Commentary: Weekend Had Playoff Feel
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, June 02, 2008 11:48 AM | Comments: 5
Posts
On June 1, Citizens Bank Park was rocking as if it was Sept. 30, 2007.
Friday and Saturday nights I saw sell-out crowds (or close to them) cheering on the Phils as they took on the Marlins for first place. It was great to see fans pouring out for the series. Then, Sunday occurred, and man, what a show.
Maybe it was my new HD picture, but my TV showed a sparkling collage of red and white and red. Overhead and panoramic shots of Citizens Bank Park displayed a full house with almost everyone wearing team regalia. The crowd was hot all weekend, but Sunday they were especially so. The buzz during Tom Gordon’s final out and Brad Lidge’s entire ninth inning was the stuff of September and October.
Sure, a bunch of fans came out because of the beautiful early-summer weather, but no doubt the team’s recent play has helped the cause. It was awesome to see such an electric atmosphere on June 1; we can only hope the fans continue to come out in droves as this possibly charmed season continues.
Posts: 0 chrism
too bad this weekends revenues will never make it back to bringing a nice contract to cole or someone like sabathia or other big name
Posted: 01:15 PM on June 2, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
These huge crowds are a big accomplishment for a “small market team”. With this pathetic ownership, the Phils could sell-out every game and they’d still have their imaginary salary cap that they don’t dare go one penny over. I wish Ed Snider & Comcast could get a hold of the Phils.
Posted: 01:19 PM on June 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
they are not a small market team. phildelphia is a huge city with a huge media market and loyal, rabid fans. this is a big market team and needs to fork over long-term deals to key players and pony up the cash for players to make this team the beasts of the NL. they can win the pennant if they beef up their staff and step up and grab the mantle.
the owners are just pocketing our money. with crowds like that and the attendance theyve had over the past 2-3 years in that ballpark they need to have about a 150mm payroll.
Posted: 01:46 PM on June 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Rick
Tim – I totally agree with you! I got to watch the game on TBS up here in MA and the ballpark looked amazing! I haven’t ever seen a ballgame in HD look so amazing! CBP looked stunning! The grass, the crowd, the alternate uni’s; everything just looked awesome!
Great to see the fans coming out in droves for these games. It makes me proud to be a Fightin’ Phillies fan!
It would make me even more proud if we would stop booing Gordon until he at least does something bad again. Jeez he’s been pretty solid since his first outing this year.
Posted: 02:37 PM on June 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
The one problem about making yourself a big market team is that people will want big market paychecks. A player like Burrell knows that if the Yankees wanted him they’ll pay $15 million a year for him eventhough he’s only worth $12 million tops. Big market teams will pay extra just to get whatever they want. Look at a guy like Chase Utley. He wants to play for the Phillies and is making $8 million a season. He’s easily worth $15-$20 million and $20-$25 on a big market team. He wants to play here because he wants to play here, and money isn’t the issue with him. He wants to retire a Phillie. The Phillies are a mid market team, and they have potential to be a big market team. If they keep selling out like this, which they will, I expect the salary cap to bump up to $125 million or more. They already claimed they can spend upwards of $110 million, and they’re well below that. They are about to up the contracts of a lot of their players like Hamels and Victorino. We’ll see what happens.
Posted: 03:40 PM on June 2, 2008