Citizens Bank Park: The Place To Be In Philadelphia
Citizens Bank Park became the place to be on a summer night in Philadelphia from 2007-2011. A regular-season home sellout streak reached 257 consecutive games before ending in August 2012.
The Phillies peaked during the best era in franchise history with five consecutive National League East titles and a World Series in 2008.
The hometown team abruptly fell into the background of Philadelphia sports for the better part of a decade. However, the aura of “The Golden Era” has officially returned.
Phillies Capture The City: 2007-2011
The Phillies had long been the loser franchise by the early 2000s without the supposed “loveable” label assigned to the Chicago Cubs.
They missed out on 77 chances to win their first World Series before 1980. They hadn’t appeared in the postseason for 14 years before a miracle comeback to win a division pennant in 2007.
A fan base starved for success suddenly exploded into the “Red October” crowd to support an MLB powerhouse.
The World Series in 2008 pushed virtually the entire Delaware Valley to Broad Street to celebrate homegrown heroes like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels. The Phillies suddenly became a preferred landing spot for high-profile pitchers like Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay.
The generations of Phillies fans who waited through dark times were watching their reward.
Masses of young fans flocked to the parking lots in South Philly to develop a tailgate atmosphere usually reserved for Eagles games. Vendors sold t-shirts with trendy the phrases “ILL” and “Philthy” out of shopping carts in K Lot.
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Nobody walked more than a few hundred feet at the sports complex without noticing the excitement of the best home crowd in baseball.
The city had the swagger that supported a stacked roster in annual World Series contention, and the Phillies backed it up on the field. The aces set the tone, and a deep lineup of sluggers kept them in every game during “hitting season” at the famously home run-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
Red October was an expectation, until it wasn’t. The heroes of the past faded after 2011. The fans no longer had a contender to watch at Philadelphia’s most exciting summer venue.
The New Era at Citizens Bank Park
The sun set on a beautiful May evening at Citizens Bank Park. The masses flocked to long lines at every vendor in Ashburn Alley after the gates had opened over an hour before the first pitch.
The Phillies had started the 2024 season on an unprecedented hot streak. A regular-season ticket had once again become a hot commodity after the best 50-game start in franchise history.
The Phillies delivered for a crowd of just under 40,000. They crushed the defending champion Texas Rangers 11-4. Three days earlier, a Sunday afternoon crowd of 44, 713 had topped the Opening Day attendance.
The park’s average attendance of 39,062 through Memorial Day would be the highest season pace since 2012 when the illustrious sellout streak ended.
Citizens Bank Park also benefitted from a perfect storm in 2023 of loosened pandemic restrictions, a faster game pace that brought collective MLB attendance growth, and the return of World Series expectations.
A dormant era of baseball that bottomed out with 66 wins in 2017 has become a distant memory in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Phillies Fans
The same city that dealt with the 1964 collapse and 10,000 losses has reached a deserved peak.
The mid 1970s and early 1980s captured the strength of the most passionate sports city in America. The Golden Era from 2007-2011 made Citizens Bank Park the best home field advantage in baseball.
The new era that began with a shocking run to the World Series in 2022 has once again resurrected the intensity that characterizes Phillies fans.
“It’s the best home field advantage in baseball. The relationship between the players and the crowd seems absolutely tangible to the point that I think on those days when players are flat… I think the crowd helps to lift them and to keep them accountable and to push them through those (slower, less eventful) moments.” -Buster Olney on Kincade & Salciunas
John Middleton and the Phillies have utilized the financial advantages of a major market. Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Zack Wheeler lead the pack of stars that have built the Phillies’ core.
The league will showcase the Phillies against the New York Mets in the MLB London Series. A rivalry with the Atlanta Braves has also developed into one of the best in the game.
Kyle Schwarber has stepped into the role as the relatable player who bonds with the home crowd. Brandon Marsh keeps everything loose. Alec Bohm has somehow grown to love this place.
Two deep playoff runs might’ve ended in disappointment, but make no mistake about it. The Phillies have unlocked the passion of their home crowd in a new era with the potential for greatness and another World Series championship.
Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.
