Phillies plan to clinch NLCS with party in Diamondbacks' pool

A Phillies pool party in Arizona? They plan to celebrate like Dodgers did 10 years ago

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw celebrates in the pool with teammates after winning the National League West title in Arizona.

Oct. 19, 2023 12:13 PM PT

Dodgers fans must have gotten a good laugh over the Philadelphia Phillies’ plans for a pool party at Chase Field this weekend.

The Phillies have a 2-0 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series and could clinch their second World Series berth in as many years at the Diamondbacks’ ballpark sometime over the next three days.

If that happens, Phillies backup catcher and former USC standout Garrett Stubbs said Wednesday, “We’ll be bee-lining it for the water.”

The water, of course, is the sweet swimming pool behind the right-center field wall.

Good luck getting past the law enforcement officers surrounding the pool and lined up on horseback along the warning track, not to mention dealing with the utter shame of being called “classless” for even wanting to celebrate in such a manner.

Wait, hold on.

The D-backs are cool with opposing players splashing around in their pool now?

You’re kidding.

Back in September 2013, the Dodgers clinched the NL West with a win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, then took their celebration to the cool, refreshing waters beyond the outfield. Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall was none too pleased.

“I could call it disrespectful and classless,” he said at the time. “But they don’t have a beautiful pool at their old park and must have really wanted to see what one was like.”

But apparently Hall has mellowed over the years, telling reporters before the start of the NL Division Series between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers last week that the team would do nothing to prevent the Boys in Blue from getting wet and wild in the outfield if similar circumstances arose (which, of course, they did not).

“They have the right to celebrate however they want, wherever they want,” Hall said. “They’ve certainly earned that opportunity.”

Times have changed, he said.

“The rivalry was strong and thriving then, which is a good thing,” said Hall, whose team partied in the Chase Field pool after their NLDS-clinching Game 3 win over the Dodgers. “I think looking back it’s all in good fun. And it’s a completely different group of guys here on the other side as well.”

All of which is good news for the Phillies, who are two wins away from a celebratory dip of their own.

“We’re a respectful bunch of guys,” Stubbs said. “We wouldn’t do it if it was a disrespectful thing.”