By their own admission, Philadelphia fans can be ruthless. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a softer side, too.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner has heard it from the fans all season as he struggles to settle into his new situation, but he received a shockingly warm welcome from the Citizens Bank Park crowd on Friday night.
Fans gave Turner a loud standing ovation when he stepped to the plate in the first inning against the Royals, two days after a fielding gaffe cost the Phillies a win in Miami. Home plate umpire CB Bucknor was up the third base line when Turner walked up to the plate, so the former All-Star had a few seconds to take it all in.
Philadelphia fans give Trea Turner a standing ovation to show that they still support him through his tough season pic.twitter.com/fkSb14wRcQ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 4, 2023
MORE: Trea Turner’s nightmarish season continues with booted ground ball
Turner said after the game that his mother cried when she saw the standing ovation.
Trea Turner said his mom cried when Phillies fans gave him an ovation tonight in the midst of his struggles pic.twitter.com/UPxx5aVTJY
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 5, 2023
The Phillies had a runner on second base at the time, but there was no storybook ending to the at-bat: Turner lined out for the second out of the inning. He did have an RBI single later in the game, though Philadelphia walked away with a loss.
Still, it was a heartwarming moment in a challenging season for Turner. He has struggled to live up to expectations since signing an 11-year, $300 million contract in December, entering Friday night batting just .235 with 10 home runs and a .657 OPS.
Turner’s .290 on-base percentage ranks 25th among 32 shortstops with at least 250 plate appearances this season, and he has heard boos from fans, even with the Phillies winning their way into the postseason picture.
The idea of a standing ovation was promoted on social media after a booted ground ball by Turner led to a Phillies loss to the Marlins on Wednesday. He also went 1 for 15 at the plate in the series.
MORE: Phillies’ Trea Turner offers honest take on early season struggles: ‘I’ve sucked’
I know he’s making $300 million so it’s unpopular to say that you feel bad for the guy but I legitimately feel bad for Trea Turner.
Postgame interview was a tough watch, he’s in the cages until midnight. Just think he’s lost.
A standing O on Friday would go a long way IMO.
— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) August 3, 2023
Turner took complete responsibility after the game, telling reporters, “I feel like, obviously, I’m the reason why we lost that game.” He sounded frustrated and exhausted, which led some fans to take up the effort of organizing an ovation to show they still have his back.
If Turner has a late-season run in him, maybe Friday’s show of support could be the spark.
