Major League Baseball

Phillies GM rips team's fans: 'They don't understand the game'

Published May. 26, 2015 2:38 p.m. ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies are once again one of the worst teams in baseball, and their general manager has apparently grown tired of the fans for getting on his case about it.

When asked on Monday if the team is planning to trade any of its veterans and potentially bring up pitching prospects Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin, Ruben Amaro Jr. was quick to point out that the Phillies are not going to rush either player. He then expressed frustration with the fans.

“They don’t understand the game,” Amaro said, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “They don’t understand the process. There’s a process. And then they b---h and complain because we don’t have a plan. There’s a plan in place and we’re sticking with the plan. We can’t do what’s best for the fan. We have to do what’s best for the organization so the fan can reap the benefit of it later on. That’s the truth.”

Amaro’s overall point was that the team will not be making rash decisions during what is sure to be a third consecutive losing season. However, it is pretty rare for front-office executives — especially ones in demanding cities like Philadelphia — to call out fans like that.

On Tuesday, Amaro backpedaled a bit during an interview with Howard Eskin on the 94WIP Morning Show.

“I didn’t say they don’t understand,” he explained. “Some fans don’t understand, it’s not all Philadelphia fans. That was not the purpose of it. It is some fans who think that bringing Eflin and Nola, for instance, to the major leagues at this time is the right thing for the organization. It’s those fans that really quite don’t know — or bringing young minor league players to the major leagues before it’s time for them to really be ready to reap the benefits of being in the major leagues. It’s those fans that really don’t understand.”

And just prior to Tuesday's game against the Mets, Amaro apologized for his comments:

“Obviously it’s caused a bit of a firestorm in Philly,” Amaro began Tuesday afternoon. “The first thing I wanted to say about the comments I made is, one, I’d like to apologize to the fans. I’m a fan myself. I understand the passion and the knowledge that our fans have for our game and the other major sports, all the other sports in Philly. The comments weren’t meant to disparage our fans by any stretch of the imagination. I probably used my words incorrectly or poorly. I want to apologize for that. 

“When (I was asked) about our club and the organization and some of the things that we’re doing with some of our young players, listen, I’m as excited about seeing these guys, the (Aaron) Nolas, the (Zach) Eflins, the (Roman) Quinns, and some of the other players who are having a lot of success right now and many of them. I’m as excited about seeing them in the big leagues as anybody else. But there’s a process they have to go through. There’s a process and a plan in place. And I think that was more of the point. 

“I understand why the fans would want … because we’re not having a ton of success at the Major League level right now, why the fans would want to see these guys. But I think it’s incumbent upon the organization to make sure we do it at the right time and do it with the right plan in place. I will say this, if the fans are as excited about seeing these guys as I am, we’re one of those situations with the exception of Clearwater, they can go see these guys. Lakewood, there’s (Carlos) Tocci … there’s guys obviously in Reading. They’re not that far down the street. They’re close. They want to get a glimpse before they get to the big leagues there’s an opportunity to do that. And in Lehigh Valley when eventually some of these guys will be there at the appropriate time. It’s important for us to make sure that we don’t get … I get antsy about bringing the guys from Double-A to the major leagues. I got antsy about (Ken) Giles last year. I got antsy about a lot of guys. We also have to be at the tip of that, and try to make the right baseball decisions for the player and for the organization moving forward. I think that was kind of the gist of the conversation I was having and I used my words poorly.”

Amaro has been known to say things in the heat of the moment that he regrets — just ask Ryan Howard. He should know by now that the fans are not going to stop complaining until the Phillies start winning games. If Amaro can’t handle that, he’s working in the wrong city.

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