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Opening May 2012

cou r i e rpos ton l i ne . com2G COURIER-POST, Sunday, April 22, 2012

Page 3….............................. Player Q&A

Pages 4-5 .......… Look back at stadiums

Page 5….. Free ride to ’80World Series

Pages6-7…..................Meetingplayers

Page8…................. Ballparkattractions

Page 9…............................ Major menu

Page10…......................... Scorer tells all

Page11…... He’s new tobroadcast crew

Page13 ............................…Xfinity Live!

Page14…............................ Just for kids

Page 14 ............…Mommolds little fan

Pages15-16….......... Phils gear andgifts

Page16…......... Who are you wearing?

Pages17-18…. Celebrations at the park

Page19…................... Fans hit the road

Pages 20-23…........... Readermemories

ON THE COVERA fan professes his faith in the Phillies at the Opening Day game against the Miami Marlins.SUCHAT PEDERSON/GANNETT

The Lineup

“It’s only a game.”The phrase is used so

routinely todescribebase-ball and other sports, it’sbecome a platitude: Aquick reminder intendedtobrushoff thestingofde-feat, or to quell emotionson the brink of overheat-ing.

Turns out, though,baseball is much morethan a game. It’s a nation-al, communal ritual thatweseekout for leisureandcomfort: After 9/11, afterall, it was the return ofbaseball that reassuredeveryone life would go on.

And on a more individ-ual level, baseball is a con-stant in life, in families.It’s away to deepen bonds,establish traditionsand in-still values — teamwork,

determination, patrio-tism. That’s especiallytrue for Phillies faithful,many of whom have rootsin theareaas longstandingas the team itself,which at129, is the oldest one-name, one-city franchisein professional sports.

Ourreadersshare theirrich connections with thePhillies in stories startingon page 20. One mothertells how she learned onlyrecently that her 20-year-old son was moved to jointhe military after attend-ing the first Phillies gameafter9/11, at the tenderageof 9. Other moms — anddads — tell of sharing un-forgettable games withtheir kids of all ages. Andthough games are not usu-ally life-and-death, one

woman shares how herfamily used Philliesbroadcasts as a way toreach her through a drug-induced coma after sur-gery.

Even the biggest fansamong us might not real-ize baseball’s impact untilyears later, when we lookback at the memories it’shelped us create withthose close to us. We hearour kids talk about gamesthey went to, and beforelong, they take their ownkids to the ballpark.

At the very least, base-ball is a soothing summersoundtrack, Cracker Jackfor the soul

Baseball is so manythings to so many. And it’sso much more than agame.

Fans make memories at Citizens Bank Park on Opening Day 2012. AL SCHELL/COURIER POST

Going deep

cou r i e rpos ton l i ne . com COURIER-POST, Sunday, April 22, 2012 3G

ThePhillies have fielded theoldest team in themajors the last three years.

And for many, that statement is getting old.However, by not re-signing 49-year-old Jamie

Moyer in 2011, and 39-year-old Raul Ibanez and35-year-old Brad Lidge this year, the Phillies aregetting younger.

Yes, with the likes of 34-year-old utility play-ers Juan Pierre and TyWigginton.

They stillmight leadbaseball in liver spotswith an average projected age of 32.1, but theFightins have gotten an injection of newblood, startingwith 2011additionsVanceWor-ley and Joe Savery and continuing with off-season additions such as Pierre and Wiggin-ton.

These four fresh-faced Phillies spoke withtheCourier-Post aboutPhillies fansandwhomthey admire, as well as delivering babies, theparadox of not being superstitious and “Fam-ily Guy.”

INSIDEbaseball

What are the Phillies really like? We ask afew not-so-serious questions to find outBy STEVEWOOD Courier-Post Staff

Carlos Ruiz: 40.2%John Mayberry: 28.8%Jim Thome: 12.7%Freddy Galvis: 12.7%Placido Polanco: 5.6%

Who could emerge as asurprise All-Star this year?

Based on CourierPostOnline.com reader poll in early April; 306total votes

Talk about waaay backthere: The Phillies havebeen playing for 129 years,making the team the oldestone-name, one-city fran-chise in the history of pro-fessional sports.

The team spent its inau-gural 1883 season in Recre-ation Park, a patch of landwith a couple of bleachersand a grandstand in theStrawberry Mansion sec-tion in the city.

ThePhilsmoved to theirfirst stadium the followingyear; three more ballparksand generations of fanswould follow, all the way toCitizens Bank Park.

Baker Bowl

Construction cost:$80,000

1884 capacity: 12,3001894 capacity: 18,000The Baker Bowl’s offi-

cial name was NationalLeague Park. It was re-named the Baker Bowl inhonor ofWilliamBaker, thePhillies owner from1913 to1930. Open from 1884 to1950, the Phillies played inthe stadium until 1938.

A fire destroyed theoriginal construction in1894, and temporary seat-ing went up for the rest ofthe season. The new ball-parkboastedanupperdeckwith concrete supports —the design was a first for asports stadium. The park’scapacity expanded to18,000.

The firewasnot theonlytragic incident at the stadi-um. The third-base standscollapsed during a 1903doubleheader, killing 12.Another collapse, in 1927,forced the Baker Bowl toclose for a short period of

time.The 1915 Phillies played

(and lost) the World Seriesagainst the Boston Red Soxat the Baker Bowl. The sta-diumalsobrieflywashometo the Philadelphia Eagles,whoplayedtherefrom1933to 1935.

Amemorable feature ofBaker Bowl was the shortright-fieldwall. It stood280feet from home plate at 60feet high. Stretched acrossthe wall was a Lifebuoysoap advertisement thatsaid, “ThePhillies use Life-buoy.” In 1938, a vandaladded the phrase “And

they still stink” — provingthat Phillies fans have al-ways been a tough crowd.

With the Baker Bowlbarely standing, the Phil-lies moved out in 1938. Itwas finally demolished in1950.

Shibe Park/ConnieMack Stadium

Construction cost:$301,000

1909 capacity: 23,0001970 capacity: 33,608Home to the Philadel-

phia Athletics from 1909 to1954, Shibe Park — later

Connie Mack Stadium —also was the Phillies’ fieldfrom 1938 to 1970. The Ea-gles also played there from1942 to 1957 until theymoved to Franklin Field.

Shibe Park was the firststeel-and-concrete stadi-um. Its signature octangu-lar towerstood in thesouth-west corner of the stadium.

The park was named af-ter one of the initial ownersof the Philadelphia Athlet-ics, Benjamin Shibe.Shibe’s partner, ConnieMack, who managed theteam from 1901 until 1950,

eventually took full owner-ship of the Athletics. Thename of the stadiumwasn'tchangeduntil1953asa trib-ute to “thegrandoldmanofbaseball,” just before theA’s left in 1955.

TheAthleticswonsevenpennants and five WorldSeries during their time inShibe Park. The Phillieshad no such luck; the teamplayed only one World Se-ries there, losing to theNew York Yankees in 1950.

In the 1940s, Shibe Parkhosted political rallies andsome games of the Negro

Leagues World Series.The Athletics moved to

KansasCity in1955, and thePhillies continued playingat the ballpark until Veter-ans Stadium was built.

The stadiumwas demol-ished in 1976.

Veterans Stadium

Construction cost: ap-proximately $50 million

Capacity: 62,306The huge stadium

opened in the era of multi-purpose arenas. It washome to the Eagles from1971to 2002 and thePhilliesfrom1971 to 2003.

In its later years, thestadium was often ma-ligned by fans who thoughtof it asoutdated,but theVetdidhave itsglorydays, par-ticularly Game 6 of the1980 World Series, whenthe Phillies won their firstWorld Championship.

Two other World Serieswere played at the Vet, in1983 and 1993, but the Philsended up on the losing endof those.

TheVethosted17Army-Navy football games from1980 to 2001. In 1998, a rail-ing collapsed, sending ninefans tumbling onto thefield. The stadium alsohosted two Major LeagueBaseball All-Star Games in1976 and 1996.

The stadiumwas demol-ished on March 21, 2004, tomake way for a parking lotfor Citizens Bank Park.

Citizens Bank Park

Constructioncost:$458million

2004 capacity: 43,500Current capacity:

43,651Open since 2004, Citi-

HomeBASES

The Phillies have played in only four stadiums in nearly 130 yearsBy KRISTINA SCALACourier-Post Staff

The concrete confines of Veterans Stadium hosted three World Series,including the 1980 championship season. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PHILLIES

The Baker Bowl, the Phillies’ first home stadium, boasted concrete supports for the upper deck, which was an innovativearchitectural feature when added in 1894. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PHILLIES

Shibe Park, aka Connie Mack Stadium, housed the Phillies and the Athletics, at least untilthe A’s moved to Kansas City. The Phils stayed through 1970. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PHILLIES

See STADIUMS, Page 5G


Reader Poll


ville, Pa., school.The rush-hour traffic didn’t pass us for

long. We were picked up before the lastbite of our peanut butter and jelly.

Our driver, coincidently, was going tothe game. We made the 30-mile ride in anhour.

Now, all we needed to do was get intoVeterans Stadium.

We didn’t have any money, not evenenough for one beer, between us.Wedidn’thave a plan to get in the Vet, either.

I wasn’t concerned, though, becauseJack knew everybody. At 15, he hadhitched a ride with his neighbor (and Fly-ers center) Orest Kindrachuk to the firstFlyers parade. He hung out in the summerin Sea Isle, where he could’ve been mayorafter graduating from Shawnee HighSchool. He’d played hoops in Philadelphia,where he became friends with opponentsas easily as with teammates.

I just knew Jack would know someone.Like a guard working the ticket gate.

So, we walked below the ramps to thegate level where the players parked nextto the stadium. Jack was leading the waywhen a door flew open, separating us. Onthe door was a symbol — the universalwhite cross in a red circle. When the doorhit me, but before reality hit me that thiswas a medical facility, two men wearingwhite uniforms wheeled out a stretcher .On this stretcherwas…well… someone. Ireally didn’t get a good look since Iwalkedin the open door.

