Is John Middleton The Key To The Phillies Future?

In November of 2016, John S. Middleton was designated by Major League Baseball as the Control Person of the Philadelphia Phillies.  Middleton has been apart of the Phillies ownership since 1994 when his family purchased 14.7 Percent ownership stake in the organization.  The Phillies disclosed recently that Middleton now owns 48 Percent of the team as he is now the ownership face of Philadelphia's Baseball team.  Middleton increased his net worth significantly in 2007 when he sold the family's cigar company, which began as a Philadelphia tobacco shop in 1856, to Altria for $2.9 billion.  According to Forbes, the Phillies are worth 1.65 Billion and Middleton said earlier this year that the Phillies are going to get another World Series Trophy or he will "die trying".

Philly Voice Phillies Beat Writer Ryan Lawrence joined The Sports Bash on Thursday and discussed John S. Middleton's role in the Phillies future:

"A couple of years ago he was apart of the ghost ownership. He was very vocal at his introductory press conference. He almost has a little bit of (George) Steinbrenner in him because he is just a guy who wants to win. He is very competitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He just happens to be a Philly fan who happens to be a billionaire. To have a guy that hungry to put a winning team on the field again and to see attendance a lot better than it’s been, don’t be surprised to see some big moves in the next 6-8 months because they need to bring people into this ballpark. I cannot imagine this team going into 2018 just hoping and praying with prospects. They need to bring in a legit name and a guy like Middleton is a guy who can do that."

Checkout what Lawrence had to say about the first half of the Phillies 2017 season along with expectations for players like Aaron Altherr, Aaron Nola, and top prospects in the coming months