Being in the business of baseball, I would assume that you are familiar with the concept of an unforced error. But that hasn’t stopped the Phillies (and Ghost) from making one this week.

Stadium naming conventions come and go, and most of them are inconsequential. I truly do not care what luxury car brand is on the section behind home plate in this or any other year. But Harry The K’s was supposed to be different. Harry’s was there to honor a beloved member of the Phillies organization who left too soon.

The way you rolled out this announcement is, quite frankly, gross. It is beneath you as an organization. I’m disappointed that the Phillies have sunk to this level. It’s much easier to simply say nothing and hope that an unpopular change happens quietly. It’s difficult to put out a statement about something that you know will be deeply unpopular. But perhaps the fact you felt you had to do this so quietly should have given you pause?

Are we supposed to look at Mr. Fling’s statement and say, “oh, well if this is to ‘drive incremental foot traffic’ to the space, then sure, let’s rip Harry’s name off of it.” Could Mr. Fling possibly have been more tone deaf regarding how fans feel about Harry? Could the Phillies organization at least try to say something human about the situation instead of talking about activations and engagement?

I understand that sponsorships are part of modern sports economics, and I assume the financial terms were significant, particularly in a year with national attention on Philadelphia. But not all revenue opportunities carry equal weight, and this was one that came at the expense of something fans actually valued. I hope that whatever Ghost paid for the naming rights to this deck is worth the cost. Because at least for 2026, Ghost is now officially the brand that removed a beloved man’s name from a piece of the place he called home.

Shame on all of you.