The Phillies have some some new graphics decorating the walls of their spring training facility, but one phrase is causing Mets fans to scratch their heads.
Todd Zolecki, the Phillies beat reporter for MLB.com, took some photos of the newly decorated hallways leading to the clubhouse at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Fla. The new graphics, featuring slugger Ryan Howard holding the Commissioner's Trophy over his head after the Phillies' 2008 World Series win, look sharp.
There's just one thing that stood out:
Yes, that’s the immortal phrase uttered by former Phillies reliever Tug McGraw, who is also featured on the graphic. It was McGraw who earned the final out in the Phillies’ 1980 World Series win, the team’s first championship, by striking out Kansas City Royals outfielder Willie Wilson.
One problem: McGraw coined that phrase while a member of the New York Mets.
During the 1973 season, the Mets clawed their way out of last place, largely because of the spark provided by McGraw and his popular phrase. "Ya gotta believe" became a rallying cry for the Mets and their fans from late August all the way to the World Series, which they lost in seven games to the Oakland Athletics.
Tyler Kepner, a national baseball writer for the New York Times, said Mets fans made a “fair point” about the use of the phrase by the Phillies. He also pointed out something about the particular photo of McGraw that the Phillies used in the graphic.
Mets fans online pounced on the new graphics. The 7 Line, a popular Mets website, tweeted out an altered photo of the Phillies wall featuring McGraw as a Met, complete with the “Ya gotta believe” slogan.
McGraw did resurrect the slogan during the Phillies’ 1980 World Series win, and the phrase appears twice on a plaque dedicated to him that hangs in the Phillies bullpen.
But the words lacked the impact for the Phillies that they had for the Mets and the city of New York during the summer of 1973. The phrase was also brought back by Phillies fans during the team's 2008 World Series run, which garnered some ridicule from several New York sports writers, including former New York Daily News columnist Bill Price.
“Yes, the late McGraw coined the phrase and was a great Phillie,” Price wrote. “But any real baseball fan will tell you 'Ya Gotta Believe' is a McGraw/Met thing, not a McGraw thing that can be transferred from one franchise to another.”
