ST. LOUIS -- The Phillies traded for J.T. Realmuto in February believing they were getting a top-flight catcher. He has lived up to the billing.
Not only has Realmuto thrived in the middle of the Phillies' batting order, but he has shown leadership and attention to detail in his pregame scouting and in-game pitch-calling.
That was evident after the Phillies’ 6-0 loss to the Cardinals on Monday night. Starter Vince Velasquez gave up three homers, two of which came after he shook off Realmuto.
Manager Gabe Kapler was impressed with the way Realmuto handled the situation after the game, talking to Velasquez in the clubhouse instead of reacting in the heat of the moment.
“I thought J.T.’s observations were spot on, and I’m really glad that he illuminated what he illuminated,” Kapler said before Tuesday’s game. “It’s nice to have veterans in the clubhouse that can address that -- address something like he addressed last night -- and as sensitively as he did, with a lot of awareness and a lot of accuracy. And I think Vince did exactly what he should have done, which was acknowledge that that was the case. It’s really helpful when those guys handle those sorts of things in the clubhouse.”
Realmuto said after the game that it was the first time he and Velasquez had trouble navigating opposing hitters together.
“It definitely affected the game,” Realmuto said Monday night. “It’s surprising. I don’t really know, just for some reason we couldn’t get on the same page tonight.”
The Phillies employed a community approach in dealing with the issue. Realmuto, Kapler, pitching coach Chris Young and others discussed it with Velasquez on Monday night and again Tuesday.
Velasquez has been receptive to the feedback.
“He came to the ballpark today ready to work,” Kapler said. “Last night, after the game … in his postgame comments, I think he was objective and direct and accountable.”
Kapler believes the way the situation was handled, by Realmuto and everyone else, highlights the neighborhood leadership philosophy.
“We make decisions as a team,” Kapler said. “A lot of collaboration happens. And when there is a communication error, and we don’t get the communication right, it falls on all of our shoulders -- mine, absolutely. The one thing I don’t want this to turn into is, how can one person steer the ship? That’s not what’s happening here. We’re doing it as a group, and we’re having conversations as a group, and guiding and leading as a group.”
Phillies to recognize honorary bat girl
The Phillies named Andy Sealy as their honorary bat girl as part MLB’s “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer” initiative.
Sealy, 39, was chosen in recognition of her efforts in spreading awareness for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). She will take the field as the team’s bat girl on Sunday, May 19, when the Phillies host the Rockies at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Sealy, from Sharon Hill, Pa., made national news in 2017 by hosting a “goodbye party for her breasts” after she found out she had breast cancer and needed a double mastectomy. Following the surgery, she learned the cancer had spread, and was diagnosed with incurable Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, which has led her to become an advocate for those battling MBC.
“I speak out on my disease as often as I can,” Sealy said in a statement. “Statistics say my median life span is three years. I don’t follow statistics …never have! I am no longer working, but I am grateful for every breath. This is my NEW NORMAL. THIS is metastatic breast cancer.”
For the first time since the Honorary Bat Girl program’s inception in 2009, MLB has partnered with CrowdRise by GoFundMe to host a fundraising contest for each of the Honorary Bat Girls to benefit Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) and Susan G. Komen. The winner of the contest will receive a trip to the 2019 World Series. MLB will donate all funds from the contest to SU2C and Komen.