies were able to snag 1 more championship before this decade long playoff drought, and probably still counting after harpers thumb injury today 😭

[@maxtrax5660]

Burnett played through an injury that entire 2014 season and bounced back immediately with the Pirates. Even the good transactions have all turned to dust during this decade long hell streak.

[@GameShowMike]

I got to see Burnett pitch for the Pirates. He served as a mentor to a young Gerrit Cole, who like Burnett, was also a capable lights out pitcher.

[@calderevans4106]

I cant watch the Ryan Howard clip without wanting to cry. He will forever and always be my favorite player and it breaks my heart every time

[@huckthatdish]

That carpenter halladay game was so good. One of the best pitched playoff games overall ever

[@MatthewHomolka]

been waiting for a long time for you guys to do this

[@sneersh9107]

I'm a lifelong Phillies fan and I remember watching Howard collapse at the end of that game, I was 11 years old at the time. Howard was my favorite player and seeing that on top of them losing was the worst baseball moment ever for me.

[@andrewclough9717]

As a Braves fan… this is tremendous piece of journalism. Well done. Can’t wait for the sequel.

[@docgravenshmit6692]

very painful as a Phillies fan. They won in '08 with a solid but not as deep (compared with '11) of a starting rotation led by Hamels, a lights out bullpen with Madsen/Romero/Lidge, and great offense. In 2011, they had the starting pitching, but the offense was no longer there. Even before Howard's injury, his numbers were dropping off. He struck out on a lot of breaking stuff outside and the shift killed him. He was far from the player of his MVP season.

[@loygle]

I think about this all the time. Such an insane cast of players to fall short in the end. Thank you so much for making this

[@mlbupdates365]

Ryan Howard’s injury in the 2011 NLDS was the start of the downfall for the Phillies, and no end seems in sight

[@seanperri5977]

Maybe I’m bias because I am a Phillies fan, but I think we make the playoffs next year. Or get really close. We finished with a winning record, our farm system is showing flashes but generally bad, ranger Suarez has shown he could be an ace for us, and Matt Vierling has been a hitting machine. I think if we’re fully healthy we have a better chance

[@mlbupdates365]

@@seanperri5977 As a Phillies fan also, I have hope as well, but this organization has let me down to many times to think those chances are realistic

[@krzyk101]

@@seanperri5977 Felt like this sorta needed to be the year. We had so many breaks go our way. Mets and Braves were both riddled with injuries including losing their best players for the season. Harper had an MVP season. Wheeler gave you a Cy Young type season. Ranger Suarez had a historic season. Even with all that, they still couldn't make the playoffs. Team is just cursed. And I'm definitely not counting on anything from that farm system, lol.

[@tremontproductions2561]

@@seanperri5977 Phillies ain’t seeing no playoffs anytime soon lmao I think the Mets Nationals and Marlins will make the playoffs before the Phillies ever will

[@seanperri5977]

@@tremontproductions2561 lol

[@BootsyDuncan]

Growing up outside of Philly, I vividly remember going to endless games with me, my brother and father during this time period... This segment is going to hit home, thank you secret base.

[@alexvratsanos5227]

Who’s here after the Phillies won the 2022 NL pennant?

[@U2BEMatchmaker]

I am one of the ten best living Sports Historians in 2021. I appreciate you doing this video on the Philadelphia Phillies. They have some real good boys on the team right now and a great Manager.

[@jwanie366]

And just over a year after this video was uploaded, the Phillies have clinched a playoff berth. Obviously the third WC spot provided some extra help, but all that really matters is that they FINALLY made it back to the Postseason!

[@austinbingnear5755]

And they would beat the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Series they would beat the defending champion Braves in the NLDS then they would beat the Padres in the NLCS where they would book their ticket to the World Series for the first time since 2009 only to lose to the Astros in six game but what a ride that was

[@freezemypath4]

Love watching this in Atlanta a few days after we clinched a playoffs spot

[@moonlapsevertigo2432]

When you look at their 2011 roster, mostly every key player was over 30. Recipe for collapse

[@JWex-jy7sk]

I remember 2013 when they went 73-89 and were clearly on the decline getting older. Amaro’s response heading into 2014 was...”Let’s get even older and sign Marlon Byrd and A.J. Burnett!” Those were the type of moves that just didn’t make sense, and everyone knew before the season even began that they weren’t gonna be contenders in 2014.