As Jack kept walking on the outside, Icupped a hand over my eye and walkedinto this bustling, white-walled room ofdoctors and nurses. With my head down,holding in my guilt, I scanned for an exitdoor with my free eye.

The reddoorwas only 20 feet in front ofme. I added a limp tomy “injured” eye as Ipassed two security guards.

The exit door flew open, but unfortu-nately it was being used as an entrance forsomeone not faking a sore eyelash and asprained ankle. I wished the injured manwell and walked into the 200 level insidethe Vet with 70,000 other fans (who pre-sumably didn’t sell their souls to get in-side).

Jack, still on the outside, was on hisown. I couldn’t let my conscience troubleme, and I figured Iwouldmeetupwithhimafter the game somehow.

But then I turned, and there he was.“Jack, howdidyouget in?” I asked, hop-

ing to assuage my guilt by hearing thathe’d done something worse than me.

“I knew a guard at the gate,” he saidcasually. “How about you?”

Before I could answer, we ran into hiscousin, Dan, who just happened to sellbeer. Sincewe didn’t have anymoney, Dandidn’t charge us.

Wewiselydecided to stand in the tunnelnear the section in right field where Dansold beer. He returned every inning withanother cold one for us.

We got pretty courageous by the ninth

inning,whenTugMcGrawtook themound.I’m not sure whether it was Jack or I

who suggested that on the final out we runon the field to help the Phillies celebrate.Oneofussaid, “Yeah, itwouldbecool ifourfriends at home saw us on TV,” not realiz-ing our parents would, too.

We thanked Dan and started walkingdown to the old picnic area at the Vet,where the fencewas lower.Fromthere,wefigured itwouldbeaneasyhoponto theAs-troTurf and into history.

But, Philadelphia’s finest anticipatedthat many others might have the sameidea. From both foul poles to the back ofhome plate were cops on horseback. In be-tween them were cops with dogs.

Celebrating outside, we walked be-tweenthecars jammedonBroadStreetgo-ing nowhere. Before we crossed PattisonAvenue, we heard a familiar voice call outour Ursinus nickname: “Yo, Hut Broth-ers.” (Our room, with nothing on the wallsbut clothes all over the floor, was called“The Hut.”)

OurfriendBob, inhisdentedredChevy,opened the door.

On the way up the Schuylkill Express-way,wecouldhardly talk sinceeverydriv-er was leaning on his horn like the Phillieshad just won the World Series.

So, I had time to think. Why didn’t werun on the field? Sure, aGerman shepherdwould’ve tasted a bit of my leg, but heck, Ialready knew the Vet had a medical facil-ity.

Back in college, before I became asportswriter and got into Phillies gamesfor free, I had to find another way into theballpark.

Since I never had anymoneyduringmydaysatUrsinusCollege,myvisits toVeter-ans Stadium were rare, only when ticketswere given to me.

Noonewasgivingmea ticket toGame6of the 1980 World Series, though.

After all, thePhillies looked like a cinchto clinch their first championshipwith aceSteve Carlton on the mound against theRoyals, and evenbigmoneywouldn’t pry aticket from a true Philadelphia fan.

I could watch the game on TV withfriends, but that wasn’t good enough. Andmy roommate, Jack, felt the same way.

Jack and I had just finished basketballpractice andwere heading to the cafeteriabefore the 6 p.m. closing time when Jackasked if I wanted to go to the game.

“Sure,” I said, knowing all this wouldentail.

We got our meal to go. Within minutes,we chewed a sandwich with one hand andstuck out our thumbs on the free hand,along Route 422 in front of our College-

Forgive him his trespasses; he had to get inKevin

Callahan

zens Bank Park has already made plenty of history.The Phils have won five straight National League

Eastern Division titles during their tenure at CitizensBank Park and a long-awaited second World Champion-ship in 2008.

Citizens Bank Parkwas the site of the 2012NHLWin-ter Classic and perhaps the most well-attended AlumniGame in sports.TheFlyerswentdown to longtimerivalsthe New York Rangers, 3-2.

CitizensBankParkhonorsPhillies historywith a spe-cial feature at the ballpark: Ashburn Alley, named afterHall of Fame center fielder Richie Ashburn, in honor ofhis service as both a player and broadcaster.

AshburnAlley includes a long stretch ofPhiladelphiaWall ofFameplaques.Other statues outside theballparkhonorbignames inPhillies history:MikeSchmidt, SteveCarlton, Robin Roberts and Connie Mack.

Sources: philadelphia athletics.org/history, New YorkTimes archives, mlb.com, phila.gov, history.navy.mil,conniemackstadium.com

StadiumsContinued from Page 4G

Citizens Bank Park is a baseball-only stadium. GANNETT FILE

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Joe Piechowski lookedover his collection of base-ball memorabilia a whileagoandgavealmost all of itto his two sons.

TheBellmawrman kepta reproduction of a 1957newspaper photographthat shows him sitting atopthe dugout at Connie MackStadium in North Philadel-phia. The Phillies lost thatJune16gameto theBraves,3-2, a game he attendedwith his aunt, Barbara Pie-chowski. She’s still a Phil-lies fan, at 94, following theteam on television, he said.

Piechowski, who retiredfrom the Camden CountySheriff’s Department fiveyears ago, collectedmemo-rabilia including a brokenRichie Ashburn bat andsome fly balls he caught.He did it the way everyonedid for decades: He got tothe stadium early, politelydogged the players duringbatting practice or spottedthem entering or leavingthe stadium.

It was just as easy forGeorgeMelko, now82,whosaw games at ConnieMackStadium’s predecessor, theBaker Bowl in North Phila-delphia. A retired Philadel-phia police sergeant wholater went into the insur-ance and financial servicesbusiness, Melko now livesin the Parke Place commu-nity in Washington Town-ship.

He loved theexcitementof attending games andwas thrilled when he couldpurchase a set of four seatsfor Sunday games. Some-times his wife, Barbara,wouldattendandoftenhe’dbring all three of their chil-dren, splitting the fourseats among the five mem-bers of his family. “It was adreamto takeyourkids to aballgame,” he remembers.

Rubbing shoulders

Today his son Glenn, 42,has a slide show on his lap-top of him and his siblingsmeeting Phillies playersduring a “Kodak day.”

“I was 7,” Glenn Melkoremembers. “You could goup and have someone takeyour photo. A guard wouldbe close by, but you couldjust mingle with them. Theplayers were really friend-ly,” he said.

One of the photos showshis sister Lisa talking withHall of Fame pitcher SteveCarlton, butMelko said theday she really remem-bered was when she metoutfielder Von Hayes. “Allshe had to write on was astub from a paycheck.That’s what he signed,”said Glenn, a business ana-lyst for Canon FinancialServices. (Hayes, notori-ous for a trade in which hewas exchanged for fiveplayers, played for thePhillies from 1983 to 1991.In 2009, he was namedmanager of theCamdenRi-vesharks.)

Glenn Melko’s godfa-ther, Howard Westvelt,would attend Philliesspring training and wouldsend back photos for thekids. “I have a booklet ofthem, all in those baby blueuniforms,” he said.

George rememberedhowproudhewas tobeableto take his older son to theopening game at VeteransStadium. “They were dayswhen you could bring in acooler, so we’d have sand-wiches or hoagies and wa-ter,” he said.

“And we always, al-ways, bought soft pretzelsfrom a vendor outside thepark,” said Glenn Melko.“It was a highlight of everygame. We would buy a pro-gram for the game and mydad taught me how to keepscore.

“Sometimes we’d get(general-admission)tickets that were 50 centsor a dollar. We saw aWorldSeries game in1980 againstKansas City.”

“If you weren’t in theshade it was hot, reallyhot,” said George Melko.“These were games beforethe Phillie Phanatic. Theyhad a guy and girl dressedin Colonial costume. It wasthe bicentennial year, aDanny Ozark year,” hesaid, referring to the then-Phillies manager.

(Those first mascots,Phil and Phillis, who woreoversized heads, and weredressed in Colonial gear,were a feature at VeteransStadium from its openingin 1971 until the Phanaticjoined the lineup in 1978.)

Soft spot for seniors

While Phillies playerswould make time for kids,they really made a fussover seniors, remembersRenee Hildebrand of Erial.Her grandmother, MarieLaCourt, was a dedicatedPhillies fan.

From 1994 almost untilshe died in March 2010, at96, Renee and her husbandFrank would take LaCourtof Cedarbrook to at leasttwo Phillies games eachyear: the photo day, whenFrankwould snapphotos ofher and her favorite play-ers and then the ALS fund-raiser day, when LaCourtwould get the photossigned. The three alsowould get to the dollar dogdays; LaCourt would treat.

“It was a project gettingher out of the house in herwheelchair, into thecarandinto the Vet. That fieldwasn’t made for wheel-chair accessibility,” saidFrank Hildebrand.

“The players would allcome and spend time talk-ing with her. They’d recog-

nize her from one year tothe next and she hadher fa-vorites,” said Renee Hilde-brand.

When Shane Victorinojoined the squad, he tookfirst place in LaCourt’s af-fection. The last time shesaw him at a photo day, shewore a lei andhe ranacrossthe field to talk with her. “Ithink people might havethought she was his grand-mother,” said Renee Hilde-brand.

But thatmutual admira-tion was nothing compared

to the attention LaCourt re-ceived from the PhilliePhanatic. “AtanALSevent,he came in on his scooter,jumped off and ran to her,kneeling down to kiss herhand.Once in the tunnelgo-ing into the park, he cameby— out of uniform— andstopped to talk with her,”remembered the Hilde-brands.

Sign of the times

It’s a different world to-day. While pre-game bat-

ting practice still offerssome interactionwithplay-ers, especially for young-sters, autographs are con-trolled by the business ofthe game.

