Philly Booed Jordan Walker During All-Star Intros. He Knew It Was Coming.

The crowd at Citizens Bank Park did not hold back. When Jordan Walker’s name got called during the All-Star Game introductions Tuesday night, the Philadelphia faithful let him have it. A cascade of boos. Loud. Sustained. The kind of reception only a visiting villain gets in this city.

Walker had to know this was coming. The night before, he ripped the Home Run Derby trophy right out of Philly’s hands. He beat Kyle Schwarber on the final swing of the final round. A 12th homer that sent the ball deep into the South Philly darkness and sent the home crowd home quiet. So Tuesday’s boos? That was just the encore.

The Phillies fans didn’t single out Walker, though. They gave the same treatment to stars from the Yankees, Mets, Braves and Dodgers. It’s a tradition at this point. Boo everyone who isn’t wearing red pinstripes. But Walker earned a special level of scorn. He’s not a division rival. He’s not a longtime enemy. He’s just the guy who broke their hearts 24 hours earlier.

How Walker stole the Derby from Schwarber

Schwarber went first in the final round and put up 11 homers. Bryce Harper, watching from the dugout, seemed to think that would be enough. It wasn’t. Walker matched it quickly, then kept going. He hit 12 total, including homers on his last five swings. Five straight. No margin for error. The kid from St. Louis just kept mashing.

That Derby performance was not a fluke. Walker leads all of baseball with 74 RBI this season. He’s got 22 homers. He’s 23 years old. And while Schwarber still leads the majors with 32 dingers, on Monday night it was Walker who walked away with the hardware. The trophy. The memory. The permanent spot in All-Star lore.

The game itself is almost secondary

The 98th All-Star Game got underway Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The National League and American League are squaring off. But let’s be honest. The fans are the story here. They always are in this city. They came to cheer their guys and make everyone else miserable. Walker already got the worst of it during intros. He probably expected nothing less.

He’s not starting Tuesday night. But after what he did Monday, he doesn’t need to. He already made his mark. The boos just confirm it.