[@michaelkkrasting]

YES, thank you!!! I've been waiting and asking for this for a while, Awesome vid as usual!!! But fr though, as somone who has grown up with this Phillies team, these guys were my heroes, but nothing hurt more than watching fall apart as the years went by with what should've been a potential dynasty.

[@spencerfurman4705]

OMG COLLAPSE IS BACK!! YAY!! If you don’t do the 2010-2011 Rangers, I will personally do a video myself on them. LOL.

[@MrVolleytisch]

I actually started following the Phillies more closely when I attended my first and to this point last Phillies and MLB game in 2012 (I come from Germany). So I am absolutely aware of all the things that happend during the collapse and (failed) rebuild. Such a shame that ever since I am rooting for them they have not mad the playoffs. Amazingly, if Wheeler wins the Cy Young and Harper the MVP (Harper's odds are higher than Wheeler's but he most definitely finishes in the top 3), they are the first pitcher-batter tandem to win it while missing the playoffs. That tells you how top heavy this team is again.

[@alexcastellini2672]

This is so perfectly timed

[@noahbrecker1129]

😂😂😂

[@narpanox1]

Speaking as a Cardinals fan, as happy as I was seeing STL go on that 2011 run it majorly sucked watching my hometown boy Howard go down with that injury, that’s a clear heartbreaker regardless of who you’re supporting. Classic game regardless. Phi deserved better afterwards, they were awesome in 2008-2009

[@coruscant100]

Speaking of Philadelphia, the next collapse needs to be about the Eagles after winning the Super Bowl. They imploded almost immediately and have crashed and burned quickly.

[@Stinger522]

I would love to see that too.

[@Moneyaddthenmultiply]

They made the playoffs two years in a row after the SB. I don’t see that as a collapse.

[@coruscant100]

@@Moneyaddthenmultiply The way Philly collapsed is fast though. Yes, they made the playoffs twice in row, but there was QB controversy over Wentz and Foles, the OC that lead the big plan for the Super Bowl win being gone, and other things make this team fall apart very fast. And with the state the Eagles are in thanks to their inept GM making bad deals they've really fallen apart since then.

[@americanloyalist4599]

Then they came back real fast

[@americanloyalist4599]

@@coruscant100 this aged badly

[@Grievous_]

Do one on how the Seahawks collapsed, from winning Super Bowl 48 to losing Super Bowl 49 but still looking like a potential dynasty after making it to the Super Bowl back to back seasons to crumbling over the years and ultimately traded Wilson and cut Bobby Wagnor in the 2022 offseason making those 2 the last 2 from their core (well Pete Carroll is still there)

[@mrstark1376]

Being a Phillies fan is to know pain. My dad told me stories about how the Phillies flopped in his childhood ('64 in particular). They are also the first professional sports team to hit 10,000 losses. At least they lead in something...

[@joked87isback]

You never forget your first championship. I will always keep that 08 team close to my heart. I still know the starting lineup by heart

[@prick4brains]

There should have been 10 minutes dedicated to Dom Brown's one great month.

[@TheFilmSpace1]

🤣

[@kylebittner1327]

I hate Dom Brown with a passion. Phillies don't want to trade him for Halladay in 2009 and probably costing them the world series then he has 1 good month in his career

[@NightHawk8137]

Wow that's a name I haven't heard in forever and I do remember thinking he was the next 'thing' for the Phils.

[@Iamacardinalfan]

I remember watching that game 5 in 2011. I was posting on the old ESPN boards in those days. And all the Philly fans were taunting the Birdnal fans saying that one run will never hold up. Truth be told, I felt the same way. Those two, Halladay and Carpenter. That was one the most well pitched playoff games ever. That was a start to a epic post season for the Cardinals.

[@The090919900222]

Roy Halladays 2010 No hitter against the Reds needs a Deep rewind

[@theshockmaster1016]

Thank you so much for uploading Secret Base

[@thepunditspundit1776]

The most dangerous thing you can say… …2-1 lead against the Cardinals. The St. Louis Cardinals, year after year after year after year are the most dangerously consistent team in baseball.

[@johnmaring7056]

Hallelujah! Thank You So Much, Seth & The Rest Of Secret Base! U Guys R The Best! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@RicciChoi1109]

Long story short: Signing Harper doesn’t and won’t help Phillies returning to the peak.

[@philly_sports1558]

One truly great player doesn’t win you games. Harper is now in Mike Trout territory.

