The band is back together, but this time in a different setting.
Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino all have come together on the golf course as part of the annual American Century Championship charity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe.
Utley and Victorino even chatted about the challenges facing players in the unique 2020 season.
With less than two weeks left until opening day, there still remains a big question regarding the 2020 season; will the players abide by the MLB’s Health and Saftey protocols that have been put into place to bring down the curve of COVID-19 cases?
Habits like spitting, finger-licking and throwing the ball around the horn after a strikeout, just to name a few, will be prohibited this year.
The former Phillies second baseman told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark that despite these protocols being put into place, he doesn’t expect the actual playing of the game to change.
“Obviously protocols in the dugout and clubhouse are what they are but once you’re on the field, you’re going to play baseball,” Utley said. “I imagine nothing is going to change in that aspect.”
To open up the season, there also will be no fans allowed to cheer on their favorite team.
There is no question that a contributing factor to the Phillies’ success from 2007 to 2012 came from their fans packing in Citizens Bank Park to its fullest. There was that 257 consecutive regular-season game sellout streak from 2009 to 2012.
Players from that era have expressed how fans pushed them to improve their game, Victorino included.
“To have 40,000 plus every single night, I fed off the adrenaline of the fans,” Victorino told Clark. “We are where we are but the I think the game itself is where it is and the athletes today have to make an adjustment. Hopefully, it is a short term thing in 2020 and (in) 2021 they are able to go back out there and fill the seats and watch the games that we love.”
The Phillies are scheduled to head down to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Nationals in an exhibition game next Saturday at 6:05 p.m.
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