Philadelphia Phillies: Pat Neshek and his “everyman” personality perfect for Philly

Pat Neshek only spent a brief few months with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017. He’s back now, seemingly ready to help them win more and become a fan-favorite.

There aren’t many professional athletes out there like Pat Neshek. A known collector of autographed baseball cards, he’s one of the most popular “common man” personalities in MLB. Philadelphia Phillies fans will get to see a whole lot more of it this season. The match seems too perfect.

I remember meeting Pat Neshek many years ago when he was in Double-A with the Minnesota Twins. At the time, I was a teenager who obsessed over collecting autographed baseball cards. Neshek wasn’t anything special in my eyes. He was just “that guy who had the same hobby as me.” As a sixth-round draft pick destined for a relief role, there wasn’t too much hype.

I barely recall our encounter outside of Waterfront Park in Trenton, New Jersey. It didn’t stand out as anything memorable.

As years went on and social media became a platform for athletes to interact with fans, I regretted this missed connection. A foolish thought, what if Neshek and I were meant to become best buddies?

What could I offer Neshek? Well, if I’m like many of the fans he talks with regularly, I could always make a trade with him.

Neshek regularly makes trades with fellow autograph collectors. Whether he’s moving his own signature or one in his personal collection for something, he’s an active participant in creating fans for life. He runs his own website and never seems to hesitate when it comes to responding to fans on Twitter honestly.

Philadelphia is a city that appreciates athletes like this. After all, it’s where Rocky Balboa became a star.

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More recently and reality-based, the city has embraced “normal” guys like Connor Barwin, Chris Long, and Jon Dorenbos of the Philadelphia Eagles. The city also loves NBA star Joel Embiid for more than his skills on the court. It’s his fun-loving personality and availability to the fans that make him so beloved.

Neshek has everything going for him. He chose Philadelphia at a time when not many other players would. After the year he had in 2017, his options were open to far more than a rebuilding squad.

For Neshek, the 2017 campaign included a 1.59 ERA over the course of 62.1 innings. While with the Phillies, he was 3-2 with a 1.12 ERA. He saw his ERA rise only slightly with the Colorado Rockies. In their uniform, Neshek went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA.

Philadelphia sports fans are smart. It takes a combination of sports talent and an everyman attitude to win them over. Neshek regularly shows the public how ordinary he is. Which, oddly enough, is abnormal for professional athletes.

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Had Neshek spent his entire career in Philadelphia, you better believe a decade from now they’d put him on the Wall of Fame. Instead, Phillies fans only get to wonder “what if” with him. Neshek graced his presence in many MLB cities over the years. No one got too greedy. Now it’s Philadelphia’s turn to make the most of it.