Phillies fans welcome back playoff baseball at Citizens Bank Park
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The energy at Citizens Bank Park was nothing short of electric Friday afternoon, with fans of all ages sporting their best jerseys and randomly breaking out into “let’s go Phillies” chants as they weaved their way through music and scents of grilled meats into the ballpark.
Friday’s game against the Atlanta Braves marked the long awaited return of postseason baseball in Philadelphia, and for many fans the occasion was nothing short of cathartic. For a “so-called hostile environment,” as described by Braves coach Brian Snitker, Citizens Bank Park hosted plenty of fans who were just happy their team made it this far.
One fan rushed to the entrance of the ballpark shouting, “There’s something in the air, hope in the hearts!” Others searched for last-minute tickets, while the Phanatic crushed an Atlanta Braves helmet before hundreds of cheering fans. The Philly band Snacktime played music for a block party crowd replete with food trucks and a Ferris wheel.
West Philly resident Justin Hofmann, 26, wore as many pieces of baseball attire as possible — Bryce Harper socks, a Phillies cape, an Aaron Nola T-shirt, and Phillies boxers — without overheating.
He credited the 2008 Fightin’ Phils for helping him get through one of the hardest moments of his life. The year the Phillies won the World Series, Hofmann was in a wheelchair, recovering from septic arthritis he suffered while playing baseball on a travel team.
“It was a really traumatic time in my life but people at the hospital brought me videogames and memorabilia T-shirts,” he said, adding he wouldn’t miss Friday’s game for anything.
Others traced their affection for the Fightin’ Phils — win or lose— to family.
Ridley resident and season ticket holder Dawn Boyle, 48, was one of the first people to enter the ballpark, not wanting to miss anything and to take this moment in. Boyle described her devotion to the team as an inheritance from her mother.
“She loved them so much,” said Boyle, recalling how she’d teased her mom for always getting the names of players slightly wrong in the ‘80s.
Boyle’s mother died in 2013 but baseball remains a shared experience.
“I’ve been praying to her for these wins,” said Boyle. “Her birthday was the 8th [when the Phillies won the wild card series against the St. Louis Cardinals]. I said that day you need a win for me. So she gave it to me.”
Inside the ballpark, fans were just as passionate, losing their voices before the Phillies even threw the first pitch, and sharing stories of how they inherited their fandom. Briana Morgan, 31, made the trip from South Jersey having bought $65 tickets before the Phillies even played the Cardinals and no games were guaranteed. She said her mother, who accompanied her Friday, introduced her to the team. They sat in the very last row of the ballpark cheering as though they were behind the dugout.
“I could have sold them for a decent penny but there was no way I was going to sell them, I want to be here,” said Morgan, who had never been to a playoff game before.
Delco resident Joe Platt, 43, was another nosebleed ticket holder who described his $60 as money well spent in order to be in the stadium with fellow fans.
“It’s a good time to be a fan, we’ve got a lot of good things coming,” he said. “It’s good to be back and start another roll like we had in ‘08.”
Though many fans had World Series hopes, some were simply happy for postseason baseball.
“It’s the first time they’ve been in the playoffs since I’ve been alive,” said Jake Palermo, 10, who was there with his parents and brother Leo, who turned 12 on Friday.
The children joked they had no choice but to be Phillies fans because of their parents Kim and Jason, but they said they wouldn’t want it any other way.
The Voorhees, N.J. family made sure to get good seats for the occasion to increase their chances of catching a baseball and the boys came prepared with their mitts. But ball or not, the youngest Palermo considered the day a win. The family signed a double-decker bus with well wishes for the team and left school early.
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