Ah, the City of Brotherly Love. Home to the Philadelphia Phillies, 1980 and 2008 World Champions of Baseball. There’s nothing better than a summer evening hearing the late, great Harry Kalas singing ‘High Hopes’ as you leave Citizens Bank Park after a Phillies win.
It wasn’t always Citizens Bank Park where you would hear HK singing. Let’s take a look to see how we got to where we are today.
The Early Years
Initially called the Quakers, the Phillies first called Recreation Park home. The first stadium in team history was not located in the local sports complex, nor was it located in South Philly. No, Recreation Park was located at what is now known as Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Baker Bowl
Built in 1887, the Phillies moved to Baker Bowl that year and remained until 1938. Located on a small city block bounded by N. Broad St., W. Huntingdon St., N. 15th St. and W. Lehigh Avenue, Baker Bowl was, at the time, known as the nation’s finest stadium.
Shibe Park and Connie Mack Stadium
Shibe Park and Connie Mack stadiums are the two stadiums my dad tells me I would have loved. Among the first stadiums to host a night game, Shibe Park, later renamed Connie Mack Stadium, was home to the Phillies until 1970.
Veterans Stadium
Liberty Bell from Veterans Stadium, now located outside Citizens Bank Park
The Vet, where nightmares were made. The Phillies shared Veterans Stadium with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL until 2003. It is here where I got to take the field after winning the NJ State Softball Championship as a 12 year. Where I experienced my first photo day with my uncle, getting to shake hands with Jimmy Rollins and Harry Kalas, and got to meet John Vukovich and Scott Rolen. While many fans and players hated the stadium, I loved it. Who wouldn’t love a stadium with it’s own jail for rowdy football fans?!
Citizens Bank Park
Opened in 2004, Citizens Bank Park is the current home to the Phillies. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, you will want to take in a game here. If you visit section 320, you will find one of my favorites of all time…a beautiful field and an amazing skyline. Plus you can say hi to an amazing human being and friend, Big Jim.
The Basics
Citizens Bank Park has 4 levels – 100, 200, 300 and 400, and there is not a bad view in the place.
Dimensions, courtesy of the Phillies website:
| Area | Distances | Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Right field foul pole | 330′ | 13’3″ |
| Right field power alley | 369′ | 13’3″ |
| Center field, straight away | 401′ | 6′ |
| The Angle (left of CF to LCF) | 409′-387′-385′ | 19′-12’8″ |
| Left field foul pole | 329′ | 10’6″ |
| Left field power alley | 374′ | 10’6″ |
| Home plate to backstop | 49’5″ | |
| 1st and 3rd bases to stands | 51′ |
Philadelphia Skyline from section 320 at Citizens Bank Park
Food
Now, I know you’re probably thinking you have to have a cheesesteak since you are in Philly. Of course, there is a Tony Luke’s in Ashburn Alley you can stop at, along with South Philly staple Chickie and Pete’s for crab fries. I would skip those and go to Chickie and Pete’s after the game since it’s a short walk away.
My personal preference for food at the ball park is Bull’s BBQ. Started by former Phillies player, Greg ‘The Bull’ Luzinski, this is some of the best bbq around. If you are lucky, you may even get to meet The Bull as he is sometimes hanging around signing autographs.
Another Philadelphia favorite is Federal Chicken and Donuts. Who doesn’t love chicken or donuts? While I have never had the chicken, I have heard nothing but great things. As for the donuts? Highly, highly recommend. They usually have two flavors, regular cinnamon and a second flavor. The few times I have gone this season, the second flavor has been oreo.
New for the 2019 season are Shake Shack and Pass and Stow. As much as I love sipping a cold beer at a baseball game, my wallet doesn’t enjoy it as much, so I tend to quench my thirst with a black and white milkshake. You can also find traditional ballpark fare throughout the stadium.
The Yard
If your kids start getting antsy, head over to The Yard in right field. Here, they can take the field at a mini Citizens Bank Park to play wiffle ball, launch “hot dogs” like our favorite green guy the Phanatic, climb on the climbing wall, or find out if they could potentially be a starting pitcher for the Phillies one day at the speed pitching area.
