It’s a given that everyone who has a rooting interest in the Philadelphia Phillies appreciates the daily effort and gaudy numbers that Jayson Werth has been putting up since joining the team, and I kind of figured that the feeling was mutual, but I never really knew.

Until today.

ESPN.com writer Jerry Crasnick (sorry, I couldn’t confirm whether or not he is a “senior writer”) wrote an informative little piece today spotlighting the All-Star right fielder, and if it’s at all possible, I think like the guy even more now.  Check out some of the choice quotes from the article, starting with the moment that Jayson Werth knew — for lack of a better term — that the Philly fans were the shit, yo:

Werth can’t recall the precise sequence and declines to identify the player who engaged him in conversation. But he was standing at second base when an unnamed Tampa Bay Ray sidled up and asked a question that told him all he needed to know about Philadelphia’s impact on opposing psyches.

“One of their infielders came up to me and said, ‘Do you like it here?’” Werth recalls. “He was so distraught in the middle of the game about the people in this town, and I knew then that we had them.

“They were so rattled, because they didn’t feel like they could even walk down the street. They were uncomfortable just being in Philadelphia. Look at Evan Longoria — he didn’t get a hit the whole World Series. [Longoria actually went 1-for-20.] I’m not saying it’s because of what the fans did. But I’m not saying it wasn’t, either.”

Since you’re being so modest, Jayson, I’ll go ahead and say it for you:  it was.

Honestly though, if you are to believe Jayson’s anecdote (and I certainly have no reason not to), that’s pretty good work by the Philly fan to have an opposing player so rattled (in the middle of a World Series game, mind you) that he asks a guy on the Phillies if he likes it here.

I’ll bet you any amount of money it was that pussy Zobrist character.

It’s not like Werth didn’t have any idea how the fans would embrace this team if they won it all, though.  A wise man once told Jayson that if they could bring home a ‘chip for the city, they would own the cot damn place:

“It’s like Pat Burrell told me: ‘If we can win here, it’ll be better than anywhere,’” Werth says.

Miss you, Burrell!

At the end of the article, Werth gives some friendly advice to fans this year and implores them to stay the same.

Basically, ain’t nothing changed but the year it is. I think he wants to send you a reminderrr — here it is:

Werth appreciates the support, but a small piece of him misses the pre-World Series Phillies die-hards, who seemed desperate and just a little edgier.

“I don’t want to say they’ve gone soft after winning it, because I don’t think they have,” Werth says. “But they might have to be reminded. I don’t want them to change. I want them to stay hungry and be the same fans who helped us win it last year.”

Werth wants the crowds in Philly to know that he hasn’t changed one bit. He’s as motivated as ever, and perfectly comfortable stepping in the box with the game on the line.

Werth packing plenty of punch for Phils | ESPN

Photo courtesy of R. Bradley Maule at PhillySkyline

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