Tag Archives: Reading Phillies

Let’s play catch (up)

I know, I know, it’s a super corny title. It’s been a while so I’m a bit out of practice. Feel free to pause here and groan at the corniness of this title.

Better? Now it’s time to catch you up on life.

The first and most important update is that after 16 summers, I have officially stepped away from Baseballtown as an employee – at least for now. Life has gotten a bit busier over the last year and we decided this was for the best.

You’re probably thinking, “What does this mean for Confessions of a Concessions worker?”

Never fear! I will still be writing and sharing stories and observations from my time working at the ballpark. Now I will also be able to share from the point of view of a fan. Because I may not work there anymore, but you can bet I’ll still be going as a fan!

That’s all for now, but there is more to come. I have a few stories in the works, but if there is a topic you want to know more about as a fan or employee, just let me know!

Beyond the Walls

There are many experiences I have had during the 16 years I have worked in Baseballtown and a few of my favorites have taken place beyond the walls of FirstEnergy Stadium.

After spending so much time at FirstEnergy Stadium, it is always fun for me to visit other ballparks and see what they are like. Within the Phillies organization I have been to four of their six stadiums. I’ve had the chance to attend games at Citizens Bank Park, Coca Cola Park, FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, and of course, FirstEnergy Stadium.

I even had the opportunity to see a game at Veterans Stadium before it was taken down.

Aside from ballparks within the Phillies system I have also been to Arm and Hammer Park, home of the former Yankees affiliate Trenton Thunder, and TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Park, home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. One aspect of visiting different parks that I enjoy is noticing the differences based simply on the level of the team. There are definite differences between a major league stadium, a double A or triple A stadium, and a single A stadium. Understandably so, the higher up the level of play is, the more fans are there for the game. At the lower level stadiums, there is a large focus on providing entertainment for fans between innings and even sometimes during innings at special areas throughout the ballpark. One of the things the Fightins pride themselves on is the in-game entertainment that they bring each game to entertain young and old fans alike.

After visiting a few stadiums you start to notice differences that have little to do with the level of the team and more to do with the basic layout. One of the biggest differences I have noticed is the layout of the seating sections. At FirstEnergy Stadium and TicketReturn.com Field, you enter the park below the seats and must walk up stairs to get to the majority of the seats. You actually have to walk up a ramp or stairs and then back down to reach the field level seats. In Philadelphia, Lehigh, Lakewood, and Trenton, you enter the park above the seats; with the exception being the access to the upper decks and suites.

There is one slight downfall to the setup at FirstEnergy Stadium when it comes to getting to my place of work. It’s not called the Upstairs Ice Cream Stand for no reason. In order to get there, you have to climb all the stairs in the main grandstand. However, it comes with an awesome view of the game, so I really can’t complain.

Another unique aspect of the Fightins’ stadium I have yet to experience in any other ballpark is that in order to get to the field, the players must cross the main concourse. This means they are walking through the crowds of fans before and after each game. At the other stadiums I have visited, the players access the field from below the stands. This makes the setup at FirstEnergy Stadium a unique experience for both the fans and the players. Now don’t worry, the Fightins do a fantastic job of making sure that players are easily able to get to and from the field when necessary. Also, the fans know that it is something they would not experience at most other stadiums, and there are seldom any issues with fans bothering players. It is always so nice to see the players stopping to sign autographs after a game and talking to the fans who are there to cheer for them all summer. While fans can still get autographs at other ballparks when players walk by the walls along the base of the stands, to me it makes it a bit more of an experience when you can be walking to get food and maybe you just happen to cross paths with one of your favorite players.

In a similar situation as the seating differences between the different ballparks, there is one thing that the homes of the Fightins, the Pelicans, and the former Trenton Thunder have in common. All three parks are not what you would call “360 stadiums.”

What does that mean you ask?

At Citizens Bank Park, Coca Cola Park, and FirstEnergy Park fans are able to walk in a complete circle around the entirety of the inside of the ballpark, with views of the field from every angle. In both Philadelphia and Lehigh, fans can enjoy walking around a 360 degree concourse complete with concessions, tables, and some seating areas. In Reading, Myrtle Beach, and Trenton fans can only walk so far out into an outfield section before they have to turn around and walk back the other way. I think there are pros and cons to each style of stadium, but I will say that during my years as an intern, it would have been nice to be able to walk a complete circle in the ballpark instead of walking in a constant horseshoe shape all night.

Confessional: Have you visited more than one stadium? Which one did you enjoy the most? Why?

In all of the different stadiums that I have visited, there are picnic seating areas where fans can enjoy the game while sitting at larger tables as opposed to the regular stadium seating. They are all located in different areas around the ballparks, but generally fall in somewhere along the third baseline or out towards left field. In Philadelphia and Lehigh, fans can enjoy larger picnic areas with standing room tables that overlooks the bullpens. What is unique about FirstEnergy Stadium is that not only do we have a picnic area in left field and on the third base side, there is also a picnic area in right field, complete with a swimming pol. I know there are a few other ballparks around the country that have similar areas, but out of the parks I have been to Reading is the only one to have this style of seating area.

I could go on and on listing similarities and differences between all of the ballparks I have been to, but you get the idea. In the future, I hope to be able to visit more stadiums in different areas and see how they compare. In the end, no matter how many parks I visit, FirstEnergy Stadium will always be my favorite.

After all, it is America’s Classic Ballpark.

Will we return to Baseballtown in 2021?

On Friday, February 12, 2021, my social media feeds practically exploded with the news that the 2021 Minor League Baseball season could quite possibly start in early May. As I scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed and my Instagram, I was bombarded by friends all sharing the same post. It was an announcement from the Reading Fightin Phils regarding the 2021 season.

