I love the Phillies because I grew up following the team. My late father was a Phillies' fan and he was very excited when they were finally having a great season in 1950. He listened to the radio (and later TV) broadcasts of every game that took place when he wasn't at work. I started rooting along as well, even though I was very young in 1950 (I was in the second grade). Then we got a TV set in our house and they started televising the Saturday and Sunday games. All through the rest of the Fifties my hero was Robin Roberts. Of course I suffered along with other fans when the 1964 Phillies blew that lead. Little did I know that I would have to wait until 1980 for that elusive World Championship! Ah, but how sweet it was !!!! I still root for them today. They are MY TEAM, win or lose! I supported them in their good years and I supported them in their bad years. I grew up in Wilmington Delaware and I now reside in Newark Delaware. I have watched them play games at Connie Mack Stadium, at Veterans' Stadium, and now at the Citizens' Bank Park. I even went to Clearwater, Florida in 2010 to see them play in Spring Training. I also saw them play a Spring Training game in Wilmington Delaware in the early Fifties - they used the old Blue Rock's Stadium out on Governor Printz Boulevard (it's long gone). We always felt like we were part of the Philadelphia sports scene even though we lived in Delaware. - Jim Read more "Why I Love the Phillies" stories from Phillies Nation readers here.