[@paisan8766]

He handles his business

[@futuregohan4837]

@@philly_sports1558 Harper Hates Being Compared To Mike Trout

[@philly_sports1558]

@@futuregohan4837 I'm comparing them to how Bryce is having an MVP-like season but the team around him simply isn't good.

[@mrsarcastic87215]

One player will never do that

[@CharmCityGamer]

As a Phillies fan since 2001, oh boy, this one is gonna freaking HURT! Thanks for biting the bullet for us Seth! That 1993 squad was beautiful. It's just a shame I was too young to see it. Thank God for restored VHS tapes posted on KZbin. Also rest easy Doc Halladay, miss you everyday boss. Shame ya came to Philly too late to get a ring...

[@mhskingtanner6310]

This hurts me to say, but I feel like once Kevin Love is either traded or retired, the 2016 Cavs should be a collapse video. One of the biggest upsets in NBA history, and ending the curse on the lake came at a great price in Cleveland, and we paid for it by having our hearts torn out...again.

[@evanfortunato2382]

It hurts when one of these videos get made about your own team. But I still cherish those memories of 2008. Rip Roy Halladay

[@mattmcavaney1043]

You think watching this is bad. Just imagine experiencing it in real-time. I expected SB to do a Philly team's collapse at some point. The fact that it was the Phillies and not the Eagles is a badge of honor. They may not be lovable like the Cubs, but no team loses as artfully as the Fightin' Phils. Things will get better eventually, right?

[@FamilyGuyRoks6]

I can tell you that i knew that exact moment was gonna be the one.. I remember watching that game live, with my friends, and when he hit the ball and never saw Howard make it to the bag, the initial thought in that moment was that he just didn't bother to run it out, which brought feelings of frustration and anger, but it instantly turned to sadness and empathy as soon as they cut over to him, laying there and writhing in pain. my heart broke for him. he was my favorite player since 06 at that point, I knew things wouldn't be the same afterwards, and it saddens me to this day the way his career declined so quickly as he became a shell of what he'd once been... and ten years later, the phillies finished 2021 with a record above .500 for the first time, albeit, by an 82-80 record... the team over the last few years on paper should be so much better than they have been.... but awful scouting, player development, and bullpen have caused them to greatly underachieve... I hope 2022 brings more hope, but we'll see, I guess.

[@ganondorfthegrey5325]

I am once again asking for the 2012 Detroit Tigers. That team was stacked both in the hitters lineup and pitching lineup but failed to get a ring. I think they’d be really interesting to do a Collapse on.

[@SmoothCriminal12]

Not investing in a decent bullpen and the Avisal Garcia situation are probably the main factors.

[@ganondorfthegrey5325]

@@SmoothCriminal12 That’s very fair. I’ve always wondered why they didn’t bulk the bullpen up on that team.

[@Bucketgetter215]

They had a terrible pen and I forgot who there closer was his last name started with like a v but he was awful

[@ganondorfthegrey5325]

@@Bucketgetter215 Jose Valverde I believe. Admittedly, I did initially neglect to remember that the bullpen was weak. Still, with the names and star power on that team, I think an episode could be made eventually.

[@brandenvibez6051]

As a native of Detroit & a lifelong Tiger that one is going to sting.

[@ethanwagner]

Thanks!

[@SecretBaseSBN]

thanks Ethan, your support means the world to us

[@ethanwagner]

@@SecretBaseSBN much love, keep it up yall! After this vid the only one I need a true deep dive on is Joe Mauers career. Mr Twin was electric. If yall dont make it I will👀🔥

[@trollkenobi6727]

Just a 1985 Bears collapse Something like: How the 15-1 Bears failed to reach the Super Bowl after several playoff failures

[@SmoothCriminal12]

It all started after the Packers purposefully injured their QB and then ownership started meddling with Ditka's vision.

[@trollkenobi6727]

@@SmoothCriminal12 And when Ryan bailed for Philly

[@thegamingfan2548]

Growing up in a split Yankees-Phillies house, that '09 series was beautiful. I was an A-rod fan too and his HR that hit the camera was the cherry on top

[@hulk6785]

That's "Mac's favorite player, Chase Utley," good sir!

[@mrf19741]

As a lifelong Philadelphia Fan, I had just about blocked the 2011 playoffs from my mind until you posted this. Thanks!

[@nxxdle_]

a phillies documentary would be cool

[@TheSword1235]

Hi, checking in from October 16th 2022. Gonna need an update for this video