A frustrating 6-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday has officially put the Phillies near the brink. Trailing in the Wild-Card race by 4.5 games, which can grow to five by the end of Monday, the team is unofficially done, as fans have given up hope and turned their attention to football season. Attendance has been lousy, and rightfully so.
Perhaps the attendance woes result from the front office coming out two weeks before the trade deadline and saying “if we don’t, we don’t” regarding the team’s playoff hopes. Why should paying customers come to see the team play when the front office doesn’t seem to care about the product?