The Ethics of Tanking

During last night’s series opener against the New York Mets, a brief debate emerged on Twitter about the ethics of tanking. It’s no secret that the Phillies had no designs of being a winning team in 2015, and though no one involved with the team will openly admit it, every loss has been good for the Phillies as it has nudged them closer and closer to the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Someone tweeted a complaint at Kevin Cooney, the Phillies’ beat writer for the Bucks County Courier Times, because the Phillies appeared to be playing with an intent to win Tuesday’s game. Kevin responded:

Does getting the first or second pick matter that much? Let's not go overboard. t.co/lyEVpl5UaN

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