Taijuan Walker was a surprise no-show for the Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason, not throwing a single pitch.
That’s surprising given his regular season stats (31 starts, 15-6 record) and the big contract (four years, $72 million) he signed last offseason.
Despite being on the postseason roster, Walker did not pitch. And after the Phillies’ elimination by the Arizona Diamondbacks in NLCS Game 7 Tuesday night, he sent a cryptic tweet.
“Disrespect is at an all time high #nextyear,” Walker tweeted.
The tweet went out at 2:04 a.m. (ET), the time of night when many regrettable tweets surface. It mystified fans. Did Walker mean disrespect for the Phillies? Or disrespect for himself, for not pitching in the postseason?
If it’s any indication, the posts Walker liked in response to his tweet seemed to indicate he was talking about personal disrespect.
The disrespect is from your manager. He had no faith in you, which was a joke and his game decision cost the Phillies this series. REMEMBER THAT!
— Gröver of PhiIIy (@TJE5909) October 25, 2023
Many fans agreed that Walker deserved a shot to pitch in the offseason, that if he was upset he had every right to express his disappointment.
Other fans were not so kind, saying Walker picked a bad time for the message, and that manager Rob Thomson had reason not to pitch him.
Maybe you would’ve pitched if you weren’t a guaranteed 4 runs
— garbaggio (@rise_and_grime) October 25, 2023
You had a solid year, and us real fans appreciate it. You were a fixture on that dugout step in the playoffs, being a great teammate. That shows your character. Great season. Go Phils!!!
— James Lanza (@JamesLanza10) October 25, 2023
Hopefully #nextyear we can somehow move your abysmal contract off the books.
— Joey Mullen (@joeymullen_) October 25, 2023