Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner made an undisclosed financial contribution to the team’s advertising campaign in order to send a thank you message to fans on seven local billboards. They simply read, “Thank you, Philly,” a message Turner felt was necessary after fans cheered him on through a profound slump at the plate.
“I think it was nice to get the message out there and say thank you,” Turner said Monday. “I said it in interviews and whatnot, but I think it was just another nice gesture.”
After a rough start to his first season in Philadelphia, Turner began receiving unexpected support from fans at Citizen Bank Park. Instead of characteristic boos or disinterested quiet, he received standing ovations before several at-bats last Friday. The following day, Turner hit a go-ahead three-run home run to lift Philadelphia past the Royals.
With a feel-good moment with the team under his belt, Turner felt obligated to make a reciprocating act of gratitude for the city.
“I feel like when you’re younger, you don’t think about things like that,” Turner said about the billboards. “You’re just kind of living the dream or trying to play baseball and whatnot. As you get older, you start to see what’s important. I’d never done anything to that magnitude.”
If Turner returns to form in the second half of the season, it would be a much-needed improvement for the Phillies, currently 61-51 and holding a slight lead in the NL Wild Card standings. The team’s offense is succeeding thanks to elite hitting from the likes of Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott, and in spite of Kyle Schwarber, the former star currently hitting .182.
With Philadelphia’s shortstop back on the right track, it is still unlikely that the team can do anything to topple the Braves within the NL East. The Phillies can do plenty more to secure a postseason berth, however, and build upon their surprise trip to the World Series last season.
