With NL East title secured, the Philadelphia Phillies understand the assignment: World Series trophy

The echoing sound of 50-some popping corks filled the room, like a bag of Orville Redenbacher reaching readiness.

Minutes after the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs to secure their first NL East title in 13 years, the players had gathered in a massive circle in the clubhouse. Most sported ski goggles to protect their eyes. All of them wore red shirts reading “WE OWN THE EAST.” In their eager hands, bottles of sparkling wine. There was not a champagne flute in sight.

In the center of it all stood manager Rob Thomson. As the 61-year-old addressed the group, congratulating the players on their accomplishment, hoots and hollers rang out from the impatient horde. Fingers hovered over open bottles, a series of volcanoes waiting to erupt, but there was one more person to acknowledge.

Thomson summoned the team’s principal owner, John Middleton, into the fray.

“Remember in spring training?” the typically stoic skipper reminded his team, his hand resting on Middleton’s shoulder. “The man said he wants his trophy back.”

Middleton, wearing the same “WE OWN THE EAST” shirt as the players, gestured toward the team he paid for and corrected Thomson.

“I want my f***ing trophy back.”

The volcano erupted. Booze flew every which way. Middleton, the richest man in a room of millionaires, disappeared into the carbonated haze, completely obscured by a torrential downpour of imitation champagne.

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

His message was not new. Far from it. Every member of this organization understands the assignment. A first NL East title since 2011 provided a reason to celebrate, but all the wine-soaked celebrants know that an October journey will mean little if it does not end with a World Series title.

That has become the standard in Philadelphia, an expectation Middleton helped establish by green-lighting free-agent contract after contract. The impact could be felt Monday night, all around the room and all season long. Home runs from J.T. Realmuto (5 years, $110 million) and Kyle Schwarber (4 years, $79 million) gave the Phillies an early lead. Six strong innings from Aaron Nola (7 years, $172 million) kept the Cubs’ offense at bay.

While parties such as the one Monday at Citizens Bank Park have begun to feel like an annual tradition for the Phillies, not much time has elapsed since this franchise carried the longest postseason drought in the National League. In fact, that streak was snapped less than two years ago, on Oct. 3, 2022. Since then, the Phillies, their fan base and their ballpark have all become main characters of MLB’s autumn tournament.

The roster continuity — eight of the 10 Phillies who started on Oct. 3, 2022, including Nola, were in the starting lineup for their 2024 clincher — has contributed to that narrative. It has also afforded this group consistency, which, alongside a barrage of injuries suffered by the Atlanta Braves, helped propel Philadelphia to a division title. The Phillies were rattled off the rails briefly by a midseason dip, but a late summer surge ensured the division crown.

That reliability was most apparent in the rotation, where the quartet of Nola, Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez started the overwhelming majority of games. That group is also the Phillies’ biggest advantage entering the October tournament. They are experienced, healthy and rolling, with the exception of Suárez, who has underwhelmed somewhat since returning from a back injury in August. Still, his postseason track record provides sufficient comfort.

The offense, as star-studded as it is, remains this club’s underbelly. In last year’s NLCS, the Phillies couldn’t stop chasing. Arizona noticed and attacked hitters such as Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner with a never-ending stream of breaking balls. The Diamondbacks used that strategy to upset the Phillies on their own turf, taking Games 6 and 7 to reach the World Series.

Amid all the revelrous moments in this NL-East-winning campaign, there have been regular reminders of last year’s undoing. Last week, the Phillies struck out 16 times in consecutive games, a franchise first. If they cannot limit the punchouts, another premature October exit is a real possibility.

But none of the imbibers was particularly concerned about that on Monday. There was too much to celebrate.

A division title over the 162-game marathon of the regular season is a true indicator of a team’s depth. October success involves much more chance. And so, anticipation, joy and a sense of unmistakable urgency loom over the City of Brotherly Love.

Middleton’s demand established the stakes; he might as well have said, “I need my f***ing trophy back.”