Two games till we’re World Series champs. Study up. #Phillies #RedOctober #RingTheBell
Brotherly Love
What a time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. With the Flyers and Sixers seasons underway, an undefeated 8-0 Eagles team, and the Philadelphia Union playing for the MLS final, there is no shortage of action in the City of Brotherly Love. But the true stars of the past few weeks have been the Philadelphia Phillies, who won the National League Championship towards the end of October and are now playing for all the marbles in the World Series.
Matched against the Houston Astros, the Phillies have fought their way to a 2-3 record in the World Series, meaning that two wins lie between them and the coveted world championship. The last time the Phillies appeared in the playoffs was 2011. As Philadelphia fans will tell you, eleven years was long enough. The entire city has rallied around the boys in red.
Not an Overnight Fan
I grew up going to Red Baron’s baseball games, watching great Phillies players like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard before they got pulled up to the big leagues. I may or may not still be in the phase where I want to marry Chase Utley. That probably won’t happen, but thanks to him, twenty-six will always be my favorite number. And my Chase Utley baseball card will always sit in my desk drawer. Ciitzens Bank Park was a monstrous place to me. . . a beautiful place to watch baseball (and eat Dippin Dots, of course). Even after my summer adventures in New York and exploring other stadiums, CBP still takes the cake.
I was Roy Halladay (R.I.P) for three Halloweens in a row. I remember Ryan Madson throwing me a ball during BP (probably because I was the only female Phillies fan in a cluster of pre-teen Mets fans at Citi Field) but who’s counting! And how can we forget about my Phanatic pillow pet?
I remember watching the Phillies win the 2008 World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays, and how much excitement it brought me as a fan. Seven-year-old me still remembers the night my grandparents were babysitting my brother and me and let us stay up wayyy past our bedtimes to watch a playoff game. They also let us have copious amounts of ice cream, water ice, and candy which undoubtedly augmented my affinity for Phillies playoff baseball. But once again, who’s counting.
Flash forward 14 years, and I’ve yet again stayed up this week past my bedtime more nights than not to watch the Phils. Has it been worth it? Absolutely. Funny how sleep deprivation and Phillies playoff baseball go hand in hand. A strong correlation as a statistician might say.
Red October. . . this time around
The Phillies being in the World Series is a big deal. A VERY BIG DEAL. The whole city is decked out in red, with the month of October being referred to as “Red October” to honor the post-season run. The city skyline is illuminated with red lights, and vendors have taken to the streets to sell Phillies gear at stoplights. Two days ago, I watched a man fully block a turn-right-on-red lane to buy a Phillies shirt, and not one car behind him in line honked. Any other time in Philly, I’d bet that everyone would lay on the horn. But not during playoff ball. That’s inhumane. Everyone needs their Phillies merch. I have enjoyed donning my Phillies gear as well!
My parents and I attended a divisional series game and had a fantastic time. It had been our first time back at CBP in a while, and it definitely felt a little sentimental. But that’s just baseball for you. We got red rally towels and joined in about 45,000 other people who were hyped up on overpriced drinks and popcorn. That’s also baseball, haha.
Being at school near Philly, and being 21, has made for a very exciting playoff experience! I’ve been able to head to the city to watch the games at a sports bar called XfinityLive! in the stadium complex. It is a massive sports bar with multiple rooms, DJs, outdoor music, and a mechanical bull! There are screens everywhere, and the place is packed with thousands of people cheering and booing in synch. The energy is electric. I was lucky enough to be there for Game 3, a 7-0 shutout in which the Phillies hit 5 homeruns. My friend Maddie, who has impressively become the biggest baseball/Phillies fan in the past 72 hours, said it best: “Do they always hit this many homeruns? It’s kinda getting boring.” The night capped in a victorious celebration with lots of dancing. Easily a top 5 night of all time.
If You’re Planning to Watch the Phillies, You Should Know What These Mean:
Go Phils: A shortened form of “Go Phillies”. This is used as a greeting (hello, goodbye, thank you, etc.) as well as to express excitement before and during a game!
Ring the Bell: At Citizens Bank Park, an electric sign shaped like the Liberty Bell lights up and swings back and forth whenever a Phillies player hits a home run and/or the team wins a game. A sound of a bell ringing is also amplified throughout the stadium. Thus “Ring the Bell” can mean many things such as “Hit a Home Run”, “Let’s win”, “Let’s Go”, or my favorite use which is “We just won the game and I want to yell something of substance rather than just scream.”
Schwarbomb: A homerun hit by Phillies player Kyle Schwarber.
Philly Phanatic: The Phillies’ mascot. He’s a big, fluffy, green bird that has some killer dance moves.
MV3 or MVP: Referring to Phillies player Bryce Harper, clever fans have combined “Most Valuable Player” with his jersey number 3 into a succinct chant yelled when he’s at bat.
The Fightins: The Fightin’ Phils! Thanks to this guy, people will just yell “The Fightins!” at each other during a game and it’s deemed more than acceptable.
Dancing on My Own-Tiësto remix by Calum Scott: This is the Phillies post-season anthem. After a video surfaced of the team listening to it in a locker room celebration, the entire Phillies fan base has taken to the song, sending it flying up the Spotify charts. You’ll hear this song blasting from cars, houses, and restaurants. I think everyone is a little confused, as it’s kind of a sad song. But, when you’re NOT dancing on your own, and instead dancing to this song with fellow Phillies fans, it absolutely gets the job done.
xfiyitylive! right outside the ballpark
a riveting text conversation with my cousin right before Game 1
The moral of the story is that playoff baseball is different. It’s wildly fun and engaging, and each pitch is a calculated movement of greatest importance.
If there were ever a time to be a Phillies fan, it’s right now. The team is two wins away from winning the World Series, which will cause Philadelphia to erupt. Even if you don’t really understand baseball, just watch it and cheer when everyone else cheers. Study the lingo above and you’ll sound like a champ.
Thanks so much for reading everybody. Go Phils, and ring the bell. ⚾️🛎
Have a great weekend 🙂
~Katherine
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