Phillies say "We love our fans" after Christie insults

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's safe to say, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie doesn't like the Philadelphia Phillies.

"The Phillies suck. Let's just start with that. They're from Philadelphia. They're an awful team. They're an angry, bitter fan base and it's not safe for civilized people to go to Citizens Bank Park if you want to root for the other team," Christie said.

Christie made these comments as a guest on SportsNet New York's Baseball Night Wednesday night.

His comments stemmed from a chat about the fact that the Phillies are using Tug McGraw's slogan "Ya Gotta Believe."

The slogan appears on a mural at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida where Phillies spring training is under way.

McGraw made that phrase famous when he played for the New York Mets in the early 1970s. McGraw would help the Phillies win the 1980 World Series.

Christie is a Mets fan.

"Ya gotta believe what? Ya got believe we're awful people," Christie said.

The Mets responded to a photo of the mural on Twitter by saying, "Ya Gotta be Kidding."

On the same day of the mural photo went out on social media, the Tug McGraw Foundation tweeted, "On [Valentine's] Day 85 Tug retired we remember he wanted his YGB spirit 2 lift others His message remains universal on & off the field #YaGottaBelieve"

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Phillies team let its voice heard on the matter, tweeting, "We love our fans and appreciate their unwavering support as we "bridge" to a bright future!" - a nod to the ongoing Bridgegate case.

A judge ruled earlier in the day that a criminal complaint against Christie can go forward, saying evidence establishes the Governor had reason to believe lane closings at the George Washington Bridge in 2013 were more than just a routine traffic study and failed to take action to stop it.

When jokingly told he may be ducking cheesesteaks the rest of his career, Christie replied, "Already am, buddy. Don't worry about it."

Christie predicts the Phillies will get 74 wins this seasons. They had 71 in 2016. The Mets had 87.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.