Autographed itemsused in games, balls andbats and some alumni jer-seys, plus limited-editionphotographs, can be pur-chasedat thestadiumat thePhilliesAuthentics store.Athird-party vendor alsosells autographed items at

All-access PAST

Marie LaCourt loved the Phillies, especially Shane Victorino, and getting theirautographed photos before she passed away at age 96 in 2010. PHOTO PROVIDED

Renee Hildebrand (wearing grandmother Marie LaCourt’s hat) and husband Frankreminisce with Shane Victorino in 2010. Victorino had met LaCourt at Phillies photo days.PHOTO PROVIDED

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Home-run balls are keepers forfans, and the Phillies have a proce-dure to get them signed by the hitter.It doesn’t work for foul balls or homeruns hit by visiting teams, said ChrisLong, theclub’sdirectorofentertain-ment.

“We call them HometownHomers for a reason,” saidLong, explaining that when ahome run ball is caught by afan, he is contacted immedi-ately in the stands by a guestservices representative, whowill escort the fan to the of-fice. The ball is surrenderedand returned, usually bymail, within a day or two.

The fan receives a newbaseball to carry home.

“Youhave to do it right away.You can’t come to us after thegame and say you caught a ball inthe second inning. We can’t con-firm that,” said Long.

Fans snag as many as 75 home-run balls each year, she estimated.

The procedure isn’t followed inpostseason play, she said.

Sometimes a playerwants to keepthe ball, Long said, like when out-fielder Jayson Werth hit three homeruns in a game against the Blue Jaysin May 2008. Werth, with the Wash-ington Nationals, offered the fana signed jersey in place of theball. “They’ll work it out,”she said.

Some players willsign foul balls at a sub-sequent batting prac-tice at the stadium.

“Just getting the attention of theplayer is the biggest thing,” she said.“And, always, it’s how the fan ap-proaches the athlete.”

If fans are looking to gather auto-graphs, orhave theirphotos takenwitha player, they can attend themeet-the-players events, said Michele DeVaca-ris, of the Phillies’ Community Out-

reach department. This year’s pho-to event is scheduled for July 21,before a late-afternoon gameagainst the Giants.

Access to the field islimited to the first2,500 fans who ar-rive. “The wholeteam partici-pates, playersand coaches,even frontofficestaff,” shesaid, jok-ing thatshedidn’texpectanyoneto be ea-ger forher

auto-graph.

How to walk off withspecial memoriesBy RENEEWINKLERFor the Courier-Post

More photo opportunities come atanother event and require a specialticket, said DeVacaris. For $25, youwill beassigneda timeslot toposewithoneof twoplayers inan individual pho-to booth. Last season, the photo boothswere manned by Roy Halladay andCarlos Ruiz.

Ticketholders get a 5-by-7 photo incardboard frame, taken by a photogra-pher and pre-signed by the player.

Ticket salesbenefit theALSAssoci-ation, which has been the team’s offi-cial charity since 1984. Last year, theevent raised nearly $900,000.

Fans may also purchase an assort-ment of Phillies personal items duringa silent auction, sponsored by the play-ers’ wives.

“The wives collect all kinds ofthings, but not related to the game,”DeVacaris said. Last year, for exam-ple, Halladay, who likes to fish, donat-ed a basket filled with autographedfishingsuppliesand tackle.Thedateofthat event has not been selected, shesaid.

In the past, that event has includeda separate raffle for autographedbaseballs. Last year, proceeds fromthe event went to Camp No Worries, aweek-long sleep-away camp for chil-dren with cancer.

Catch a home-run ball hit by CarlosRuiz or any other Phillie? Team reps onstandby will sweep you off to makesure the ball is signed and returned toyou. ALAN DIAZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE


Reader Poll

Which Phillie (current orformer) would you wantto see in Hall of Fame?

Larry Bowa: 32.8%Roy Halladay: 19.3%Curt Schilling: 18.5%Jamie Moyer: 17.6%Ryan Howard: 7%Cliff Lee: 4.8%

Based on CourierPostOnline.com reader poll in early April; 649 total votes

thepark, saidJohnHollinger,coordinatorofre-tail merchandise for the Phillies. Hollingersaid thesaleofautographed items isnegotiatedwith each player, with the Authentics storehandling the game-used items.

Hunt Auctions sells off the personal collec-tions of retired players at each All-Star Game.LastApril,Hunt rananauctionof itemscollect-ed by late Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts,including his 2008World Series ring (hewas anannouncer at the time). That sale was for Rob-erts’ family. Other items put up for auction bythe Phillies organization included a 1915WorldSeries press pin. Some proceeds from the salebenefited Phillies Charities.

Players continue to sign autographs duringpre-game warm-ups, Hollinger said, and mostare approachable during spring training.“Be-yondthat, it’sall aboutwhereyoufind themandhow you approach them that determine the re-action you get,” he said.

But today’s players often want to protecttheir marketability.

“A lot of these guys get paid big money forautographs, so they’re reluctant to sign forfree,” said Jerrold Colton, a Cherry Hill attor-ney who has represented some professionalathletes. “I don’t think they want to sign some-thing that’s going to wind up on eBay. Andsometimes the kids who present something tobe signedare fronting for someonewho’s goingto sell it.”

Playersmight keep a greater distance fromtheir fans these days, but that’s partly becausetheyvaluewhateverprivatemoments they canget, Colton said.

“People don’t have access to players likethey used to. They don’t just walk into and outof the ballpark. The worst for them is whenthey’re approached in their private life,” hesaid.

Colton thinks thevalueof autographs is slip-ping because today people want to have theirphotos takenwith the athlete instead of gettinghis signature “and everybody has a cellphoneso everyone’s taking photos and videos. That’sthe way fans arememorializing the sighting ofa player,” he said.

Contracts with most athletes cover whatthey’ll sign that later is sold at the ball club.“Now, if you have a Babe Ruth baseball, it’sworth something. He’s not signing anymore ofthem,” said Colton, acknowledging that someathletes, such as Pete Rose, would sign any-thing for anyone, anywhere, anytime.

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Heading to CitizensBank Park to watch thePhillies? Certainly, thefive-time defending Na-tional League East champsare themain attraction, butthe ballpark experiencegoes way beyond the ballsand strikes.

From family-friendlyAshburn Alley to the big-ticket Diamond Club, ev-ery Phillies fan can findsomething to enjoy at thepremier ballpark.

Ashburn Alley opens 2-1/2hoursbeforegametime.It is, of course, named forPhillies Hall of Famer Ri-chie Ashburn, and offersfansaplace to eat, shopandreminisce. Ashburn Alleyspans the entire outfieldconcourse, and for fanswho get to the park early,it’s the ideal place to watchbatting practice.

“It’s just a lot of fun andputs you into the rightframe of mind,” said MikeHarris, the Phillies' direc-tor of marketing and spe-cial projects. “It does getvery crowded. Anybodywho arrives early tends togravitate there.”

Ashburn Alley features

the Alley Store for souve-nirs, concession standswith a wide array of culi-nary options and picnic ta-bles.

Take a walk downMem-ory Lane and learn a littlesomething about the histo-ry ofPhiladelphia baseball,including the old Philadel-phia Athletics and the Ne-gro league teams. The Phil-lies Wall of Fame is a mustfor all Alley-goers. Bronzeplaques honoring Philadel-phia’s baseball greats areon display — a traditionthat started at VeteransStadium in 1978. Nearby,the All-Star Walk cele-brates the Phillies’ All-Stars since1933, theyearofthe first All-Star Game.

“You combine all threeof those, plus the statue ofRichie Ashburn, and it’s awonderful testament to thePhillies and the history ofthe game,” said Harris.

Spectators can get anup-close lookatboth teams’bullpens and peek in at thepitchers as they warm up.But, as tempting as it maybe, fans are asked to keepany unsportsmanlike heck-ling to a minimum.

Memory Lane also of-fers a viewing platformwith special tips on how to

throw different pitches.Younger and the young-

at-heart fans can show offtheir talents by playing the“Games of Baseball,” pre-sented by Citizens Bank.Located near the right-field entrance, this iswhere experts can testtheir Phillies knowledgewith the “Phan Trivia Chal-lenge,” while the more ath-letic crowd can try “Runthe Bases” — a running-in-place challenge that clocksthe runner’s speed withsensors.

“It’s pretty funny be-cause what happens isadults will try to play theirkids and the kids alwayswin,” Harris said of “Runthe Bases,” noting that be-wildered parents don’trealize the kids, who arelower to the ground, canstep on the sensors faster.

By stopping at the near-byCitizensBankkiosk, vis-itors can pick up a PhanPrize Card to earn pointswhile playing the games.The card can be traded infor small prizes either thatday or later in the season.

Ashburn Alley also fea-tures a huge set of rooftopbleachers. It’s a nod to oldShibe Park, where resi-dents on 20th Street near

Lehigh Avenue would takein a game from their ownrooftops.

“The residents wouldliterally build these seatson top of their homes towatch the game,” Harrissaid.

But amenities aside, thefood really makes the ball-park a grand slam.

The Phillies and theirexclusive concessionairepartner, Aramark, offertop-notch fare, earning“Best Ballpark Eats” hon-ors by the Food Network in2007 and votedNo.1 in veg-etarian options by PETA.

Along Ashburn Alley,hungry fans can find an as-sortment of traditionalballpark food, as well asPhiladelphia favorites —yes, cheesesteaks and hoa-gies are available — alongwith healthier, vegetarianchoices.

“Thevariety out there iswonderful because there’sa little something for ev-eryone,” said Harris.

And it’s always beingupdated. The late, greatplay-by-play man HarryKalas would be proud ofwhat’s being served upthese days a Harry the K’s.New items include warmpretzels served with

cheese fondue and beermustard, and the bacon-wrapped Texas Tommy,toppedwithchiliandAmer-ican cheese sauce.

The go-to place in Ash-burn Alley, however, mightbe Bull’s BBQ, helmed byPhillies Wall of Fame slug-ger Greg “The Bull” Luzin-ski.TheBullhimself canbefoundat thebarbecuenear-ly every game, muggingfor photos with fans, chat-ting sports and sometimeseven firing a few ribs.

Foramore luxuriousex-perience, season-tickethol-

ders can enter the exclu-sive Diamond Club. Mem-bers enjoy extra-wide, pad-ded seats behind homeplate, andaccess to theDia-mond Clubhouse Lounge.

