Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm found himself at the hottest possible corner after his controversial comments during Philadelphia’s fourth game of the season became a much bigger story than the team’s comeback win over the New York Mets.
Bohm, during a game on April 11 in which he made three throwing errors, received sarcastic cheers from fans at Citizens Bank Park following a routine play. He then was caught saying “I (expletive) hate this place” to Phillies teammate Didi Gregorious.
Well, social media quickly captured the video, and then poured gasoline on it, forcing Bohm to face the heat immediately after the win.
Fortunately for Bohm, he received the support of Kevin Gregg, the team’s vice president of baseball communications, along with manager Joe Girardi and veteran teammates Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Gibson, as shared in a story by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Here’s an excerpt of Rosenthal’s story published Tuesday:
Gregg told Bohm it would be best to address the matter immediately. He had barely finished the thought when three relative newcomers to the team — veterans Kyle Gibson, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber — showed up at Bohm’s locker, along with Girardi before the start of his news conference.
Word had spread quickly, as it often does in a baseball clubhouse. Bohm needed support.
… Girardi and the players told Bohm the same thing Gregg did: ‘Don’t run from what happened. Own it. Tell the truth. And don’t worry, we’ve got your back.’
Bohm ended up doing just that, facing his comments head-on, which ultimately led to a standing ovation from those same Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park one night later. The way Bohm dealt with the situation impressed all of those around him, including Schwarber.
“If he had said, ‘I didn’t say that,’ it could have gone somewhere else,” Schwarber said, per Rosenthal. “It’s easy to run away, try to make up an excuse and people will see right through it. Be honest, and you know what? I think people will actually appreciate that.”
