Phillies reminisce on past postseason clinchers as another celebration nears: ‘Every year, it gets better’
PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies could become the first team this year to clinch a division title on Sunday. The magic number to win the NL East is 1. All the Phillies need is a win or a Mets loss.
Since snapping the franchise’s 11-year postseason drought in 2022, the Phillies have held eight beer-soaked, dizzying regular season and postseason clinching celebrations in the clubhouse. The last six have come at home inside the Phillies clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park.
On typical days, boxes pile and players wander in and out as they visit their locker in between training room visits, film study and batting practice sessions. When the Phillies clinch either a postseason berth, division title or postseason series win, the clubhouse transforms into the most exclusive nightclub in town.
With a quick toast from Rob Thomson to begin the night, players uncork champagne and douse teammates in endless amounts of Budweiser as music blasts from speakers. All it takes is 45 minutes of dancing, drinking, swearing and cigar smoking to destroy the most sacred space in the ballpark. Thanks to the hard-working clubhouse staff who typically parties with the players they work with, order is restored in a matter of hours. Hungover players typically arrive the next day with the room intact.
A seventh straight home celebration seemed improbable at the beginning of the week, when the magic number to clinch the division was 13. It’s down to 1 thanks to a stunning Phillies surge and Mets collapse.
The Phillies can taste it.
“There’s nothing like celebrating with your teammates after a hard fought year, going through the ups and downs of the season and understanding what the ultimate goal is as a team,” Bryce Harper told Phillies Nation. “Obviously, winning the division is just the start of something greater.”
Maybe not Harper, a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who abstains from drinking alcohol. Each player is entitled to one bottle of champagne to enjoy and spray around the room. Harper opts for a non-alcoholic Martinelli’s sparking cider.
But that doesn’t stop the superstar first baseman from being at the center of it all. After beating the Atlanta Braves and clinching a second straight National League Championship Series appearance in 2023, a shirtless Harper pumped his fist in the air and sang along to “Dixieland Delight,” an old school favorite on the Phillies’ ever evolving postgame playlist added with Alabama native David Robertson in mind in 2022.
In that same celebration, then rookie Orion Kerkering was spotted wearing a, “Attaboy Harper” t-shirt in reference to Orlando Arcia taunting Harper out loud for making the final out on the bases in Game 2 of the 2023 NLDS. Harper responded by hitting two home runs in Game 3 and staring down Arcia as he rounded second base.
Kerkering asked Harper to sign the t-shirt. He has it stowed away at home in a memorabilia box that also includes signed World Series balls from Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw and a custom knife hook engraved with Craig Kimbrel’s signature stance given out by Kimbrel to teammates in 2023 in honor of his 400th career save.
The now 24-year-old has accumulated a lifetime of memories in just two years. He rose from Single-A to the big leagues in his first full professional season.
“My first big league win, we popped bottles,” Kerkering said.
For Phillies players who have been around to enjoy most of the eight clinching celebrations, it’s hard to pinpoint a moment that stands above the rest.
“I feel like they all run together,” Brandon Marsh said.
There’s Alec Bohm doing a keg stand after winning the Wild Card round against the Marlins in 2023 — and mistakenly hitting a cigar like a blunt after clinching the NL East in 2024.
There’s Nick Castellanos giving his teammates the right ring finger in 2023 — and singing Lil Wayne’s “I’m Me” in front of numerous television cameras after Game 5 of the NLCS in 2022.
Marsh pointed to a spot in the center of the Phillies clubhouse where the chip and putter is out and recalled his former teammate Jake Cave in 2023 standing there, reciting every word to an Eminem song.
“That was the ish,” Marsh said.
Bryson Stott, who likes to wear football and hockey helmets to protect his eyes from the burn, is fond of the pennant clincher in 2022.
“Felt like it was five hours long,” Stott said.
Harper’s favorite celebration is — of course — “the next one.”
It would be hard not to mention Garrett Stubbs, affectionately known as the team’s “Chief Vibes Officer,” stuffing more than a dozen beer bottles into a pair of overalls. Stubbs, recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after rosters were expanded to 28 on Sept. 1, curated the “Phils Win” playlist in 2022 that became the soundtrack to these celebrations.
That has evolved over the years. Calum Scott and Tiësto’s cover of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” is no longer the rallying cry it once was. Stubbs and Kyle Schwarber last year teamed up with local DJs the Armentani Bros to create a “Winners Win” mix featuring songs from the previous “Phils Win” playlist along with new tunes the players enjoy. This year, the Phillies after wins have reverted back to playing songs from a private Spotify playlist.
When Stubbs was asked to recall his favorite memories from past postgame parties, his mind went to the moments on the field that led to celebrations off the field.
“(Harper’s) home run. Bedlam at the Bank,” Stubbs said. “That same game, listening to Ranger’s walk-out song for him to come out and close the game to send us to the World Series. Stott’s (grand slam) against Miami. Things like that, I think more in-game stuff sticks out to me more than the postgame celebrations.”
Does it ever get old? The answer amongst the group is a resounding no.
“I don’t think it can get any better, but every year, it gets better,” Marsh said.
“With 162 games, it’s hard to make the playoffs,” Stott said. “So each one, I think, gets better, in my opinion.”
There is some regret that last year’s division-winning campaign only produced one postgame celebration. For as riveting as those celebrations are, the lasting image of players packing up, patting each other on the back and saying goodbye after three straight years of coming up short and the pain it produces is what ultimately motivates the Phillies as October nears.
“We haven’t finished with one yet,” Harper said. “I’m excited to hopefully have the opportunity to finish the year on one in November and try to extend that party a couple days on to Broad Street.”
Phillies Nation’s Ty Daubert contributed to this story.