The Reading Phillies announced on February 12, 2021 that the MLB had announced plans for the 2021 Minor League baseball season. (Photo: Reading Fightin’ Phils Facebook/2021)

At the time this post was written, the announcement had been shared over 100 times and had almost 400 likes. I was honestly surprised to see some of the friends who had shared the post and seemed genuinely excited about the return of baseball. It is clear that the fans in Baseballtown cannot wait to return to the ballpark and cheer on their favorite players. Still, one question remains.

What will the 2021 baseball season look like?

Minor League Baseball experienced quite a shake up this offseason as the MLB did some reorganizing of the leagues after ending the Professional Baseball Agreement. Teams have gained new affiliates and some long-standing affiliations were terminated during the last few months. Luckily, the Reading Fightin’ Phils were one of 120 teams offered a 10-year license. What does this mean?

It means that baseball will remain in Baseballtown for a little while longer and the Reading Fightin’ Phils will continue to be a part of the wonderful Phillies organization.

I remember when I first learned about the reorganization and how forty affiliates were being cut from the minor leagues, I honestly didn’t think much about it. I was confident that the Fightins would be safe and that it was mostly lower level teams that were being cut. For the most part this was true. However, there is one longtime Reading rivalry that will not be making any trips to Baseballtown this year. The Trenton Thunder will no longer be the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees. When I heard this news, I will admit I was surprised. Trenton has been one of Reading’s biggest rivalries for at least as long as I have worked at the ballpark.

Aside from the changes in certain teams, what else will be different in baseball this year?

At this point, everything is kind of up in the air. I would imagine there may be limits to the numbers of fans allowed in the ballparks, masks may be required for fans and employees, and there may be many other changes that will be put in place at least for the foreseeable future. I know that I for one will be willing to do whatever they ask or tell me to do, if it means that I get to spend my summer evenings at FirstEnergy Stadium.

I’ve been thinking about what it will be like when baseball does start back up again and I will admit that there was a part of me that enjoyed having a bit more free time in the evenings last summer. That being said, I would not have spent the last 15 years working in Baseballtown if I didn’t love it. While I enjoyed that extra free time, I am ready to go back. My sister and I have talked about this quite a bit and we agreed that maybe what we needed was a short break and some time away from it to realize that we really do love working at the ballpark. Spending the summer watching baseball and seeing all the fans will bring a sense of normalcy back into our lives. As frustrating and exhausting as it can be running from one job to the next four to five days a week, I’m not ready to give it up just yet.

Confessional: Are you looking forward to the return of Minor League Baseball? What is one thing you are looking forward to the most?

At the time of the announcement from the Fightins and also the announcement from the MLB, the Double A season is scheduled to begin at the beginning of May, but this could change. Whenever the season starts, I know that I will be ready to get back to Baseballtown.

Christmas in Baseballtown

When you think of baseball you generally think of warm weather, hot dogs, and singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” What you don’t think of is snow, hot chocolate, reindeer, or Christmas carols. However, the Reading Fightin Phils decided to change that fact during the offseason a few years ago.

They introduced Christmas at the Stadium.

Beginning the weekend of Thanksgiving and continuing up through Christmas Eve, FirstEnergy Stadium was decked out in colorful lights, played host to Santa and a few of his reindeer, and invited local music groups to perform every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Families were invited to come out and enjoy the lights, music, food, and visit with Santa at no cost. It was a great event and my sister and I were excited to participate. In all of our excitement, we forgot one simple fact.

November and December in Pennsylvania can be very cold. Also, sometimes it snows.

We were bundled up as much as we could be while still being able to serve people and run a register. (Amanda Cain, 2016)

I remember very clearly huddling in a corner wearing three shirts, a hoodie, the apron we were supposed to wear, a Santa hat, and gloves and I was still cold. Unlike the baseball season when it can be sunny and 70 degrees even in the evening, it was generally closer to 40 degrees or colder and occasionally windy.

Oh, and we were still selling ice cream.

Now, we were not in our typical stand at the top of the stadium so we did not have as strong of an air current to deal with. However, we were also dealing with a much more open stand that had a larger window for the cold air to pass through. It also never got overly busy so we were never moving around much during the time we were there.

One thing that was really fun was when we got to work in the food truck that was parked inside the stadium by the concessions stands. We were selling desserts from a local pastry company and it was fun taking orders and handing out food from the truck. It was also much warmer than being in the concession stand.

Due to the location of the stand we were working in and the fact that we were also selling hot coffee and hot chocolate, we were generally one of the first and last stops people made on the way into and out of the ballpark. It was also a prime location to listen to the music for the evening. I loved being able to see all of the lights that were strung across the protective netting over the plaza and all across the different stands in the plaza. The decorating didn’t stop there though. It stretched all the way down through the main concourse and even included a snow tunnel where visitors were able to meet and take pictures with Olaf.

Despite not working in our stand during Christmas at the Stadium, it was fun to see it all decorated. (Amanda Cain, 2016)

Even our little ice cream stand at the top of the grandstand got decorated!

Although we couldn’t see all the decorations from our location, each night we listened to the special Christmas light show set up on the field. The field – from home plate to the centerfield wall – was covered in different light displays that danced in time to a number of different Christmas songs. It got to the point where we had heard the show so many times that we knew what songs or video clips were coming up next without ever seeing the show.

Confessional: Have you ever attended an event at a sports arena that was not the sport it was intended for? What was the event and what was your favorite part?

In the end, despite the cold and sometimes miserable weather, it was a fun experience. I can also honestly say that I have never eaten as much chicken noodle soup as I did during that month. It’s amazing how good a hot cup of soup can taste after spending three hours standing outside in the cold serving ice cream and hot chocolate.

There was something fun about being at the baseball stadium with it all lit up with Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music. It was definitely not your typical baseball stadium experience.