What Would Hollins Do?

By Amy McCormick

We’ve all seen the 1993 – 2011 comparisons; it’s hard to avoid them, really.  I’d like to explore what the 2011 team should take from that infamous team.

If you read the books (such as More Than Beards, Bellies and Biceps: the Story of the 1993 Phillies by Robert Gordon), they take you back.  If you watch the DVDs, they make you laugh.  The mullets, huge wads of tobacco, and attitude that was written all over their faces all said one thing: We represent Philadelphia, and if you don’t like it, then it’s your own fucking problem.

The ’93 Phils embodied their fanbase.  Fans could relate to those players on different levels; Fregosi’s crew didn’t pretend to be anything but authentic.  They represented the blue collar working class who rushed home from a long day with two things on their mind: Phillies baseball and beer, not necessarily in that order. 

We’re all familiar with the missteps some of the ’93 players saw in their personal lives, and there’s no need to rehash them.  Back then, we surely cared more about what happened on the field. 

What can the current team extract from the rough-around-the-edges team from 1993?  If you ask me, it’s not something that can be quantified.  It’s all about attitude.  Although there were some real characters, I want to look at Dave Hollins (and, more specifically, his attitude).  I’m not saying that Polanco is the only player who should take notes – and it should be noted that Polly is also an All-Star third baseman with a nearly identical batting average in 2011, so save the hate mail, please.

I’m also not criticizing any players, past or present … I’d rather look at how different the game is now.  In 2011, players are trained on media relations, and it shows.  You’ll hear “(Insert opposing team’s name here) is a great team” regularly.  It’s funny to hear Hollins reflect on his feelings about Atlanta eighteen years ago.  “I hated the Braves, never liked them from day one,” he said.  “They acted like they were better than us, like they didn’t belong on the same field as us.  I would purposely try and crowd the plate just to show them I wasn’t gonna back down from them.”

Apparently, Hollins told Greg Maddux off the field, “Listen, if you ever hit me or one of my teammates again, I’m going to kill you.” I wonder how Hollins would have reacted during the Phils-Giants melee from a few weeks ago ….

If we look at our current team, we see finesse.  When I asked him to describe our current team in just one word, my friend Collin said, “Pitching.” That word isn’t just accurate – it also denotes control, and this team has owned MLB all season because of it.  Collin chose the word “dirty” for the 1993 team, and I have to agree, but maybe not for the reason that you think.  That group of guys took nothing for granted, didn’t play complacently, and were never afraid to fight for it.  Obviously, the ’11 team is doing a lot of things right.  They’re not 41 games over .500 by accident.  I’m just saying that I’d like to see that 1993 roughness around the edges once in awhile (cue “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor). 

I’ll leave you with my favorite John Kruk quote of all time.  “I’d rather fight Mike Tyson without his medication than fight Dave Hollins.” Enough said.