Citizens Bank Park

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Citizens Bank Park
The Ballpark, The Vault
Location	One Citizens Bank Way Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19148-5248
Broke ground	June 28, 2001
Opened	April 3, 2004
Owner	Philadelphia Phillies
Operator	Comcast-Spectacor Global Spectrum Division Philadelphia Phillies
Surface	Kentucky Blue Grass
Construction cost	$346 million
Architect	Ewing Cole Cherry Brott (Philadelphia); HOK Sport (Kansas City)
Tenants
Philadelphia Phillies (2004-present)
Capacity
43,500 (2004-2005) 43,302 (2006)
Dimensions
Left Field - 329 ft / 100 m Left-Center - 374 ft / 114 m Deep Left-Center - 387 ft / 118 m Left of Center Field - 409 ft / 125 m Center Field - 401 ft / 122 m Deep Right-Center - 398 ft / 121 m Right-Center - 369 ft / 112 m Right Field - 330 ft / 101 m

Citizens Bank Park is a 43,302-seat baseball-only stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that opened on April 3, 2004 and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12. It was built to replace the now-demolished Veterans Stadium (a football/baseball facility) and is the home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. The ballpark features natural grass and dirt playing field and boasts many Philadelphia style food stands, including cheesesteaks, hoagies, and other regional specialties. Behind center field is Ashburn Alley, named after Phillies great center fielder and Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn, a walkway featuring restaurants and memorabilia from Phillies history, along with a restaurant/bar and grille called "Harry The K's" named after Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas. This area opens two-and-a-half hours before the scheduled first pitch, much like Eutaw Street at Oriole Park at Camden Yards via the Left Field Gate, except on Opening Day, when all gates open three hours before the scheduled first pitch.

[edit] History

In 1998, the Phillies and the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League joined their western Pennsylvania counterparts, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers in making requests to replace both Veterans Stadium and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh with separate stadiums, much of which came after a railing collapsed at The Vet during the Army-Navy Game, injuring eight cadets. The Pirates had also made strong threats in 1997 about moving from Pittsburgh, forcing the issue at the state level. The state legislature approved funding for the four proposed stadiums. While Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh approved the pacts rather swiftly, due to plans already being in place at the time of legislative approval, bickering in Philadelphia's political arena and debate carried on as Pittsburgh opened their stadiums (PNC Park for the Pirates and Heinz Field for the Steelers) in 2001. The Eagles agreed to a site slightly southeast of Veterans Stadium, which would become Lincoln Financial Field. The "Linc" was built on the site of an old food warehouse and celebrated its grand opening in August 2003.

Significant concern has been raised about cities (taxpayers) funding/subsidizing private businesses; yet another expression of "corporate welfare", in which multi-million dollar corporations request financial assistance from various government institutions to carry out their operations. Indeed, corporations even blackmail government officials with leaving the area (it doesn't matter the length of the relationship between the city and the corporation), as illustrated by the threats of these teams of leaving their respective cities.

The Phillies originally wanted a downtown ballpark much like those in Baltimore, Denver, Cincinnati, Cleveland or San Francisco. Various locations were proposed, initially at Broad and Spring Garden streets, Spring Garden and Delaware Avenue and next to 30th Street Station, where the main post office is located. The team and City announced that the site would be at 13th and Vine streets, just north of Interstate 676, an easy walk from downtown and a great view of the skyline. There was considerable support for a downtown ball park from business and labor and the city at large, but residents of the city's Chinatown section formed protests. Despite that the ball park would not technically be located in Chinatown, the City and team eventually settled on building at the south Philadelphia sports complex, on the site of an old food warehouse much like Lincoln Financial Field. In the years that have followed, residents, fans and even owner Bill Giles have expressed regret that the new ball park is not located in Center City.

The unveiling of the park and ground breaking ceremonies were on June 28, 2001. Following the game that evening, the location of the left-field foul pole was unveiled at the outset of the team's annual 4th of July fireworks display. The next milestone came on June 17, 2003 when the Citizens Bank division of the Royal Bank of Scotland agreed with the team to a 25-year, $95 million (US) deal for naming rights and advertising on telecasts, radio broadcasts, publications and inside the facility. The ballpark was officially topped off on August 12 that same year, and it was cleared to open the following April thus becoming the fourth and final venue to complete the city's massive "Sports Complex" in South Philadelphia joining the Wachovia Spectrum (1967), the Wachovia Center (1997), and Lincoln Financial Field (2003).

Citizens Bank Park (right), the newest (2004) of the four venues which now make up Philadelphia's massive "Sports Complex," the four decade old Wachovia Spectrum (center), its oldest (1967) facility, tree lined S. Broad St. (left), and the city's expansive skyline along the horizon to the North, as viewed from the roof of the Wachovia Center (1997). (Composite panoramic digital image by DigitalImageServices.com,)

Controversial comments have swirled around the fence distances since its opening. Pitchers and media members (especially those in Philadelphia's newspapers) have indicated that the ballpark, which promised to be fair to both hitters and pitchers, was a bandbox. The team made an honest mistake originally placing a 369-foot distance marker in left center field twenty-five feet closer than it should have. A study originally showed that a survey of wind patterns would have had an advantage in night games for pitchers and hitters in day games. But in 2004, the park yielded a total of 228 homers, the most in the National League, and only U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago served up more dingers with 272 that year. After the 2005 season where 17 fewer home runs were hit in the park than in 2004, the fences in left and left-center were moved back five feet and raised 2.5 feet (0.76 meters).