The indoor lounge of-fers upscale dining optionsand a full bar. Before thegame, club members aretreated to a buffet and,even better, a clear view ofbatting practice.

Something for every-one: Every age, every bud-get, every palate … that’sthe Phillies 2012 ballparkexperience.

The Phillies’ home features fun extras such asnostalgia, shopping and a peek at the players

AAmmuusseemmeenntt ppaarrkk

The Richie Ashburn statue is the centerpiece of AshburnAlley, which also features a Wall of Fame honoringbaseball greats and an All-Star Walk that salutes PhilliesAll-Stars. CHRIS LACHALL/COURIER-POST

By ALEXAWORONOWICZFor the Courier-Post


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First it was the Phillies Phanatic thatbrought a very young Gina Patton to theball games. Now Patton, 31, attends withher husband, Bill, to watch the players’strategies and spend time outdoors.

Oh, the food and drink isn’t bad either,she says.

“My husband and I have eaten hot dogs,hoagies, cheesesteaks, and more, andwe’ve never had a bad experience,” saysPatton, ofMarlton. “The food is fantastic.”

Many tempting new food choices havebeen added to Citizens Bank Park’s menuthis season, and they are sure to be a hitamong fans. From nachos to homemadedesserts, there is guaranteed to be some-thing for even those with the pickiest ofpalates.

“Going to a Phillies game is an event, anight out,” says Kevin Tedesco, Aramarkgeneral manager at Citizens Bank Park.Aramark provides the food for the ball-park. “Wewant everybody to enjoy the ex-perience, whether they want a sit-downdinner or a hot dog.”

AnewDessertAlleyby theHarryKalasstatue featuresmouthwatering treats suchas milkshakes, funnel cakes, ice creambarsandwater ice.And the stars on thisde-lectable team are the homemade cupcakesand mini-donuts.

“The mini-donuts are warm and sweetandyou just pop them in yourmouth,” saysTedesco.

The cupcakes are made fresh daily andcome in traditional vanilla cake, red velvetcake and cannoli cake. The cannoli cup-cake has a cream center and chocolateshavings on top.

“The Dessert Alley is meant to be agreat meeting place, too,” says JeremyCampbell, concessions manager at Citi-

zens Bank Park. “There’s nothing likesmelling the fresh funnel cakes and seeingkids with ice cream dripping down theirarms. It’saplace thatremindsyoufamily isfirst at this ballpark.”

At Harry the K’s, guests will find manynew items includingmini-corn dogs, TexasTommys, Cracklin’ Slow Roasted Porksandwiches and Disco fries — fries cov-ered in brown gravy, mozzarella and ba-con.

The new concessions menu leads offwith a variety of nachos and tacos this sea-son, as well as chicken pesto and ItalianMarket paninis and a Southwestern blackbean burger. Throughout the stadium,guests also will find numerous gluten-freeand vegetarian dishes.

“We have gourmet salads and veggiedogs and burgers,” says Campbell. “Thisyear we added the Southwestern blackbean burger, which has guacamole and sal-sa, to our vegetarian list. We keep commu-nication open with our guests so we canprovide for their needs.”

With all these delicious goodies, guestsare going to get thirsty. And nothing is

more refreshing than an ice-cold beer on ahot day at the game.

“Weare introducinghigher-endbeers totheballpark thisyear,” saysCampbell. “Wewill have the locals, micros and super-pre-mium beers. We also will have more sea-sonal offerings.”

Among the beer lineup are Flying Fish,Yards, Sly Fox, Troegs, Victory and manymore.Thegoal, saysTedesco, is to have thesame beers at the ballpark that guests canfind in their favorite Philadelphia pubs.

“The big brews are still the leaders, butwehaveabout30 to40different localbrew-eries, too,” says Tedesco. “We have a veryvast fan base, and we want them all to behappy.”

Beyond peanuts and Cracker Jack ...Ballpark adds Dessert Alley, new sandwiches,vegetarian delights to already tasty lineupBy CANDY GRANDEFor the Courier-Post

The stars of the new Dessert Alley are homemade cupcakes and mini-donuts. Themini-donuts are warm, sweet and the right size to just pop in the mouth. PHOTO PROVIDED

The Cracklin’ Slow Roasted Pork sandwichis new on the menu at Harry the K’s. PHOTO

PROVIDED

Got a hankering for something cheesy toshare? Try the new barbecue chickennachos at the ballpark. PHOTO PROVIDED

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If youwant to knowhowcritical the official scoreris to baseball, consider thismoment from the 43-yearscoring career of Bob Ken-ney.

It was 1981 at VeteransStadium, and the crowdwas poised to witness PeteRose breaking theNationalLeague record for hits. AsKenney remembers it,then-Phillies President BillGiles watched the gamefrom his side in the pressbox with a walkie-talkie,ready to give the OK to setoff the fireworks.

Rose sent the ball to-ward shortstop; Kenneyimmediately ruled it an er-ror. Giles shouted “No!”Themanwaiting on the sta-dium roof heard “Go!”

Fireworks lit up the skyas the “E” flashed up on thescoreboard. The crowderupted ingroansandboos,all directed at one embar-rassed scorer.

It wasn’t his fault. Butthe crowd didn’t know that.

“It’s the controversialcalls I’mnot proud of,” saidKenney, now 77, his blueeyes still sharp and pene-trating in retirement. Themessy calls were few andfar between, a statistic thatspeaks to the Riversideresident’s long careerworking for the NationalLeague.

Though he is largelyanonymous, the officialscorer is charged withmaking calls that don’t af-fect the outcome of the

game. Because players’contracts and salaries of-ten depend on their statis-tics, the scorer’s decisionsare critical inside baseball.

“It’s a very, very toughjob, because I’m taking thebread out of one person’smouth and putting it in an-other’s, so to speak,” saidKenney, who was also asports editor at the Couri-er-Post at the same time.“If they get charged withan error they don’t think istheirs, I mean, look out,boy.”

Knowing the rules

It was a dream job for abaseball lover. Kenneystarted writing for weeklynewspapers in 1951, even-tually nabbing a job as anassistant sports editor atthe Courier-Post in 1964.While covering the Philliesfor the paper, he also scout-ed for the Detroit Tigers.

“I knew baseball prettywell,” said Kenney, whoalso coached teams in hisspare time. “The rules al-ways fascinated me.”

In those days, writersfrom local papers wereusually hired to score thegames. In 1964, a jobopened up, and Kenneytook a test to see how wellhe knew the rules. He acedit, andwas picked up as thelow man on the totem pole,scoring holiday double-headers at Connie MackStadium and filling outlengthy forms after thegame for another scorerwith more seniority.

He had to keep his eyes

on the ball, and in the earlydays, there was no suchthing as a replay.

“Keep in mind, it hap-pened so fast,” said Ken-ney,who onoccasionpolledreporters in the press boxfor their views on trickycalls. “It always seems tohappen the minute you putyour head down to writeand then, BOOM, what thehell happened, you know?”

Two Courier-Post col-leagues, Doug Frambesand Rick Ventura, servedas extra eyes.

At the Vet, the replaysweren’t very good, Kenneyrecalled, and toward theendofhiscareeratCitizensBankPark,hehadaccess toequipment that allowedhim to look at the play inslow motion on a 24-inchscreen.

“I never liked to dothat,” said Kenney. “I al-ways felt if I saw it, I’d liketo stick to the call that Imade.”

Despite all that, he canrecall only a handful ofhairy rulings. Still, playerslet him know how they felt.

Mad batters

When shortstop LarryBowadisagreedwith a call,he’d stand on second baseand put his hands on hiships to glare at Kenney inthe press box. (Kenney ig-nored him.)

“Some of them werefunny, and some of themwere sarcastic, but they allgot their message to you,”said Kenney. “They nevermade an error and they al-

ways got hits.”There were classy play-

ers, too.One night after a tough

game, Kenney went downto the locker room to quizcatcher Johnny Bench,“one of the best catchersever,” according to Ken-ney, and a Hall of Famer.

“He had a long streak ofno passed balls, severalyears’worth,” saidKenney.“A passed ball is when thecatcher misses the ball.

This particular night, apitch came in and lookedlike it was right down themiddle and it looked like hejust missed it.

“It’s much easier to justsay, ‘wild pitch,’ becausethe pitcher doesn’t reallycare toomuch ... but itwasapassed ball, and God, thefans went nuts. Everybodywas on me because theydidn’t want Johnny Benchto lose his string. So I wentdown afterward andwalked right up him andsaid, ‘Johnny, itwasa toughone. Passed ball?’ AndJohnny says, ‘Oh, absolute-ly, absolutely.’

“It doesn’t change any-thing for me, but it sure ashell makes it easier whenthey ’fess up, so to speak.Johnny Bench was alwaysclass.”

When he retired, Hall ofFame third baseman MikeSchmidt wrote Kenney aletter to thank him for fair-ly scoring his career. PeteRose handled his callswell,too, though he once bustedon Kenney for pinning anerror on the wrong player.

“He was always madabout something, but henever held it against thescorer,” said Kenney. “Hemaynot likeyouforaweek,but you know, he got overit.”

Standing by calls

In hindsight, he said,there were few calls hewould change, hurt feel-ings or not.

Second basemanMannyTrillo was on a long stringof games without an error,when Kenney watched aball bounceoutofhisglove.

“He came up and hewasupset,” said Kenney. “Hetook his glove and threw itdown and he’s stampingaround ... it wasn’t on mydecision. He knew hescrewed up. I called it an

error, which I, to this day,think it was.”

Ten years later, Kenneypicked up a copy of Base-ball Digest in the doctor’soffice and read the head-line on an interview withTrillo: “The Day the ScorerRobbed Me of My RecordStreak.”

“I’ve been threatened.I’ve been pleadedwith, andI’ve been sworn at and allthat stuff,” said Kenney.“You just kinda let it go inone ear and out the other.”

In 2008, after scoringfor four decades, Kenneygave up the best seat in thePhils’ house to finallywatch the games with hiswife in his own house.

Kenney can’t call him-self a Phillies fan. He spenttoo many years distancinghimself emotionally fromplayers so he could remainimpartial.

