ADV Draft Baseball League Other

My trip to Philadelphia was a part of a greater road trip that saw me hit 11 stadiums over the course of around three weeks that I call my personal 'Baseball Odyssey'. I write about it more in my article talking about my baseball chase. This was a stop that I was very excited to hit on my trip as I was able to see family who, up to that point, I hadn't seen in over a year. I'd done my best to coalesce my cousins in the Philadelphia area and it resulted into a fun trip to both New Jersey, where I have a lot of family, and an exciting game.

Said exciting game was actually supposed to have taken place the day prior, on June 7th. However, due to the blankets of smoke that blotted out the sun and made the Air Quality Index soar as high as 500 in some places in New York, MLB was cautious and postponed all games that would be affected. This made the second game that was postponed on my trip, but not the second stadium I didn't see a game at -- the game was simply postponed to the next day, which I was able to attend.

Citizens Bank Park is a part of the greater Philadelphia sports complex, which houses both the home of the Eagles and the shared arena of the Sixers and Flyers in addition to Citizens Bank Park. This thoughtfully constructed complex had ample parking options being available, and it was very efficient going in and out. The fact the park isn't very well integrated into the city as a result of this, of course, cancels out some of the benefit. The concourse was very open, with what felt like a lot of natural light flowing in. There were ample plazas around the outfield which reminded me of Guaranteed Rate Field, and our seats in the upper deck weren't a tough reach by any means. The backdrop itself is decent -- there's a distant view of the city skyline which was, unfortunately, blotted in parts by the remnants of the smoke from the earlier day. However, the sunset comes across the field nicely. There are two main features to look out for in the outfield -- the lit Liberty Bell which hangs above center field which actually moves and swings in the case of a Phillies' home run or victory, and the truly colossal scoreboard in left field. Even though it's in left field, the scoreboard is massive and visible to the majority of stadium-goers (possibly thanks to their 2023 American League Championship). It's the one of the biggest scoreboards I have seen to date. In terms of the food, there were a few enticing-looking options but I decided to go with my usual baseball fare of a hot dog and peanuts alongside a ballpark cheesesteak. It, of course, did not compare favorably to other cheesesteaks I've had in the city but it still tasted quite good.

The game itself was an entertaining one, with the Phillies managing to rally back from a 2-1 deficit in the ninth inning. This marks the first time I had seen a walk-off that wasn't a walk. The Phillies led for most of the game, 0-1, until Zack Short leveled the score off of a runner starting pitcher Zach Wheeler left on base heading into the ninth. Despite this, it was a quality start from Wheeler: 7.1 innings, 8 strikeouts, 1 run, 30% win probability added. Not bad at all. However, due to the Phillies' lack of offense to support this great pitching, it came down to a battle of relief pitchers: the Tigers' Alex Lange and the Phillies' Craig Kimbrel.

When I go to baseball games I don't have a horse in, I tend to root for the home team. It makes sense as I am a guest in their stadium, and I want to get the full stadium experience -- fireworks and fanfare for a home win included, where possible. This game, I passively rooted for the Phillies throughout while taking in the sunset and great ballpark environment. This all changed, however, when Craig Kimbrel went on the mount. Kimbrel is one of my least favorite baseball players, for no real reason. I dislike the his pre-pitch routine, where he turns his body towards third base and becomes some sort of scarecrow by pivoting his shoulders towards home with his back bent and arms out. It is one of the weirdest pre-pitch routines in all of baseball, and it is always an unwelcome sight to see live. My sports-minded friends and I love to hate on Kimbrel, and I got to see it live. I bet he's a fine guy outside of this, but it's not like I know him personally. This was the first time I got to hate live.

Kimbrel went up to the mound first, sending in a Tiger to put them up 2-1 before getting two flyouts, the last one with the bases loaded. With a -29.4% win probability added, he was the single worst player on the Phillies that day. He threw 34 pitches, and for each one I jeered as a ball was called or a hit was had. In the bottom of the ninth, however, the Phillies' luck turned for the better. Their first at-bat ended in a double, followed by a walk, followed by a strikeout. On the fourth plate appearance, a single by Bryson Stott loaded the bases. An unenviable position to be in for this poor pitcher, to be sure. The next two plate appearances ended in tragedy for the tigers: a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and a Kody Clemens double to seal the deal. The liberty bell in the outfield swung back and forth as the crowd erupted, celebrating a hard-earned win. Meanwhile, Alex Lange would fall down to triple-A the next year, his last game pitched being a 3-8 loss to the Royals in May of 2024. Craig Kimbrel was, unfortunately, named an All-Star in 2023 and would pitch as far into the postseason for the Phillies as the NLCS, where he logged a save in game 1 but lost in games 3 and 4. Now, he's on the Orioles with a WAR of -1.1 on the year (at the time of writing).

Citizens Bank Park is a great venue to watch baseball. Perhaps biased because I came here with extended family, but the stadium itself is open and inviting and reminds me of one of my favorites, Guaranteed Rate Field, in more ways than one. I also am in the minority of people who love Philadelphia sports fans -- maybe because I don't actively root for any teams they are rivals with -- and can feel the passion they have for their teams when I am around them. The sports complex and stadium are well-built and I believe the stadium and experience to be a top-tier one. A great stadium to hate Craig Kimbrel in!