John Middleton believes you ‘shouldn’t be an owner’ if you’re unwilling to be held accountable by fans

Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton spoke with Todd Zolecki of MLB.com and expressed his view of the responsibilities he holds to give fans and the City of Brotherly Love a championship-contending product.

John Middleton: Phils ‘accountable’ to fans, city

“This is why it’s important to go out and sign people like Bryce Harper, why you pay Zack Wheeler $40-plus million a year for three years,” Middleton said. “It’s because this is how the fans react. It’s important to them. They appreciate it. They recognize it. I love that. I have other owners who look at me and say, ‘We don’t get this.’ … It’s remarkable how special this city is as a fan base.

“It’s why I keep telling everybody, it may be a privately-held business that we own, but it’s not a private organization. It’s a very public organization. It’s a stewardship. We have an obligation. We are accountable to the fans and to the city. If you don’t approach it that way, you shouldn’t be an owner in my opinion.” [Todd Zolecki via MLB.com]

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John Middleton gets it.

I understand that the Phillies don’t have the winning pedigree of Jeffery Lurie and the Philadelphia Eagles but the accountability, spending “stupid money”, the organizational effort to produce a championship contender, media availability, and the transparency of how the Phillies operate make John Middleton a clear number one in the ongoing, pointless debate of best ownership in the city. 

How many owners in Major League Baseball are walking the concourse and having full blown conversations with fans?

John Middleton does it constantly. I’ve experienced it myself and there are countless examples of him partying with fans in the 300 Level, handing out baseballs, and interacting with any fan that crosses paths with him in the Citizens Bank Park concourse. 

I mean, how cool is John Middleton. pic.twitter.com/iihY2b8dsX

— Taryn Hatcher (@TarynNBCS) October 5, 2023

Last season, I was in the Diamond Club with a friend who’s unfortunately a New York Mets fan. His family grew up in Queens so we’ll allow it. Middleton approached him in the restroom while he was washing up and had a full blown conversation about the NL East, my friend’s Mets ties, his family, and his experience at Citizens Bank Park. 

During the NLCS in 2022, my brother bought a ticket for Standing Room Only and while I was trying (and failing) to track him down from my seats, he sent me a picture of him and Middleton chatting it up in the concourse. 

Point being – Middleton is everywhere. He understands the city of Philadelphia and what fans expect from the product he puts on the field every year. It goes unnoticed and ultimately unappreciated because it’s something that almost every owner refuses to do within their own organization. 

The Phillies have a tough few weeks to close out August. They’ll be in Atlanta starting tomorrow night before heading to Kansas City. From there, the Houston Astros will head to The Bank on August 26th. 

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