A former Philadelphia Phillie got a measure of revenge on his former team Sunday.
Cincinnati Reds DH Austin Hays slugged a home run to break a scoreless tie in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. Hays’ home run even represented Cincinnati’s first baserunner against Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Hays had an unsuccessful stint with Philadelphia last season, so he cupped his hand to his ear to taunt Phillies fans as he was rounding third base on his home run trot.
Austin Hays had a little fun with the Philly crowd after homering against his former team pic.twitter.com/Hygbno7cdr
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 6, 2025
Hays was not with the Phillies for long. He played in just 22 games for the team and hit .256 with very little power. Some Phillies fans probably do not even remember him, but he clearly wanted to have some fun with the moment, especially since he was getting booed anyway.
The Reds have allowed Hays to get his career back on track. He came into Sunday’s game hitting a respectable .280 with seven home runs, albeit in fairly limited playing time.
Some ex-Phillies try to be more conciliatory toward the notoriously tough Philadelphia sports fans. Hays clearly is not one of them.
