It doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier, even if you knew it was coming.
Rhys Hoskins’s six-season tenure in Philadelphia came to an official end on Friday afternoon with the signing of a two-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Hoskins was formerly a homegrown player.
Following that, the Phillies bid Hoskins farewell and expressed their gratitude on social media, honoring his arduous climb through the minor league ranks, the heartache of numerous unsuccessful late-summer runs, and ultimately, the eagerly anticipated postseason breakthrough and all the magic Red October’s return brought back to Philadelphia—bat spike and all.
Plus, of course, all the charity work he and his wife Jayme put into the city off the field.
Hoskins’s chance to make another playoff run with the Phillies was ultimately lost due to a torn ACL he sustained last spring, although he was still able to toss out the opening pitch in the Wild Card round and then join the team in the dugout for Game 7 of the NLCS.
Bryce Harper moved up to first base while Hoskins was recovering, and by the end of the season, it was evident that the Phillies should stick with him there going forward. This effectively took up any space that would have been left for Hoskins in the lineup and put the writing on the wall.
The parting would eventually come, but it would never be any simpler as a result.
The Brewers will visit Citizens Bank Park June 3-5 this coming season and a heartfelt tribute to Hoskins will surely be waiting for him once the three-game series arrives.