Ben Revere at Fangraphs
Ben Revere at Baseball Reference
Editor's note: Dany is really busy with his last semester of business school so he asked Ben to write his own exit interview. All photos below come from Ben's Twitter feed.
Hey guys this is Ben Revere, Dany asked me to fill in for him and write my exit interview cos he’s really busy with grad school. Good luck Dany, I have Phaith (lol) in you!!!!
What can I say about the 2013 season?? It was a blast, I loved playing for Ruben and Charlie and Ryne in Philadelphia. It’s hard to match the good times I had with the Twins (missin’ u guys), but I’ve made so many good friends. Including the Phanatic!! Sometimes I even ride his ATV to the ballpark!
Welp, here’s my take on my 2013 season…with photos!
After a slow start I started to find my groove in May and was having an awesome time getting on base, driving in runs, and pulling down fly balls in centerfield. I had a gut feeling that I was gonna hit a homer in September, but then I fouled a ball off of my foot in July!! What a bummer guys…I can’t help my team with a broken foot! But I had more time to practice for karaoke!!
Welllll, before all that happened things were going pretty darn good! I was batting .305 and had an OBP of .352. Pretty proud of that – my hard work paying off! Of my 96 hits, I had nine doubles and three (!!!) triples. I love triples!
And I made this dope catch! It even made Cliff Lee say "wow." Wow!
I had a rough go of it in April and I was pretty hard on myself when my average got around .200, but man hard work does pay off and I started to contribute more and play up to my potential. Charlie knew I could do it and most importantly I knew I could do it!! Remember guys, never give in, never give up! Don’t quit! Feels good!!
I know you guys miss Vance Worley and all, but I hope I’ve earned your respect and I hope to continue holding down the fort in centerfield for years to come!! You’re stuck with me until at least 2017 anyway lol. I’m feeling alright and I’m gonna do some work in 2014!
Also!! Dany asked me to talk about war…I’m not sure why, but man, I hate it! Can’t we work out our differences peacefully?
[Dany’s note: While it’s tough to judge with the truncated season and very rough April, Revere likely would not have matched his 2.6 WAR from the previous season. I mostly say that because the law of averages state that at some point there’s going to be a regression to the mean. Ben hit a hot streak as soon as May began and showed no signs of letting up, but had he stayed healthy I doubt this trajectory would have continued. If you throw out all of his stats from before May 1st, he would have ended the season with a .347/.380/.404 slash line. Looking at his slash from the same time period in 2012, he comes in at .318/.351/.364. Word up, Ben.]
Lastly, Ruben and I talked about this past season. Employee reviews always make nervous, I thought I’d share with y’all anyway:
This season has been an unmitigated disaster. How did you contribute to that disaster?
I'm sorry, boss!! I missed so much of the season with a broken foot! I'll make sure the foul ball goes in another direction next time!!
If I had traded you mid-season, would the team have done better or worse?
Nothing would have happened because I was on the disabled list! LOL stop playing Brickbreaker on your phone!
All of my options are open for next year. Should I trade you, release you, or keep you?
Whatever you think is best for the team, boss!! Either way thank you for this opportunity!!
Some people have questioned whether I should keep my job. Tell them to go fuck themselves by explaining why I should keep it forever.
I could never tell anyone to go fuck themselves!! At least you didn't sign Bynum LOL! I think you're doing a great job, boss, and I like you a lot and I hope you stay! #nohomo
Overall, explain to me how your time with the Philadelphia Phillies has been the highlight of your life.
The fans here are so great and I love patrolling centerfield! Playing with Dom and John and Darin is great and I hope we're friends forever!!! Can I dress as the Phanatic during next season's first homestand?