Over in Japan’s NPB, every team has a new slogan for the season. The slogans set out the team’s hopes, goals, and attitude. They hype the fans up. They’re fun. Thanks to the nature of the Japanese language, there’s also fun tricks to be had with the slogans, too: for example, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yomiuri Giants both have the slogan “Zenshin”, but with different kanji characters and thus, different meanings.
Due to the limitations of the English language, the Phillies can’t quite pull off
that trick. But they can still have a great slogan. Here are some suggestions.
Run It Back?
Many Phillies fans consider this year’s largely similar lineup to be an example of running it back. Rob Thomson disagrees, and surely some fans do too. Any attempt to pick a side here would result in controversy. So why choose? This slogan lets you, the fan, decide whether or not the 2026 Phils are running it back. It also gives you, the fan, some wiggle room. If the Phillies win it all this year, you can say you meant it affirmatively. And if they fall short, you can say you meant it facetiously.
Bryce Harper is(n’t) Elite
Dave Dombrowski’s remark about Bryce Harper not putting up an elite performance last year clearly got Harper’s dander up. That sort of motivation can really prompt a turnaround. Imagine Braves and Mets fleeing in terror as a rage-fueled Harper sends screaming line drives right at them. But it would be overdoing things to make “Harper isn’t elite” the team’s slogan; that sort of motivation isn’t needed when he’s playing well. So the team can put “Bryce Harper Isn’t Elite” in lights above Citizens Bank Park, then turn the “n’t” on or off as needed. Motivation on demand!
With Age Comes Wisdom
The Phillies aren’t decrepit, but they’re an older bunch. The Daycare is now in their late twenties. This slogan would be a reminder that the greater experience that comes with age can be a real boon for a team. And hey, Patrick Wisdom is a free agent. Brand synergy opportunity?
Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren
If you can’t come up with anything original for a Philly sports slogan or alternate jersey design, you can always rely on old faithful: the Declaration of Independence, a Philadelphia original. Bad news, though: nearly every line in the thing has already been taken as a slogan by one team or another at one point or another. We checked, and the only line untaken is “nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren”. Which doesn’t work very well as a slogan. It’s no “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. But Team USA and her Phillies representatives are about to take on Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic, so maybe there’s an opportunity there?
It’s Lit Like Schmidt
The kids like to say “lit”, right? Though, they seem to have moved on to “67” (and while we could give one of the Phillies’ stars that jersey number as a promo to draw in the youth, it seems terribly unfair to the player who will be forced to do the accompanying hand motion ad nauseam). Nothing drives the youth away faster than outdated slang. But perhaps that could be a selling point: use cringe slang of yesterday to keep the meme-loving youth away, so that adults made grouchy by endlessly hearing social media slang can have the ballpark as a place of respite. Down in front!
Go Birds
It doesn’t fit, but let’s be honest: people are going to say it anyway.