Citizens Bank Park Firsts
All data taken from the Phillies website:
From April 12, 2004
- Pitch: Phillies LHP Randy Wolf, 1:32 p.m.
- Batter: Reds 2B D’Angelo Jimenez
- Hit: Jimenez (double, 1st inning)
- Single: Reds 3B Ryan Freel, CIN (2nd)
- Single by a Phillie: Wolf (3rd)
- Double by a Phillie: 1B Jim Thome (1st)
- Triple: Reds RF Austin Kearns (9th)
- Home run: Phillies RF Bobby Abreu (1st)
- Walk: Reds C Jason LaRue (2nd)
- Walk by a Phillie: CF Marlon Byrd (3rd)
- Sacrifice bunt: Reds RHP Paul Wilson (2nd)
- Stolen base: Byrd (3rd)
- Run: Jimenez (1st)
- Run by a Phillie: Abreu (1st)
- RBI: Abreu (1st)
- Strikeout: Reds CF Ken Griffey Jr. by Wolf (1st)
- Wild pitch: Wolf (1st)
- Win: Wilson
- Loss: Wolf
- Save: Reds RHP Danny Graves
Other Firsts (in chronological order)
- Postponement: 4/14/04, Phillies vs. Reds, due to rain
- Win by a Phillie: LHP Rheal Cormier, 4/15/04 vs. Cincinnati
- Save by a Phillie: LHP Billy Wagner, 4/15/04 vs. Cincinnati
- Night game: 4/16/04, Phillies 4, Expos 2
- Four-hit game: Thome, 4/16/04 vs. Montreal
- Triple by a Phillie: SS Jimmy Rollins, 4/18/04 vs. Montreal
- Walk-off HR: Phillies CF Doug Glanville, 4/18/04 vs. Montreal
- Error: Thome, 4/20/04 vs. Florida
- Extra-inning game: 4/21/04 – Marlins 8, Phillies 7, 12 innings
- Multi-homer game: Marlins 3B Mike Lowell (3), 4/21/04
- Shutout: 4/30/04, Wolf and Cormier, Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 0
- CG Shutout: 5/20/04, RHP Brett Myers, Phillies 4, Dodgers 0
- Grand slam: Braves CF Andruw Jones, 5/27/04
- Day-night DH: 6/17/04 vs. Detroit (6-2 W/5-4 L)
- Inside-the-park HR: Rollins, 6/20/04 vs. Kansas City
- Cycle: David Bell, 6/28/04 vs. Montreal
- Triple play: 8/19/04 – Todd Pratt vs. HOU (Ensberg to Kent to Lamb)
- Grand slam by a Phillie: Byrd, 8/29/04 vs. Milwaukee
- Twi-night DH: 9/29/04 vs. Pittsburgh (8-4 W/8-3 W)
- No-hitter: 10/6/10, RHP Roy Halladay, Phillies 4, Reds 0 (DS Game 1)
- Walk-off grand slam: RF John Mayberry Jr., 6/4/13 vs. Miami
Special Moments at Citizens Bank Park
There will be nothing more special than watching the 2008 Phillies team win the World Championship. Just a few days later Chase Utley gave the speech of a lifetime, until Jason Kelce said hold up, and dressed as a Mummer and declared Philly hungry underdogs.
Sadly, a year later Harry Kalas, the voice of the Phillies, suddenly passed away. The tribute the players and the team gave was short of amazing. Even to this day you can’t walk around the stadium and not think of HK. From a statue in left field to HK’s restaurant, his presence is felt.
Other memorable moments at the bank include:
- Roy Halladay’s first career post game where he threw a no-hitter against the Reds
- Every alumni weekend where a former player is enshrined in the Wall of Fame
- Former players retirement ceremonies
- Aaron Rowand’s catch in centerfield (before they added the padding)
- Debuts of Aaron Nola, Rhys Hoskins among others
If you’ve been to Citizens Bank Park, what’s your favorite part? If you plan on visiting, what are you looking forward to the most?
