At the Vet, around 7:35 this Monday night, Aug. 9, as the Phils’ infield finishes warm-ups and an umpire calls out "play ball," 30,000–40,000 Phillies fans will be taking deep breaths, clearing their throats, swallowing last bites of soft pretzels and taking preparatory swigs of beer. They’ll be making sure their vocal chords are relaxed, ready to explode.
Moments later, barring an injury between now and then, as the leadoff hitter for the visiting St. Louis Cardinals is announced over the public address system, Veterans Stadium will become a hostile fire pit, unleashing the most vitriolic harangue in memory for a town not unknown for voicing its displeasure.
"J.D. Drew is really more of a symbol of what’s wrong with, I think, America today," Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell.
The reason for the boosted attendance over the Phillies average of around 20,000 is undoubtedly because of the Cards’ behemoth first sacker, Mark McGwire, at press time just two home runs shy of a milestone 500. It’s a mark which, with the aid of a minor power drought on his part, could be reached in Philadelphia.
But even the casual Phillies fan knows that the fella who’s been playing center field and anchoring the top of the St. Louis lineup is one J.D. Drew, erstwhile Phillies number-one draft pick and would-be free-agent draft dodger.
In 1997, the then-dismal Phils used the second pick in the draft to select Drew, one of the most highly touted college players in recent memory. As such, his agent felt Drew deserved one of the most lucrative contracts for an unproven player in recent memory.
After an embarrassing and picayune year-long contract dispute, during which Drew was demanding upwards of $8 million, the Phillies’ rights to negotiate with Drew expired. Drew went back into the draft, where he was promptly chosen and signed by the Cards for much less than he was asking from the Phils.
On Monday he steps to the plate in Philadelphia for the first time since the ugly affair. And there’s little doubt as to what Philly’s reaction will be.
Fans all the way up to Mayor Ed Rendell are looking at this series as a chance to vent some long-pent-up frustration and restore some civic pride.
"In once sense, I do [think Drew deserves to be booed] because what he did was wrong. This is a great place to play. The Phillies’ offer to him was generous," says the mayor. "J.D. Drew is really more of a symbol of what’s wrong with, I think, America today, where everybody’s out for themselves.… And J.D. Drew should look at Mark McGwire, who could have gotten a lot more money by signing with some teams other than the Cardinals. He was offered a lot more money but he turned it down because he liked his team, he liked his teammates and he liked the city."
The mayor, however, isn’t too sad that Drew never wore the pinstripes.
"I still think he’s going to be a very good player.… But I think it’s interesting, Pat Burrell [the player the Phillies took with their first pick the next year] has the potential to be a better player than J.D. Drew… and the only question is, ‘Could we have gotten both?’ and I’m not sure the Phillies could have afforded both."
Fans whose job requirements don’t list diplomacy have lashed out with a bit more vigor.
Fan posts on a message board on the Phillies Web site suggest everything from spirited booing to ignoring the scuffling player, from throwing rotten eggs and tomatoes to, no kidding, making him defecate in his drawers.
Matt Hotz, a 24-year-old statistical analyst from Glenside, said recently that he is "proud to live in the city that invented throwing D batteries at players on other teams" and thinks Drew is more deserving of a Duracell "than anyone who has ever set foot on the awful turf at the Vet.
"I hate him as much as a person can hate another person they’ve never met," explains Hotz of Drew, who’s currently batting a meager .260 or so. "I’ve never been more delighted by the failure of another human being than I have been by [his]."
As a former college football player who never made it to the pros, Tom Cavanaugh of Old City pizzeria The Onion Pie has particular disdain for Drew, whom he calls a "sellout."
"I work so hard in the pizza shop, I just get pissed at that type of attitude."
Despite the tense feelings of many fans, Phillies vice president of media relations Larry Shenk says the Vet will only step up security modestly. And the tightened reins are not for Drew, but to deal with the crowds McGwire tends to draw.
But why the hostility? Psychiatrist Richard N. Cohen, who knows a thing or two about angry folk, says athletes allow people to vent and "project angry feelings onto [them]."
"If somebody’s not hitting you over the head, why should you be so angry at them.… Probably they’re projecting some of their own anger for their own shortcomings in their lives onto this big super athlete.… If this guy does badly, the fans will feel good about themselves," explains Cohen.
Big Daddy Graham, an overnight host on WIP (610 AM) thinks the whole Drew thing is blown out of proportion. "J.D. Drew is just another business deal," the talkative Graham says. "Every day of the week there’s some bad sports deal.… That’s not why I follow sports. I follow sports to watch athletes do things that I can’t do. If I got bogged down in all the stupid-ass money side of it, I probably wouldn’t watch them anymore."
The Phillies themselves are playing the matter down, concentrating on a possible playoff race.
According to affable first baseman Rico Brogna, "I’m basically just happy for him that he’s been able to find his spot in the big leagues.… The team’s excited about [Pat] Burrell being [with the organization], so I think a lot of those things that happened last year have been forgotten."
But Brogna, who’s played in front of some of America’s most fickle fans for three years, is not naive. He agrees that even though the team may have put Drew behind them, the fans won’t be so quick to declare bygones. "Well, I think the crowd may have a little bit different reaction," he says, flashing a knowing grin. "The fans and the city were hurt a little bit and they might voice their displeasure with the way that whole situation went."
Rendell thinks that maybe this is just a necessary one-time deal. "Absolutely, do it [boo] once, get it out of our system, and go with it."
Besides, the Phillies, Drew or no, are playing some of the best ball this town’s seen since gritty guys with "D"names like Dykstra and Daulton were patrolling the Vet.
`I agree with you. I read the Salt script while it was still about a male - Edwin Salt. It's probably still online. It was very gripping and I didn't stop ` »
`I like to echo Todd's remarks on how this article comes across. This recession started with the flatlining of workers' wages across the board. The middle ` »
`Hey Isaiah
Thanks for this article and bringing attention to the very real and important struggle of the TWA. They are in a hard battle to win some ` »
`To bad the deev had a bad experience because mine was awesome. The pork belly buns are off the hook and can say by experience that they rival David Changs ` »
`Got a small, one topping pizza from them today. $13, which I think is a lot for a 12 inch pizza on South Street. It was pretty good. Can't say I would ` »
`Delicious baked goods, but SLOW and horrible service. Most people who work there seem confused and there is no coordination between workers. At peak ` »
`Ben H is not stylish, he looks at the pages of
urban outfitters. That is not style, that is just
being another hipster. He is a wanna-be, fake, and ` »