Though he misses theexcitement of his old job,he doesn’t miss dealingwith the crowds and traf-fic.

It was a demanding job,but oh, what a job. In theearly days, before players’salaries and ticket pricessoared higher than a homerun, Kenney caught rideshome with players like Ri-chie Ashburn, and talkedshopwithCookieRojas andAlvin Dark. He explainedarcane rules to announcerHarry Kalas, and had hisownparking spot under theVet, next to the elevator.

There’s been little fan-fare for the retired news-paperman, though River-side High School named itssports field on HookerStreet after him, an honorhe calls “mind-boggling.”

He serves now as theschool’s official statisti-cian. He can’t help himself.It’s his life.

“I’m the luckiest guy inthe world,” he said.

As the official scorer of the Phillies, Bob Kenney didn’t always have fans in the dugout. Now retired from the Phils,Kenney keeps score at high school baseball games. JOHN ZIOMEK/COURIER-POST

By KIMMULFORDCourier-Post Staff

40+years, but who’skeeping score?

40+years, but who’skeeping score?

Bob Kenney took thePhils’ official stats —and a lot of heat

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Gregg Murphy was en-joying an off day from hisanchoring duties at Com-cast SportsNet this winterwhen he got a call.

“Can you come in for ameeting?” asked the voiceon the other end.

That meeting endedwithMurphy, of SouthHar-rison Township, movingfrom the sports anchordesk to the dugout. Now,he’s the newest member ofthe Phillies televisionbroadcast crew, serving asa roving reporter through-out the stadium, includingthe dugout, the seatingbowl, press box and any-where else something in-teresting is happening.

He also contributes tothe Phillies pregame andpostgame shows.

Baseball has long been apart of life for Murphy,who grew up inMount Lau-rel and attended HolyCross High School, wherehe played baseball untilbreaking his hand in thefirst couple of weeks of hisjunior season.

Murphy, 40, takes on arole that was originallyfilled by TomMcCarthy.

But McCarthy, now theplay-by-play voice of Phil-lies telecasts, was thrustinto his current job aftertheApril 2009death ofHallof Famer Harry Kalas,leaving the roving reporter

role empty — until now.“The idea is to see the

game from a different per-spective,” Murphy said.“Tom (McCarthy) andWheels (Chris Wheeler)and Sarge (Gary Mat-thews) are in the booth andthey bring you the action,what’s happening, throughtheir eyes. But from myperspective, being down inthe dugout or in the crowdorout on the field and in theclubhouse, to talk to theplayers, to find out whysomething happened, whythey decided to go one wayinstead of the other, that’smy role.”

Phillies manager ofbroadcasting Rob Brooks,a Voorhees resident, alsotalked about Murphy’srole.

“He’s going to be able tobring us a lot of interac-tion,” said Brooks.

“There’s so much goingon at the ballpark.Betweenthe lines is, of course, thebig part, but there’s somany other things happen-ing. When you have some-one who is not tethered tothe broadcast booth, it al-lows the viewer to experi-ence so much more ofwhat’s going on at the ball-park.

“We’re one of the lastmajor-market baseballteams to include a sidelinereporter,” Brooks added.“You can see the possibili-ties this presents and wefeltweneeded tohave itbe-

cause we were missing somuch. Gregg is a well-re-spected anchor and report-er and when you lookaround, it was real easy forus to say, ‘Hey, this is ourguy.’ ”

Not bad for a guy whosebroadcasting career beganon a whim.

Murphywasa freshmanat Saint Joseph’s Univer-sity during the 1989-90school year when he volun-teers to broadcast schoolbasketball games at thenew student-run radio sta-tion.

He’s already enjoyingthe chance towork in anac-tion-packed “office,”whether home or on theroad.

“There’s such a love af-fair with the Phillies herein Philadelphia and evendown in Clearwater duringspring training, it was ri-diculous in the stands. It’ssomuch fun. People are en-joying themselves and en-joyingthis teamandIwant-ed… toget that to the view-er at home. What’s theatmosphere like at the ball-park and not just at Citi-zens Bank Park but any-where else, like Pittsburghor San Francisco or wher-ever we are.

“I’m a baseball guy—orat least I like to think I am—and I think it’s importantthat I don’t just do the fluff.I don’t want to just do thefeaturey stuff and that’swhat we talked about be-

fore I accepted the job. It’sincumbent upon me to be areporter and be in the club-house before the game andbe in the clubhouse afterthe game and talk to theseguys and then when Tomand Wheels and Sarge aredoing their analysis, ifthere’s something that Ifeel I can add, I’ll do it.”

Murphy said he was ex-cited about being offeredthe job but had to talk itover with his wife Denise,daughter Quinn, 13; andsons Matthew, 10, and Col-in, 8.

After all, the Philliesplay as many games awayfrom home as they do inCitizens Bank Park.

“It’s the hardest part. Inthis business, you missthings because you worknights,” Murphy said.“You’re covering thethings that people are gath-ering to watch. My sonsplay baseball and mydaughter’s a swimmer.There will be things Imiss,there’s been things Imissed in the past, andthere will be things I’m go-ing tomiss thisyear,maybeevena littlebitmore.Wealltalked about it and they un-derstand.

“My boys are justbouncing off the walls thatdad’s getting a chance towork with the Phillies so Ithink that the positive out-

weighs the negative. Ithink Tom McCarthy gaveme thebest pieceof advice.He has four kids and I said,‘How do you handle it?’ Hesaid to me, ‘The most im-portant thing is that whenyou’re home, you’re homeand when you’re there,you’re there.’ ”

Ironically, Murphy’sboys were in Clearwaterwith his parents, Bill andJoan, on a trip that wasplannedwell before hewaseven offered the Philliesjob. “They were in thecrowd during my firstgame and for me, that wasso nice to know that theywere right there.”

Calling the shots

‘My boys are just bouncing off the walls that dad’s getting a chance to work with thePhillies,’ says Gregg Murphy, who broadcast from spring training as part of his new job asa roving reporter with the team. MILES KENNEDY/FOR THE PHILLIES

S.J. man is newest memberof Phillies broadcast teamByMIKE SHUTECourier-Post Staff

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When the Spectrumwasstill standing and XfinityLive! was just a whisper ofan idea, that whisper waspretty grandiose. Rumorsabounded that the land inthe South Philadelphia sta-dium complex would be-comea luxuryhotel, ashop-ping mall, an all-encom-passing space for live en-tertainment, maybe even acasino.

As the economychanged and the develop-ers — the award-winningBaltimore-based CordishGroup — began to gaugepublic reaction, ideasturned into plans, plansturned into constructionand construction turnedinto something quintessen-tially Philly — a food-and-drink marketplace.

Xfinity Live! containsfour anchor venues — theupscale steak house Spec-trum Grill, a large Ger-man-style brew palacecalled Victory Beer Hall,the always-a-party atmos-phere (complete with me-chanical bull) PBR Bar &Grill, and the more family-friendly Broad Street Bul-

lies Pub. The rest of thespace is dedicated to thePhilly Marketplace, whichconsists of local stapleslike Chickie's & Pete's,Goodnoe's Ice Cream, OldOriginal Nick's Roast Beefand Original PhiladelphiaCheesesteak Company.

Of course, no sports-ori-ented space would be com-plete without a way towatch games.Xfinity Live!doesn’t play around in thisarea: ItsNBCSportsArenafeaturing a 32-foot high-resolution TV and dozensof smaller models, promis-es always to feature all ofthe local sports action youcan handle, as well as na-tional games.That’s a boostfor Phillies fans who also

want to keep up with theSixers and Flyers actionand, come late summer,those early-season Eaglesgames.

And the venue has itsownversionofPhanavision— a 24-foot wide outdoorvideo board dubbed theXfinity On Demand Thea-ter,wherefanscanseebothgames and family movies.An outdoor mini artificialturf fieldwill host concertsand other activities. It’ssure to be a hit with tailga-terswhoenjoy theparking-lot camaraderie of the sta-dium complex.

“We encourage fans toarrive early,” said RobJohnson, vice president ofmarketing, of visiting

Xfinity Live! “We are real-ly excited to unveil this ex-perience to all of ourguests.”

Xfinity Live! is openseven days a week from 11a.m. to 2 a.m., opening ear-lier for special events.

During the day, XfinityLive! is a family-friendlyexperience, with manylunch specials that start at$5, Johnson said. “We arenot hosting a sports team,we are hosting an enter-

tainment experience, sothe prices will be morecomparable to bars andrestaurants downtownthan across the parking lotat the stadium,” he added.

There are plans to coor-dinate parties and eventswith fan-favorite McFad-den’s at Citizens BankPark.XfinityLive!alsowillhost before- and after-par-ties on game days, as wellasviewingparties forawaygames.

Who needs tickets?Grab a seat at Xfinity Live!The new venue extends sports action, food finds and nightlife beyond the ballpark

Xfinity Live! offers a variety of dining options, and theultimate sports-bar atmosphere at the NBC Sports Arena.CHRIS LACHALL/COURIER-POST

Xfinity Live! pays homage to the site’s former incarnaton as the Spectrum: Portions of thebasketball court and hockey boards from the arena will make up the floor of a Mitchell &Ness sporting goods store at the new venue. CHRIS LACHALL/COURIER-POST

ByMOLLY GRASSIFor the Courier-Post

IF YOU GOXfinity Live! is at 1100Pattison Ave. in Philadel-phia. Parking is free onnon-event days, and anhour after a stadiumevent starts; fees similar toother stadium lots duringevents.

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For Erica and FrankMoon, going to a Philliesgamewith their threegirls— Julia, 6; Emma, 4; and 1-year-old Gabrielle —means a day filled withfamily fun.

“My husband and I em-brace the game, food andPhilly pride,” says EricaMoon of Marlton. “I be-lieve my kids enjoy theatmosphere in general.They love all the music,food and especially thedancing Phanatic.”

The girls also like toromp in the Phanatic PhunZone, a themed play areanear the first-base gate.Theplay structure, gearedfor kids 8 and under, hasplenty of tunnels forclimbing amd crawlingthrough. A junior versionof thePhunZone is just fortots 2 and under.

