Philly Plain Dealer

Alec Bohm, once the beleaguered rookie who uttered words every Philadelphian has felt is now the city’s tall, long-haired, handsome hero. He has emerged as the best third baseman in the National League this year, he shocked the world by advancing in the Homerun Derby and he started at 3rd in this year’s All-Star Game. Had you told Phillies fans all this two years ago, many would not believe you (myself included).  

Many of us will remember Alec Bohm’s infamous “I f*cking hate this place” comments from an early April game in the 2022 season. During the matchup, Bohm made three egregious errors while playing third base. After the second error, he was caught on camera expressing his disdain for the crowd and city he played for. It was a terrible look for a young player who had not been performing up to his pedigree, considering he was the third pick in the 2018 draft. 

 You can only imagine Bohm’s horror when he got into the clubhouse after the game to see that cameras picked up his comments and subsequently broadcast to every Phillies fan in the tri-state area. That’s a nightmare scenario, akin to insulting your boss to some coworkers, only to turn around and find them standing right behind you. Or when SpongeBob gets caught with the drawing calling Ms. Puff a big fat meanie. Poor Alec. 

What happened next marked the beginning of Bohm’s story of growth, tenacity, and perseverance. He stood before the cameras and owned up to his comments, saying, “I said it. Emotions got the best of me. Do I mean it? No. It’s a frustrating night for me. These fans, they just want to win. They’re great. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”  His response was a masterclass in accepting responsibility and apologizing without getting defensive. It shows his human side while simultaneously projecting the professionalism of knowing he needs to improve. There were no excuses, no defensiveness, just honesty. They say life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react. Well, Bohm reacted in the best way he could, given the circumstances.

His post-game comments were so human and self-aware that Philadelphians everywhere became instantly endeared with him. His jersey was a top seller that month. But why did Philadelphians everywhere sympathize so heavily with his comments? The answer is simple: we all f*cking hate this place sometimes. Philadelphia can be a very frustrating place to live. Anyone who has sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-676 or I-95 knows this. I’m certain I’ve muttered the exact same words under my breath after walking past a massive, stinking pile of trash sitting on a sidewalk in the July sun. I get it, Alec. I do. 

The rest of Bohm’s 2022 regular season performance was lackluster. He finished the season with a .713 OPS. This is certainly not what fans expected from the Phillies’ former top prospect. To make matters worse, his season was pockmarked with numerous bouts of frustration. In one incident, he cut his neck after slamming his bat against the wall in the dugout, causing him to miss a few games. It was becoming apparent that Bohm was too hard on himself and plagued by a negative mindset. Baseball is an incredibly mental game, and self-doubt and frustration are poisonous mindsets.

Halfway through the 2022 season, the Phillies made a key move: they traded for a young outfielder named Brandon Marsh. This move would prove to be pivotal for Bohm, as Marsh became his roommate and close friend, providing much-needed support and companionship. They seem to build off each other like a buddy-cop duo, a la 21 Jump Street. I like to imagine Alec as Channing Tatum (handsome) and Marsh as Jonah Hill (funny).

 The pair’s chemistry was fully displayed during Marsh’s recent mic’d-up interview during a nationally televised game. “He’s a brother of mine. I don’t know what I’d do without him here in Philly. He keeps me grounded,” Marsh said of Bohm. It’s only fair to assume Bohm probably feels the same about Marsh: He has an OPS of .888 when Marsh plays but only .726 when he doesn’t. If anyone remembers Backyard Baseball, the computer game from 1997, some players’ stats would increase if their friends were in the lineup. This is exactly like that. There is no doubt that Brandon Marsh has played a critical role in Bohm’s development and vice versa.

The Phillies 2022 season was bookended by a Cinderella World Series run, where they fell to the Astros in 6 games. Ah, the agony of defeat. It hurts as a fan, but it is undoubtedly agonizing for a young player like Bohm. Players work their entire lives for a chance to hoist the championship trophy, only to fall short. It’s a pain that many of us can’t even begin to imagine. For Bohm, the pain was especially poignant; he was aware he wasn’t living up to his potential. 

The 2022-2023 offseason was a pivotal time for Bohm. He needed to show that he would be more than a replacement-level bat and below-average defender. Reports claimed Bohm was grinding in the offseason, putting on 10lbs of muscle and working with Phillies’ hitting coach Kevin Long. It seems that the work he did in that offseason had paid off. Bohm’s 2023 season saw him make great strides as both a hitter and a fielder. He took more pitches, struck out less, and performed much better with men on base, finishing the season with 97 RBIs. His defense improved, allowing only nine errors (this is still a lot), down from fourteen. He was trending in the right direction, becoming a vital piece in a team with World Series aspirations.

Unfortunately, the Phillies 2023 season also ended on a low note. The Phillies bounced the Braves from the playoffs for the second straight year, only to fall to the Diamondbacks in the NLCS. The Phillies were a much better team than the Diamondbacks, so to end the season like that hurt. I can’t say it hurts worse than getting no-hit in the World Series, but it’s honestly close. Chuck Palahniuk once wrote, “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.” For Bohm, this disappointing finish was the final spark needed to take the next step in his career.

2024 has been a breakout year for Bohm. On top of earning his first All-Star Game nod, he has been one of the best bats in baseball, hitting nearly .300 with 70 RBIs at the all-star break. His evolution as a hitter has been spectacular to watch. He is clearly more comfortable at the plate and capitalizes on his opportunities. Rob Thomson, coach of the Phillies, has spoken about Bohm’s maturation: “He made so many strides, not only physically but mentally and emotionally over the course of the year. I’ve never seen a guy grow in one year as much as Alec did, especially at the big league level.” 

We saw Bohm compete in the Home Run Derby, an event usually reserved for the league’s power hitters. Known more for his finesse than his muscle, Bohm’s participation was surprising. Regardless, he led the field with twenty-one home runs in the first round but fell in the second round. He was one homer short of advancing. Oh well. Despite this, Bohm was all smiles, clearly enjoying himself. Some may chalk this up as another near miss for Philadelphia, a city plagued by the “almost” and move on, but the reality is that Bohm surprised everyone, something he evidently has a knack for.

It seems that any residual self-doubt he was experiencing from 2022 has been cast aside. Like the phoenix of legend, he has risen from the ashes of disappointment clad in red pinstripes. In turn, the fans have embraced him as an essential piece of the team’s identity. To bring this whole character arc full circle, one of the Phillies’ giveaways this year was a shirt that said, “I Love This Place,” with Bohm’s signature underneath. It’s a touching, humorous callback to the start of what was once a tumultuous relationship. 

If there’s one thing we can learn from Alec Bohm, it’s that success is rarely a straight line. Every bump in the road is a lesson, a teaching moment. Here, we can see the true similarities between Bohm and the city he once claimed to hate: when you get knocked down, you get back up. In this way, Alec Bohm’s story reflects Philadelphia’s spirit. It’s a testament to growth through adversity, showing that one can transform criticism into admiration with grit and perseverance. And though Alec Bohm’s journey is far from over, one thing is sure—he has cemented himself as a cornerstone of the Phillies, personifying the soul of a city that never quits. Kudos to you, Alec.