Phillies protect full-time employees through October

The Philadelphia Phillies have stepped up for their employees, and will pay them through the end of October.

The Philadelphia Phillies, now generally considered a community good neighbor in the Delaware Valley, announced May 8 they would pay their full-time employees through the end of October, as was first reported by NBC Sports Philly.

Perhaps more important is the fact those employees keeping their jobs will also keep their health insurance for at least five months. The announcement was made by Phillies managing partner John Middleton.

More than 450 front office employees in Philadelphia, Clearwater, FL, and the Dominican Republic are apparently affected by the no-doubt welcomed gesture.

Last month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred suspended MLB uniform contracts, which gives teams the ability to furlough front office staff, as well as some coaches and scouts, but the Phillies will not do that for at least a while, and perhaps not at all.

Reportedly, several other teams have made similar pledges, including the San Diego Padres. The Fathers move protects more than 200 employees.

In announcing the Phillies plan to protect their full-time staff, Middleton wrote in a his May 8 letter to employees, “You have successfully transitioned to working remotely, you have given back to the community, you have engaged with our fans, you have partnered with our sponsors and you have prepared for a virtual draft. Above all else, you have supported each other.”

In that letter Middleton reiterated his April 17 statement in another letter to staff that he believes baseball, in some form, will be played in 2020.

As most baseball fans know, at least two plans to start the MLB season have been leaked to the press, one involving play in only Florida and Arizona “leagues,” and another involving play in three re-configured, regional divisions, but lately there has also been talk of play in teams’ regular divisions and home stadiums as much as possible.

Phillies fans, it is assumed, would not mind if the team played on the moon as long as TV broadcasts of the games were available as soon as possible.