A “Run the Bases”game near the right-fieldgateentrancegiveskids—and grownups — a chanceto test foot speed. Specialsensors let players know ifthey’re motoring like aMajor Leaguer.

“Baseball is a sport thatis part of the Americanfabric,” says Meghan Ess-man, director of fan devel-opment and education pro-grams for the Phillies. “Itis appealing to young kids.They want to learn to playand be a part of the experi-ence.”

That’s why the Philshave giveaways specifi-cally for children, as wellas a kids opening night,run-the-bases events, kidsclubs andmuchmore. Andthe excitement beginswith the youngest fans col-lecting their first-gamecertificates — it’s just an-

other way the team wel-comes youngsters whotheyhopewill become life-long fans.

“All three of the kidshave theircertificate fromthe first game they attend-ed,” says Erica Moon.“They are in their scrap-books.”

As kids grow, they canparticipate in kids clubsfor ages 14 and younger.For a $13 annual fee, theJunior Phillies Club pro-vides children a member-ship card, Phillies gearand a head’s-up about spe-cial events at the ballparkthey can participate in.The Phantatic MVP Club($12 registration fee) of-fers many of the samebenefits but focuses on thePhanatic.

Are kids ready to taketheir own swings? ThePhillies Baseball Acad-emy summer camps arefor boys and girls ages 6 to14, and give kids instruc-tion and demonstrationsfrom the Phillies’ experi-enced coaching staff.Aside from a cool PhilliesAcademy uniform, play-ers also benefit fromskillstests, scrimmages andgames. Returning camp-ers receive bonuses suchas dancing with the Pha-natic at the dugout, be-hind-the-scenes tours anddinner at Citizens BankPark, and batting practiceat the park.

“Any time kids areplaying baseball it is agreat way for them to con-nect with the Phillies,”says Essman. “And thecampshelp themdevelopalove for the sport in gener-al.”

The Phillies assist kidswho can’t afford to play inorganized baseballleagues through theirPhil-

lies RBI (Reviving Base-ball in InnerCities) andJu-nior RBI programs.Youths fromCamden haveparticipated in the pro-gram, which includes in-struction and competitiveplay.

“This is a great pro-gram because it teacheskids to work together as ateam,” says Essman. “Ithelps them realize theyare not just responsiblefor themselves but alsotheir other teammates.”

The Phillies also havetheir own goodwill ambas-sador — the Phanatic —who visits schoolsthroughout theyear topro-mote the Phanatic AboutReading literacy programand the Phillies Phitnessprogram. The programs,for children in kindergar-ten through eighth grade,are designed to exercisethe mind and body.

“The literacy programis dedicated to developinga child’s mind,” says Ess-man. “We encourage themto read 15 minutes a day.And the fitness programhelps kids have a healthyfuture by making smartfood choices and learningto exercise.”

Rookie fans playMAJOR ROLEThe Phillies focus on kids withballpark fun, camps, clubs and more

Kids get instruction at Phillies Baseball Academy camps held in various locations, suchas this one in Moorestown in 2010. DOUGLAS BOVITT/COURIER-POST FILE

By CANDY GRANDEFor the Courier-Post MORE

INFORMATIONFor details on joiningPhillies kids clubs, go towww.philadelphia.phil-lies.mlb.com/phi/fan_fo-rum/kids_index.jsp

For information on Phil-lies Baseball Academycamps, including SouthJersey locations, call (610)520-3400 or go towww.philliescamps.com

Baseball, so the poets and sportwrit-ers tell us, is all about fathers passingtheir love of the game on to their sons.

It’s the Ken Griffeys Senior and Ju-nior; it’s Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsellahaving a catch in an Iowa cornfield withhisestrangedghostdad; it’s JoeBuck im-itatingaWorldSeriescall his fatherJackmade two decades earlier. Baseball loreis full of heartwarming stories of dadsand their boys and the joy and bondingthe game brings them both.

What’s a baseball-mad chick to do?Especially when she has a daughter?

I came by my baseball mania in a bit-tersweet way: Trying to find a means toconnect with a distant and reluctant fa-ther, I cleaved to the thing he seemed tolove best, hoping we’d have some com-monground.Andwhile thatworked for atime, in the end, the father left but thelove for the game remained.

Now I have a daughter who’ll be 3soon and I’m trying hard to keep heraway from the Princess-Industrial Com-plex, no easy task. There are princesseseverywhere: on littlegirls’ clothes, in thetoy aisles, on sippy cups and yogurt,backpacks and diapers. And even thoseprincesses, pretty and useless thoughthey may be, are less offensive thanBratz and their tarted-up little cousins.

At least Barbie, my generation’s girltoy of choice, had a job. Several, in fact.

What isn’t everywhere is much evi-dence of girls playing or watchingsports, even though so many of them do.There’s theoddpinkgloveorPhillieshat,but toys for girls are all about cooking,clothes, jewelry, ponies and, yes, thoseubiquitous princesses.

Mydaughter is close to herdaddyandspends a lot of time with him, and one of

my happiest moments as a mother came afew weeks ago, on an especially warmMarchday,when the two of themhad theirfirst catch in the front yard. So what if thegamewasmore kid-throwing, daddy-pick-ing-up, daddy-throwing, kid-chasing. Thelovewas there between them, and the loveof baseball, already planted, was beingnurtured.

She was given a little pink mitt beforeshewas even born and among her favoritebooks are a pop-up version of “Take MeOut to the Ballgame” and a LeroyNeiman-illustrated “Casey at the Bat.” As soon asshewasable towalkonherown,weboughther a tee with a big, plastic yellow bat andwhen she sees that green fuzzy guy on TV,she immediately yells, “Phillie ’Natic!”

She’s seen theRiversharksand thePhil-lies play at their respective ballparks andwe’ll takeherback to bothplaces this sum-mer. But because her father works atnight, the bulk of her baseball viewingwillbe at home, with her mommy, who’ll ex-plain it all: the infield-fly rule,why thedes-ignated hitter is an abomination, how tokeep score, why the third base coach isconstantly in motion.

I’ll tell her the stories: about JackieRobinson’s courage and Babe Ruth’s giantpresence; about Harry and Whitey andSchmidt and Krukker and Lefty; aboutMitch Williams’ one bad pitch and RoyHalladay’s many great ones.

When she’s a little older, I’ll go to hertee-ball games and maybe, if she lets me,coach her team.

And yes, we’ll definitely play catch.

Passing the pastimePhaedra Trethan

As soon as my daughterwas able to walk on herown, we bought her a teewith a big, plastic yellowbat and when she sees thatgreen fuzzy guy on TV, sheimmediately yells, ‘Phillie’Natic!’

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Rare is the baseball team that has a full lineup of fan favorites, and the factthat the Philadelphia Phillies is one of themmakes Francis Winkey’s job easier.Winkey is themerchandisemanagerfor theMajesticClubhouseatCitizensBankPark, where shelves and racks are loaded not only with a variety of T-shirt andjersey styles, but an impressively long list of players’ names on them.

“We even have a manager shirt,” he said, pointing to one with Charlie Ma-nuel’s last name on the back. “Howmany teams can say that?”

Ridingawaveof successful seasons,Winkeyhas stockeduponprovensellersand a slew of new items that he hopeswill reach that status. To find out what’s instore this season, we toured the racks of shirts, shelves of kitchenware and bas-kets of plush toys that fill the Majestic Clubhouse, “where tailgating is a wholecategory,” Winkey said.

TheMajesticClubhouse is openall year andaccessiblewithout agame ticket.It also sells stuff that isn’t licensed anywhere else.

SSppoorrtt yyoouurrPHILLIES PRIDE

By RENEE JANOWICZFor the Courier-PostFrom wearable

keepsakes to toys,team souvenirs comein every pinstripe

A new line of bobbleheads —featuring 10 players plus thePhanatic — incorporates richdetail. The Hunter Pence figureeven sports high socks anddirty knees. Figures are moreaction-oriented than poseperfect, such as JonathanPapelbon celebrating with aprimal scream. Exclusively atthe Majestic Clubhouse.$24.99. AL SCHELL/COURIER-POST

Extra innings are more funwith a plush Phanatic pillowto cuddle. Choose from pinkor blue minis for little ones, orextra-large megas. Megas,$119.99; minis (left), availablein May, $25.99. AL

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Shine on, sister, in a tank topthat underscores spirit withsparkle. This hot item featuresinlaid Swarovski crystals andcan be had in red, Columbiablue and maroon. $59.99. AL

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Know a green thumb who bleeds red? Stumpy Gnome canstand guard in the garden while the game’s in play. Gnomesare a longtime fan fave, appearing as statues, Christmasornaments, and salt and pepper shakers. Stumpy Gnome is asquat 7 inches who looks ready to evict a seat-stealer, or justpluck a few weeds. $12.99. AL SCHELL/COURIER-POST

If your ringtone bleats ‘High Hopes,’it ought to come from a phonecradled in a Phillies logo. One phonecover even features a built-in bottleopener, which could come in handyat the game. Phone covers rangefrom $29.99 to $39.99. CHRIS

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Early signs point to sell-outs for the newdangle hat, a Phanatic take on last year’shigh-demand products. Super soft ‘fur’ andflashy colors make it an eye-catching way tostay warm through the postseason. Thedangles aren’t really designed to be tied, butthey do bring a little swing to the game.$24.99. AL SCHELL/ COURIER-POST


phia,” said Mark Dansbu-ry of BC Sports in theMoorestownMall.

“RoyHalladay’s jerseyhas been themost popularamong fans for the pastthree seasons,” added JoeMachion of Modell’sSporting Goods in theCherry Hill Mall.

Retailers said fans alsoseek out jerseys bearingthe names of Cliff Lee,Chase Utley and RyanHoward.

Since Hunter Pencewas a late addition to theteam last season, mer-chandise associated withthe affable right fielder isexpected to sell quickly.And yes, that will includeT-shirts with Pence’s pop-ular quote, “Good game,let’s go eat!”

