NY Mets legend Keith Hernandez: "The Phillies made a lot of good moves at the deadline to get this club going in the right direction"
Keith Hernandez was caught in a storm back in August after he told SNY network executives that he "hates playing Philly games."
“They never seem to disappoint,” Hernandez told play-by-play man Gary Cohen. “As far as fundamentally, defensively, the Phillies have always just not up to it.”
Phillies broadcast is using a “Keith Hernandez approved” graphic when the team makes a good play because the Mets broadcaster said he doesn’t like watching them play 😭
(via @NBCSPhilly) https://t.co/312AyGvlLC
"Phillies broadcast is using a “Keith Hernandez approved” graphic when the team makes a good play because the Mets broadcaster said he doesn’t like watching them play" - Jomboy Media, Twitter
The Phillies have however turned the former Mets first baseman’s head around with their terrific run to the World Series. They are a team that has shadowed their defensive lapses from early in the season with a polished second half both defensively and offensively. Leading to Hernandez giving them a shout out during the NLCS.
In an interview with the Post before Game 3 of the World Series, the Mets icon admitted that the Astros and Phillies are evenly matched. He credited the team's hierarchy for breathing life into the team.
He credited Dave Dombrowski in particular for some shrewd business.
“I think he made the right moves to improve the club defensively,” Hernandez said from his home in Florida, where he is recovering from September shoulder surgery. “If you are going to win you have got to be strong up the middle and they are defensive.
“Their corner infielders and corner outfielders are not good defensively, but they improved their defense up the middle and they also improved their bullpen. The Phillies made a lot of good moves at the deadline to get this club going in the right direction,” the Mets legend went on to say.
The Phillies’ 1-2-3 rotation punch of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez has fascinated Hernandez so much that he can even see them capturing the World Series.
Keith Hernandez confesses his support for the Phillies this season
Keith Hernandez has been caught rooting for the Phillies despite them being cross-division rivals. He remains strong in the fact that he supports his division over anything, so NL representatives in the World Series are his go-to, and being from the east is an added bonus.
“I’m a National League guy,” Hernandez said. “My feeling is if guys go from my division, that makes our division look better -- ‘Hey, we’ve got the toughest division.' And it sure looks like that now.”
Because this postseason hasn’t been crazy enough already, Keith Hernandez is officially on the #Phillies bandwagon https://t.co/IDAOTdK51s
"Because this postseason hasn’t been crazy enough already, Keith Hernandez is officially on the #Phillies bandwagon" - D.J. Short, Twitter
“That was all just a joke,” he said, laughing. “I’ll be in Philly. It’s important that the three of us do the divisional games.”