With Relief Room, a Fan Pays Tribute to Phillies Relievers

Baseball|When Nature Calls, Phillies Relievers Have a Place to Go

HATBORO, Pa. — It’s nan apical of nan ninth inning astatine Citizens Bank Park, and nan Philadelphia Phillies’ relievers are astatine it again. They person already blown 1 lead, pinch Jeurys Familia and Seranthony Domínguez giving up homers successful nan seventh. Now aft a comeback, nan crippled has unraveled pinch person Corey Knebel connected nan mound.

The Miami Marlins triumph it, 11-9, and from his surviving room sofa successful nan suburbs here, Matt Edwards sighs.

“Celebrating immoderate of these guys is really hard,” he said.

Indeed it is: The Phillies are nan only National League squad without a playoff quality successful nan past 10 years, and their bullpen is an yearly adventure. Nostalgia tin beryllium an enticing flight (beer helps, too), and cipher celebrates nan past rather for illustration Edwards, a 45-year-old telecommunications salesman pinch a wife, Cheryl, 2 young sons, a Great Dane — and a shrine successful his downstairs bath to retired Phillies alleviation pitchers.

“We’re highly alert that we weren’t 1 of nan 5 starters aliases immoderate of nan guys connected nan field,” said Chad Durbin, who spent 4 seasons arsenic a Phillies reliever. “But, you know, we had our moments. So erstwhile we’re remembered, we clasp it.”

Durbin logged 225 games for nan Phillies, postseason included, pinch a 4.07 earned tally average. He sounded for 5 different teams, but arsenic acold arsenic he knows, nary of their fans person his image successful their bathroom. As you mightiness guess, Durbin does not person a beingness astatine nan Hall of Fame successful Cooperstown, N.Y., either.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “But I do successful nan Relief Room.”