New closer Jonathon

Oct. 7, 2011,wasabittercold night and still hauntsthe minds of many Phil-lies fans.

That night, the Philliesfell 1-0 in Game 5 of theNLDS to the soon-to-beWorldSerieschampionSt.Louis Cardinals.

Six months later, thePhillies are back to makeanother run at a WorldChampionship. Onceagain, fanswill show theirsupport by wearing play-er jerseys.

“Since 2008 (when thePhils last won the WorldSeries), sales of Philliesitems have risen signifi-cantly. The team now ri-vals theEagles as theNo.1sports team in Philadel-

Papelbon should be a bighit in stores.

Also, fans can dust offtheir old Jim Thome jer-seys from 2003, or pur-chase new ones to cele-brate the veteran firstbaseman’s return toPhila-delphia.

Francis Winkey, man-ager of the PhilliesMajes-tic Clubhouse at CitizensBankPark, said jerseys—and other teammementos— hold a lot of meaningfor fans.

“It’s not just merchan-dise, it’s memories,” hesaid. “That foam finger onthe shelf in your base-ment or that authenticRyanHoward jersey. Peo-ple want to commemoratespecial events in their(sports) lives.”

Here’s the lineup: Sports fans can support their favorite players by wearing theirjerseys, such as these for sale at the Majestic Clubhouse store at Citizens Bank Park. ALSCHELL/COURIER-POST

Fresh jerseysBy JIM FISCHERCourier-Post Staff

You don’t have to bea Lego lover toappreciate Philliebuilding block toysmade by OYO. The 10players in the seriesare made of tinyparts, allowing theuser to create afantasy team, whichcould even includeRyan Howard as arighty. $15.99. AL

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Phillie-wear for babies has been aroundfor years, but finally there’s the one itemthey really can’t live without: diapers.Emblazoned with the Phillies logo andPhanatic image in red and blue, theyrange from size 2 to 5. Packages have 20to 24 diapers, depending on size. $14.99.CHRIS LACHALL / COURIER-POST


Can the same home plate where players spit wads oftobacco and knock gunk off their cleats be suitable for agraceful bride and staid groom to exchange their vows?

“It’s what you make of it,” said Stefani Kirk, whodraggedher trainacross thathallowedground inCitizensBank in July 2010. She declined a bridesmaid’s request towear aPhillies jersey, dressed themen in traditional tux-edos, and lucked out with a gorgeous blue sky for hermarriage to Al Kirk.

And yes, she said, the spot made for a beautiful wed-ding.

“TheDiamondClub inside is absolutely stunning,” saidKirk of Voorhees. “That’s what made the event as elegantas it was.”

Weddings are among many special events for whichCitizens Bank Park opens its turnstiles, said Joe Giles, di-rector of business development for the ballpark. Compa-nies converge for trade shows, couples pose for engage-ment photos and organizations host fundraisers there.

The park is the site of an annual dental trade show, andswimming pool and spa showcase.

“Last year, in addition to 90-some baseball games, wehad 288 non-baseball events,” Giles said. “Almost everyday there’s something going on.”

Seven of those functions were bar or bat mitzvah par-

ties, including the one Beth and Barry Sokol of Marltonthrew for their sonGrant. Thepark offeredaunique expe-rience forguestswhohadattendedmanyparties celebrat-ing the Jewish ritual.

“The kids who are Jewish and have been to a lot of barmitzvahs were blown away because of the venue,” BarrySokol said. “We had the Phillie Phanatic with us (and that)blew the house away.”

The most challenging part of booking a ballpark eventmight be coordinating calendars. Nothing can be con-firmed until the game schedule is announced each Sep-tember, and thePhillies limit thenumber of events that re-

Having a ball Citizens Bank Park makes afun and surprisingly elegantvenue for private parties

Baseball fans Stefani and Al Kirk of Voorhees scored the wedding of their dreams at Citizens Bank Park in July 2010. PHOTO

BY PITTELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

Grant Sokol is hoisted during the horah dance whilecelebrating his bar mitzvah at Citizens Bank Park (withthat meshugah Phillie Phanatic). PHOTO BY ELI ALLEN/MAJESTIC

IMAGES

By RENEE R. JANOWICZFor the Courier-Post

MORE INFORMATIONFor details on arranging special events at Citizens BankPark, call (215) 218-5100 or email [email protected].

See PARTIES, Page 18G

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There’s always 2013: 33.7%

At least the first round of the postseason: 30.9%

All the way, baby: 19.3%

Another National League championship: 16.1%Based on CourierPostOnline.com reader poll in early April; 646 total votes

What is yourprediction for thePhillies season?

Reader Poll

quire use of the field so thegrass stays in good shape.There’s awaiting list, Gilessaid, and as soon as gamesare set, the non-game datesare up for grabs.

Kirk abandoned heroriginal idea for a fall wed-ding because postseasonpotential put questionmarks across the calendar.Moving up the weddingdate to July was a smallconcession for this couplewho started touring MajorLeague Baseball stadiumsduring their courtship.

Their ceremony was athome plate, with guestswatching from the plushseats of the Diamond Club.Guestsgatheredat theHallof Fame Club for cocktailsuntil shifting to the interiorportion of the DiamondClub for the dinner recep-tion.

And while Phillies jer-seyswere off-limits for thebridalparty,Kirkdid incor-porate some ballpark flairinto the reception. Theseating cards, for example,looked like tickets and di-rected guests to tablesnamed for players. Thewedding cake was a collec-tion of cupcakes iced tolook like baseballs. Thecake also featured greenicing reminiscent of grass,

and the cake topper was agroompitching toabrideatbat.

Kirk loved the weddingexperience somuch she re-fused to clean the dirt fromher dress.

“It’s covered in orangedirt still to this date,” shesaid. “I paid so much mon-ey to be on that dirt (that) Iwant to save it forever.”

A so-called “home platewedding” like Kirk’s cancost from $2,000 to $6,000“depending on how manybells andwhistles you get,”Giles said.Eventsat the topof the price scale includevideo projection on the gi-ant color scoreboardscreen plus a keepsakeDVD.

Themedia room,Hall ofFame Club and Harry theK’s are among the sectionsof Citizens Bank Park thatcan be rented. Most expen-sive is the Diamond Club,where the $5,000 feedoesn’t include food andbeverages. It’s available asa gathering spot evenwhenthe wedding isn’t held atthe park.

“People think it’s neat tohave their event at thepark,”Giles said. “On occa-sion, people can get a Phil-lies personality to comeand sign autographs.”

As the Sokols found outwith the Phanatic, such astar attraction can sky-rocket an event from greatto spectacular.

Their bar mitzvah rent-al package also includedtime for a photographer toshoot Grant in all sorts ofposes at the park — quite atreat for a kid described asa “huge Phillies fan.”Dressed in pinstripes, hestood in front of playerlockers and sat in the dug-out. Fifteen favorite photosbecame table markers.Guests stopped at a VIPbooth where an attendantprinted ticket-like direc-tions to their tables. Balls,gloves and other baseballparaphernalia carried thetheme into centerpieces.

Barry Sokol said rentalcosts weren’t out of linewith those for other ven-ues, andhecommended thestaff forhandlingeveryde-tail with professionalism.

“People really feel likeyou’re spending this outra-geous amount of money,”he said. “But for every-thing you get, it really isfairly reasonable.”

Wedding planners andbar mitzvah parents aren’tthe only ones who appreci-ate the park’s uniquenessand free parking. Thosefactors are also a draw forbusinesses and others or-ganizing special events.

“It’s centrally located inthe tri-state region and it’seasy to get to,” Giles said.

A bonus: companies canlure clients with behind-the-scenes tours.

PartiesContinued from Page 17G

Stefani Kirk opted for a mix of tradition (tuxedos) and whimsy (wedding cake made of‘baseball’ cupcakes) for her Citizens Bank Park wedding. The reception was held in theposh Diamond Club. PHOTO BY PITTELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

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Ryne Sandberg and Larry Bowa forIvan DeJesus (1982): 42.8%

CurtSchilling forOmarDaal,NelsonFigueroa,Travis Lee and Vicente Padilla (2000): 38.8%

Ferguson Jenkins forLarry Jackson and Bob Buhl (1966): 10.4%

Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez forFreddy Garcia (2006): 8%

Based on CourierPostOnline.com readerpoll in early April; 577 total votes.

Curt Schilling


Baseball has alwaysbeen a sport that lends it-self to pilgrimages. Thesummer season, the histor-ic Hall of Fame, and theway every ballpark acts asa snapshot for its homecityare all siren songs for thetrue baseball fan.

Phillies fans, of course,are no exception. Withinreasonable driving dis-tance of a half-dozen stadi-ums (or more, dependingon your definition of “rea-sonable”), local fans makeroad trips each year to fol-low the Phils.

Alyson Schenberger, 50,of Berlin has been an al-most lifelong Phillies roadtripper.

“The first time we wentto spring training in Flori-da it was the ’70’s,” saidSchenberger. “My fatherworked in advertising andwewouldgotospringtrain-ing over our spring break.”Schenberger and her par-ents and brothers stayed inthe same condos as thePhilliesandHarryKalasonone of those trips, and shehas continued the traditionas an adult.

“I’m a teacher,” Schen-berger said, “and until myson went to college we’d godown to Florida for everyspring break and go see thePhillies at spring training.”

Schenberger, and herson Mark, 19, also head outto regular-season roadtrips every summer.They’re joined by herbrother, Carl, and his son

Nick, 17. Together and sep-arately, the family has vis-ited Washington, Pitts-burgh, Boston, Chicago,Los Angeles, New York,San Diego, and Baltimore.Twice, they’vestayed in thesame hotel as Phillies play-ers, and have collectedautographs and memories.

Summer-break bondingwas also the initial motiva-tion forAndrewPitts, 39, ofMount Laurel to start tak-ing his son, Drew, 12, toroad games.

“We started going toaway games as a bondingexperience because myson’s mother and I are di-vorced and I thought itwould be a great idea to gosomewhere over my son’ssummer break fromschool,” said Pitts.

