The next city in this multi-destination journey is Philadelphia. I was seeking a bit of an upswing for my weekend after the night before when the Nationals game got postponed. Also, needed a boost after looking for my car for over an hour in an on-and-off torrential downpour in Silver Spring, which has to have the most parking garages per square foot in the world. But at least the Anthony Rendon bobblehead was an adequate consolation prize. City of Brotherly Love, add one more spectator. To minds on baseball, and hearts filled (literally) with cheese!
Game Time! (vs. Miami Marlins – 8/4/2018): Getting out of the Uber, it felt like getting dropped off in a part of the universe, where the photos I’ve seen of the Baker Bowl and Shibe Park merged together in the middle of South Philadelphia. All of this, with a large bronze idol of Mike Schmidt guarding the third base gates. The most eventful part of the game easily was the Wall of Fame ceremony beforehand, where famed baseball executive Pat Gillick and the late Roy Halladay were inducted to join Phillie greats such as Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. As you can imagine, the waterworks were flowing at the induction of Halladay, as his widow stood in the middle of the diamond, using all her strength to hold herself up with an understandably heavy heart, while speaking about her late husband’s accomplishments on-and-off the diamond. When the main event began, the game was over as quickly as the Dillashaw – Garbrandt fight that happened later that night. For fans of the long ball, the park lived up to its bandbox status, with 6 homers crushed in all directions. Although, easily the real treat was to see The Phillie Phanatic live, flashing everybody. One item of note: Guaranteed in any lull within a Philadelphia sporting event, loud shouts will be generated, consisting of the letters ‘E-A-G…’, you get the picture. I swear, I’m not bitter about Super Bowl 52 at all. But in all seriousness, the faithful of eastern Pennsylvania made it worth it all by not allowing a dull moment, even during pitching changes. Too bad there wasn’t any frozen precipitation to lob around and enhance the fun. Either way, even in a game that was a bright spot in a second-half nosedive for the Phillies, the emotion in the stands will always be at supreme levels.
Home Runs: Just like their East Coast counterparts, the fans of Philadelphia bring that tidal wave of passion that only seems to escalate by the minute, no matter where the hometown club is in the game or in the standings. With that undying passion comes a strong appreciation of the game, with many of the jerseys I saw being from the pennant winning teams of the early 80’s, to the scrappy team of ’93. Of course, I always appreciate a Victorino jersey sighting, for selfish reasons. As much as the Philadelphia faithful brings it in the grandstands, they bring as much in the concession stands as well. Of course, I’m enamored with the shredded meat/cheese combo of the well-renowned greasy concoction that this city made famous, but how come nobody ever told me about the magic of crab fries? Shoutout to Chickie’s and Pete’s for introducing me to another delicious variation of my favorite fried thin stick food. But herbivores, don’t fear. If you’re vegetarian baseball fan, you will be dining at a ballpark that has been considered one of the top 10 parks for years in meatless cuisine. True sustenance for the masses!
Flyouts: The ballpark, as well as the other professional stadiums in Philadelphia, are in the same general location within what’s called the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. While it creates a fun little ecosystem, the park is detached from the major points in the city (a little over 6 miles from Center City). So if you are looking to partake in any activities that go beyond the stadium or Xfinity, you will have a lengthy walk or cab ride over to other attractions. I would be unnecessarily bitter to say that the distance from the city robs the park of having a backdrop like Busch Stadium in St. Louis. However, unless you’re one of the tailgating types, there are fewer external options situated close to the park. I also found the lines for food to be a little bit longer than in other places. However, with the great food options, you can call this a classic job interview case of ‘my strengths are my weaknesses’.
Around the Diamond: As mentioned before, the epicenter of drunkenness lies a couple hundred paces from the park in the form of Xfinity Live!, a mothership of drinking establishments. Within Xfinity Live! there is an eclectic mix of environments for your choosing. For example, in 1110 Social, I found a more subdued environment, a place for a quick drink before Ubering home. If you like karaoke nights, Broad Street Bullies is your indescribable heaven of random socializing and screeching versions of 80’s ballads and Oasis songs. The most packed place I was at that night was at PBR Philly, with the main attraction being a mechanical bull. Last, but not least, was Victory Beer Hall, which was my girlfriend’s favorite place. Here, you are actually encouraged to dance on tables (There were picnic tables at the center of the bar), while a cover band charmed the crowd with their own renditions of the ‘Now That’s What I Call Music‘ discography.
My Final Play: With the bricks and bronze plaques, Citizens definitely grabs a hold of old-time charm and history similar to what Camden Yards was able to do. However, its location within the South Philly sports complex is akin to the inventiveness of the cookie-cutter stadium. However, it wasn’t for the lack of trying. The initial site for the park was to be on 12th and Vine, about as central of a location you can muster in Center City (downtown, for you tourists). However, the project would have gutted the Chinatown neighborhood, which the residents let the city know about. You can only wonder if in another 10-15 years that the city will go full-circle in the same merry-go-round of conversation, and potentially try to wedge a ballpark in another corner of Center City. Especially with waning attendance in the past few seasons (like with Tampa), I have a strong hunch that a location change to a more invigorated area will be presented as a solution to accessibility and location aesthetics. An increase in attendance and cash flow also wouldn’t hurt. Like with the Navy Yard area for Nationals Park, it’s possible that the city could build more around the area. Depending on the importance of the game, sometimes the rowdy fans are all you need. However, I wish the area had as much to offer outside the stadiums as they do inside.
Well, now you know!: Citizens Bank Park was the first MLB stadium to follow the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program, which was designed to to encourage stadiums to minimize their environmental impact via clean energy. This involved the Phillies purchasing 20 million kilowatt-hours of green energy in 2008, as well as having all the shrubs in the park to be grown with organic fertilizer, biodegradable utensils and even the tickets are made from recycled content. Plus,the frying oil is recycled into bio-diesel fuel, ensuring that all parts of the crab fry get used.
Curious to see how daunting the Rocky Steps run will be? Check out the Philadelphia gallery here for more pictures of fun and some food in the City of Brotherly Love.