Details on the Phillies intrasquad game, wagers, and trash talking today at Citizens Bank Park

It’s not often you get to see Phillies players go at each other, but this week, they’re lacing up for an intrasquad game in effort to “stay ready” for the NLDS – which will begin on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park against the the winner of the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers Wild Card series.

Phillies release start times for NLDS Games 1 and 2 >>

Yesterday, Dave Dombrowski spoke with the media and stated that the game should be competitive, with crowd noise bumping through the speakers at The Bank. Uncle Dave also mentioned that there will probably be a friendly wager between the two teams.

Side Note: Pete Rose is probably rolling over in his grave right now (lol) >>

Dave Dombrowski on Phillies’ Intrasquad Game

Dombrowski says the Phillies will play a full intra-squad game tomorrow and pump in crowd noise.

May or may not be a few wagers on it too. @SportsRadioWIP pic.twitter.com/Cyz8AbB0MU

— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) October 1, 2024

Details of the game were revealed from Alex Coffey over at The Inky. Check out the full article here. I summarized some of the good stuff below.

The teams are split between two captains. Trea Turner and Bryce Harper lead one team with Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto leading the other. No details on the wager placed between the two teams but there’s guaranteed to be a ton of trash talk.

Jeff Hoffman has been quick to embrace the smack talk, saying, “I’m maybe the leader of [the trash talk]. It’s not often where you get to lace ‘em up against your own guys. And when you’ve got a clubhouse as competitive and chatty as ours, it’s gonna get fun out there. I can’t wait to get them out so I can talk trash on the field.”

Brandon Marsh chimed in, joking that he might’ve been the last pick. “I’m just thankful to be here—just kidding.” But in all seriousness, this isn’t just a bunch of guys messing around. Nick Castellanos made it clear the team’s using this week to stay sharp ahead of their next big challenge, knowing they’ll face either the Mets or Brewers with everything on the line.

Still, that doesn’t mean the chirping is going to stop anytime soon. Schwarber, in particular, has already been complaining about having to face Ranger Suárez. “I thought I was done facing Ranger in my career,” Schwarber said. “Guess not. I think I’m 0-for-3 with three broken bats, so I’m definitely not looking forward to that.”

I absolutely love it. For a team that thrives on competitiveness and “clubhouse vibes”, this is the perfect way to keep the intensity up heading into game one of the NLDS on Saturday.

The biggest mistake made is Citizens Bank Park not including this in the Phillies Pep Rally activities and opening the gates for fans to watch. Talk about a missed opportunity.

Who wouldn’t want to see Harper and Schwarber talking shit and battling it out on the field?

Anyways. As Brandon Marsh said earlier this season, “Stay Loose, Stay Sexy” – and I’m happy to see the Phillies doing just that ahead of what should be another wild postseason run. Whatever it takes, ya know?

Red October: Phillies potential roster, lineups, rotation, and bullpen as they await the winner of the Brewers and Mets NL Wild Card Series >>

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