Their first trip was toSan Diego in August 2008,

and they have since visitedPittsburgh and Toronto.

Not all road trippersstart out so far from home.Kaitlyn Adams, 35, and herboyfriend Matthew Wool-ford, 37, did their first roadtrip in 2010 as part of an or-ganized bus trip to Nation-als Park in Washington.Theirbusparked inadesig-nated lot with other busesfilled with Phillies faithful.

“The lot was a sceneright out of CBP with ev-eryone hanging out and do-ing the regular tailgateme-nu of beers and hoagies.”Woolford said. “We did nothave much Nationals faninteraction since the stadi-umwas overrun byPhilliesfans.”

After their first taste ofroad-tripping, Adams andWoolford went back to Na-tionals Park on their own,

and then branched out toSanFrancisco in 2011to seethe Giants play in theirhome, AT&T Park. It wasthere that they saw abench-clearing brawl,sparked when Shane Victo-rino was hit by a pitch.“This stadium was our fa-vorite due to the fantasticviews of the bay and the‘rolling fog,’ ” Woolfordsaid.

Road trips hold obviousappeal for adventurousfans, but are some beingdrivenoutof townbyrisingticket prices buoyed by a2008 World Series win? Orare they being shut out ofhome games entirely?

Not at all, says JohnWe-ber, Phillies vice presidentofsales&ticketoperations.

The Phillies begin re-leasing tickets in Decem-ber. By the start of the sea-

son, only about 10 to 15games had sold out, saidWeber, and those are par-ticularly popular datessuch as Saturday gamesand games that offer bob-ble-head promotions, aswell as games against big-market teams like the Bos-ton Red Sox.

“We try to make sure allof our fanshaveachance tobuy tickets if theywant to,”said Weber. The Phillieshave raised prices over thelast fewyears, but do it on asection-by-section basis,often raising the prices ofpremium sections whiletrying to leave the cheaperseats reasonable for fans.“Our goal is to make surepeople aren’t priced out ofgames.”

Weber also notes thatwhile April has a limitedhome schedule, and Mayand June games often sellout fast, there are stillmany games with lots oftickets left, especially inJuly and August.

If you’re still not satis-fied, or are just itching togo somewhere new, thePhillies themselves orga-nize road-trip game pack-ages.

“In general there’s quitea large number of Philliesfans that go to awaygames,” said Joe Giles, di-rector of business develop-ment at Citizens BankPark. “Whether it’s trans-plants seeing the Phillies intheir new hometowns, newPhillies fans or travelers—they’re there. You can hearthem on TV.”

These new-ish packages

attempt to add to that pres-ence, and include hotel ac-commodations, an exclu-sive brunch with Philliespersonnel, a ballpark tour,game tickets, a Philliesroad-trip jacket, and somecity-specific fun.Thisyear,the trips will be headed toSt. Louis, Miami and Colo-rado. Giles notes thatwhilethese packages are avail-able to anyone, they arelimited to about 150 peopleper trip.

You could always dowhat any number of enter-prising Phillies fans do ev-ery year — plan your ownvacation.This year, in addi-tion to regular attendanceat home games, AndrewPitts will take his son toBaltimore and Washingtonto see Phillies games. Kait-lyn Adams and MatthewWoolford will visit the Dia-mondbacks in Arizona, theOrioles in Baltimore, and,of course, return to Wash-ington, where it all began.

As for Alyson Schen-berger, she andherbrotherhaven’t firmed their plansupyet, but she’spretty surethey’ll be taking anotherroad trip. After all, it’s atradition.

Take me (way) out to the ballgameRoad trippers make a tradition of following the Phillies to other stadiumsByMOLLY GRASSIFor the Courier-Post

Mark Schenberger of Berlin enjoys a trip to Nationals Park — just one of many Philliesroad excursions he’s made with his mom Alyson and other family members.

MOREINFORMATIONFor more on road tripsorganized by the Phillies,go to www.philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/ticketing/road_trip.jsp orcall (877) 833-7326.

Email: [email protected]

(856)795-3226

License # 13VH00266200John Morrison LMP#12650Michael LaRosa Lic#11275

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In 2006, my friend Bill and I went to Clearwater for spring training. Weenjoyedourstay,but themostmemorablemomentwasmeetingChaseUtley.

Chase had finished batting practice after a game andwalked over to talk.Hewasverynice.Wetookpicturesandhesignedafoulball Ihad.Wetoldhimwe were at his first game in 2003 when he hit a grand slam. He was veryexcited to hear about that. He asked about the fans’ reaction. “Did everyonestand up and yell? Because I was new, they didn’t know anything about meandwerenot interested inme.”We toldhimwesawfansyellingandstandingon their seats to get a better look at the young rookie who hit a grand slam. Inoticed one man threw his cup of beer up in the air and everyone got wet.Chase really enjoyed our story. Hewas so nice, hewould have talked longer,but Ed Wade was standing nearby, so Chase decided to go back to bat. Hethanked us for being there and telling our story.

—Rita Mitchell,Westmont

Chase Utley and Rita Mitchell.

First of all, my greatest memory is being present forGame 6 for the 1980 World Series: Awesome game and aworld championship.When the Phillieswon again in ’08, Iwas on a cruise in the Caribbean (I am still upset withmywife— itwas a surprise trip). But,mywife and I and fourof our friends took over the sports bar on the ship for bothhalvesof the finalgameandhadagreat time.But thecool-est Philliesmemorywas in1975when I owned a sound re-cording studio and recorded Larry Bowa and Dave Cashfor a novelty song “Ting-A-Ling Double Play,” which wassold at Veterans Stadium. They also had a record releaseparty.

—Charlie Galletti,Upper Darby, Pa.

Charlie Galletti (right) of Upper Darby, Pa., with his sonMatthew of Downingtown, Pa., were part of the 'redcarpet' to welcome the Phils on Opening Day 2011.

Thisstory isnotaboutme, it isaboutmyson:Withus being season ticket-holders, John has been tomany, many games. His first World Series was in1993. Now he is a U.S. soldier serving overseas.When I spoke with him about your newspaper arti-cle,much tomy surprise he related amemory tomethat is worth sharing. Wewere at the the first gameplayed against the Braves in Vet Stadium post 9/11.We were walking to a concession stand to get ourusualhotdogandsodawhenwewereapproachedbya reporter who asked howwe felt about being at thegame. Johnwas9.Hesaidhecouldn’t believehesawhis hero LarryBowa cry as the national anthemwasbeingplayed,hesaid itmadehimunderstandwhat itmeant to be an American, and how proud he was tobeable tobeat thegame.Notuntil theotherdaydidIknow thatwas thedefining reasonmyson joined themilitary. He was deeply touched watching “his”team, how they played, the feeling at the stadium,the fans. Never in mywildest dreams did I imaginethat baseball would shape his life in the way it has.I'm very proud and would like the Phillies to know.

—Patricia Wilson,Voorhees

John Wilson of Voorhees wasinspired to join the military afterexperiencing a patriotic moment ata Phillies game when he was just 9years old.


The Phillies have given us plenty of memorable gamesover the years. But trips to the ballpark stick with our read-ers for so many other reasons: They’ve created treasuredfamily traditions, met their future spouses or caught foulballs.A few luckyonesevenhavehad thechance tomeet starplayers.

Read on for a peek at our readers’ favorite Phillies memo-ries. They’re all winners.

Calling upmemories

We have two daughters who have been tomore Phillies games than I can count. (My hus-band and I both came from families with seasonticket plans.)

Our oldest daughter, 17, started going to Phil-lies gameswhen shewas 3months old. Today sheis a die-hard Philllies fan who was fortunateenough to be at the game when the Phillies wontheWorld Series in 2008 .Our seconddaughter is14 and was born during the 1997 baseball strike,so shedidn't attendher first gameuntil shewas8months old. She was there when Halladaypitched the no-hitter in 2010.

In the last several yearswe have taken 3 tripsto spring training with our daughters. What anexperience that was! Both girls have Phillies’ vi-sors that they had signed by Phillies players andexecutives that we met over the years: DallasGreen, John Vukovich, Ruben Amaro, Bill Giles.

And in April 2001, I had a surprise 40th birth-day party for my husband at Veterans Stadium.

—Maryanne Sieber,Gloucester Township

John Sieber and daughterGabrielle, then 13, of GloucesterTownship, appear in a memento ofthe Phillies' 2008 World Series win.

Myfavorite Philliesmemorywas the time I went on a tour ofCitizensBankParkwithmydadand my brother. I got to see thePhillies locker room and go inthe dugout. It was the best dayof my life!

—Nicholas Hilbert,10 years old,

Washington Township

NicholasHilbert, 10,with dadGeorge andbrotherLucas, 7.

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CALL TODAY FORAN APPOINTMENT &MORE INFORMATION

10% Senior Citizen Discounton all services except Dentures & Implants

Richard D. Ruden, DMD

No Bait & SwitchNo GimmicksEVERGREENDENTAL

$549 Per Denture!Full or Partial

549 S. Evergreen Ave. • Woodbury

856-845-3299

We Know It Will Be Worth The Ride!We are now offering an implantsupported denture for under $4,000

Latest in Laser Dentistry Cosmetic DentistryPorcelain Crowns & Veneers General Dentistry

Quality doesnot have to beexpensive!

• Swim Clubs• Little Leagues• Graduations

• Organizations• Church Functions

• Cookouts &Barbecues

PURE FOODS

Wholesale Food Outlet & Distributor

OUR “ONLY” LOCATION OPEN TOTHEPUBLIC NOMEMBERSHIPFEES!

Owned and Operated by the Heim Family - Walt & Paul

SNACKS • #10 can products • Burgers• Steaks Meatballs • Chicken Wings

• Paper Products • Salads

DO-It-Yourself PartiesDO-It-Yourself Parties

CP-001

0472

284

77 Years in

Business ~

& Still Going

Strong!

218 Powell Street • Gloucester, New JerseyFax 456-0305 Phone: 456-3630

Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-4:30pmSat. 9:00am-12:00 noonSun. CLOSED

Phillies Phan Guide

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