PHILADELPHIA (KeynoteUSA) — Rhys Hoskins was expected to shed a tear at some point Monday night. It didn’t take long.
Hoskins received a standing ovation before his first plate appearance in Philadelphia since the 2022 World Series, when he was the Phillies’ starting first baseman.
He tilted his batting helmet toward the Phillies dugout and hit his chest above his heart. All the Phillies players on the field took off their caps and saluted Hoskins. Bryce Harper, whose move to first base this season precipitated the Phillies’ decision not to re-sign Hoskins, applauded.
The Brewers designated hitter acknowledged the fans and did his best to keep his emotions in check, nodding his head and biting his lip as the applause grew.
“I’m kind of a crier,” Hoskins said before Monday night’s game between Milwaukee and Philadelphia. “I think this tells you everything you need to know about the energy and excitement I’ve been able to get from this place.”
The at-bat ended with Hoskins coming out to shortstop, but it was the emotional moment Hoskins had hoped for.
“It was unbelievable,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “These fans showed what this game is all about. Rhys left an impression on this fan base as he will on ours. …It meant a lot to him. He’s a deep guy. He loves this game. They treated him very well and the Phillies treated him very well. He loves this place.”
And then in the seventh inning, Hoskins took Phillies starter Zack Wheeler deep to left center field for his 10th home run of the season, ending Wheeler’s shutout.
“It was different,” Hoskins said. “Normally you walk into a visiting stadium, hit a home run and don’t hear any applause. The mix of boos and cheers was different and fun.”
He also stole a base and was then thrown out at the plate by Johan Rojas on a single by Blake Perkins.
Hoskins, 31, spent seven seasons with the Phillies before signing with the Brewers as a free agent in the offseason.
The ovation was no surprise to injured Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh, who said fans did right by Hoskins.
“Rhys was here for a long time and contributed a lot to this city and this team and organization,” Marsh said. “He would have expected the Bank to welcome him with open arms and give him a standing ovation.”
Considered a clubhouse leader, Hoskins was one of the fundamental pieces of the Phillies’ renaissance. The club was an underdog when he arrived in August 2017, but became a championship contender in each of the previous two seasons.
Hoskins, a fifth-round pick in the 2014 amateur Draft by the Phillies, hit 18 home runs in his first 170 major league at-bats and finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting despite playing less than two months of the season. Hoskins missed the 2023 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in spring training. He was trying to return in time to rejoin his team for the World Series, but the Phillies were defeated in the National League Championship Series by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games.
His pivotal moment with Philadelphia came in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS when he hit a home run off Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider. Hoskins slammed his bat to the ground in what is known as the “bat spike” in Phillies lore.
“The best thing is that it came in the first playoff game in this stadium in over a decade,” Hoskins said. “I think that’s where that kind of eruption of emotion came from because it built up for a long time and I got it straight from the fans.”
Hoskins made a huge impression during his time with the Phillies for his off-field contributions. He and his wife, Jayme, were involved in the Philadelphia community and made the city their home during the offseason.
“He’s a man’s man,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “He is honest. He has a lot of integrity. He cares about other people. He’s a really talented player, obviously. He plays the game the right way and plays it hard. He is simply a professional.”
Hoskins is off to a solid start with the Brewers. He hit nine home runs in 40 games, but missed a couple of weeks with a hamstring strain. Hoskins was reactivated on Friday, allowing him to be in the lineup for his return to Philadelphia.
“I was very happy to be his teammate,” said Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez, who played with Hoskins for six years. “He is a great person and was a great leader. I’m glad to see that he received the ovation from the fans. “I’m happy to see him achieve that.”
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