Pat Burrell wanted to thank the Phillies fans -- how he did it surprised some fans.
Many of today's players would Tweet, blog or demand airtime to make such a gesture but Pat "The Bat" must be old school.
Burrell took out ads in the Philly Inquirer and Daily News to thank the Philly fans.
The thanks comes months after Burrell led the Phillies Parade down Broad Street. The longest-tenured Phillie was riding that horse not only down Broad Street but also right out of town.
Burrell is now a Tampa Bay Ray but he might still be a Phillie at heart.
In the ad Burrell looked back on his time in Philly. He mentioned the struggles he endured and also the triumph of winning the Wolrd Series.
He thanked the organization for giving him a shot and a title but mostly he thanked the fans.
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"Through good times and bad, I never doubted the support that all of you had for my teammates and me," he wrote about the Phillies faithful.
Burrell isn't just musing on the past. He closed his short letter with a simple statement.
"I hope to see you in October."
Pat, We hope to see you then too.