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John Middleton’s Big Swing
John Middleton lifts the Warren C. Giles trophy after the Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres in game five to win the National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 23, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
John Middleton lifts the Warren C. Giles trophy after the Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres in game five to win the National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 23, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
A recent article in the New York Times tracks the team’s World Series appearance back to the decision-making of principal owner John Middleton (MBA 1979).
Specifically, the article notes that Middleton spent considerably to sign marquee players, including superstar outfield Bryce Harper—a slightly counterintuitive strategy in a stat-driven era, but one that has paid great dividends. “The desire to do something special, to do something great, is a passion,” Middleton told the Times shortly after signing Harper. “It’s not grounded in business logic, it’s not grounded in baseball analytics. I think it’s your passion as a fan that kind of fuels your ambition. It certainly fuels my ambition for this team.”
A Philadelphia native and longtime sports fan, he told the Press of Atlantic City that he watched the Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals in the 1980 World Series, and has always admired the dedication of the local supporters. “I know this fan base,” Middleton told the Press. “I said to a lot of the guys here, ‘When we start to prove to these fans that we’re real, they will come out.’ I expected this, and they were still spectacular. These guys are like sharks with blood in the water.”
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