On April 23, 2006 Ryan Howard became the first player to hit a home run into Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park. The blast traveled 496 feet, the longest home run to date at Citizens Bank Park, and was hit off Sergio Mitre of the Florida Marlins.

On May 11, 2006, in a rain-shortened game against the New York Mets, Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand, in catching a long-drive hit that prevented a possible 4-2 loss, ran full speed into the Phillies bullpen fence, breaking his nose in the process. Rowand, upon seeing the center field fence after his acquisition from the Chicago White Sox, recommended to the Phillies to place extra padding on the bullpen fence, padding that arrived the day before his sacrificial save, and that was being slated for installment on the team's next road trip series against the Cincinnati Reds. The padding has since been installed.

On June 20, 2006, Ryan Howard, facing Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees, hit a home run that traveled an estimated 461 feet. With that blast, Howard became the first person to reach the third deck at the ballpark. To commemorate the event the Phillies painted a white "H", much as the Vet had "Stargell's Star", at the location. The painted "H" is located at Section 304, Row 1, Seat 8. Earlier that season, on May 7, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit the McDonald's advertising sign on the facade of said third level for the 713th home run in his career.

[edit] Largest Attendance Games (Regular Season only)

• DAY GAME: August 17, 2006 vs. NY Mets, 45,775
• NIGHT GAME: July 26, 2006 vs. Arizona, 45,459

[edit] Ballpark Attractions

[edit] Ashburn Alley

The main feature of the ballpark is "Ashburn Alley", running the length of the outfield and anchored by a statue of legendary Phillies player and broadcaster Richie Ashburn in center field, the position he played from 1948 to 1960 as a member of the fabled "Whiz Kids" that won the National League championship in 1950. Included in the Alley are:

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  Games of Baseball Pinball Machine
  All-Star Walk — Granite markers pay tribute to Phillies players that have played in the MLB All-Star Game since its inception in 1933 and runs the length of Ashburn Alley.
• Bull's BBQ — Located at the eastern end of the Alley, it is named in honor of and owned in part by former Phillies outfielder Greg "The Bull" Luzinski. This southern-style barbecue features ribs, turkey legs along with pork, beef and chicken sandwiches and "Bulldogs" (kielbasa).
• Rick's Steaks — Philadelphia cheesesteaks made by the grandson and operator of one of the area's best-known steak shops, Pat's King of Steaks.
• Tony Luke's — Tony Luke's famous cheesesteaks and roast pork.
• Games of Baseball — Sponsored by Citizens Bank, this interactive area features a giant baseball-themed pinball machine, a run-the-bases game with the Phillie Phanatic, and a "Pitch 'Em and Tip 'Em" game where you can throw at moving targets of a catcher. Players earn coupons and exchange them for prizes at a kiosk such as hats, shirts and other ballpark-imprinted memorabilia.
• Harry The K's Bar and Grille — Named for Phillies legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas, the bi-level bar and grill is built into the base of the scoreboard, and serves finger foods and sandwiches, including the "schmitter" .
• Memory Lane and Phillies Wall of Fame — A history of baseball in Philadelphia is located behind the brick batting eye in center field, while the opposite wall commemorates members of the franchise who contributed to the franchise's history. It was in this area where Ryan Howard hit the stadium's longest home run.
• Exposed Bullpens — Located in right-center field, the bi-level bullpens allow the fans to get very close to the players (especially the visiting team, who sit in the top level). Fans are allowed to heckle but must keep it clean. The section above the bullpen that contains the Phillies Wall of Fame is closed to the public about 30 minutes prior to first pitch and remains closed throughout the game, re-opening at the game's conclusion.
• Rooftop Bleachers — Inspired by the 1920s and 1930s stands on North 20th Street outside Shibe Park, this area replicates the seating similar to that outside Wrigley Field in Chicago. During the 2007 season, fans can go on top for $15 on Thursday home dates and get special food offers and events including a can koozie.
• Starting Lineup — The Phillies starting lineup that day is illustrated by giant ten foot tall by five foot wide baseball cards as fans enter the Left Field Gate.

[edit] Other attractions

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  The giant Liberty Bell replica at the park.
  Build-A-Bear Workshop Make-Your-Own-Phanatic — The first store of its kind in sports, fans are invited to buy and stuff a Phillie Phanatic doll and dress it up. Similar shops have since been set up in Cleveland's Jacobs Field, Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park, AT&T Park in San Francisco, and the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
• Diamond and Hall of Fame Clubs — Two premium seating areas in the park. The Diamond Club, located behind home plate, includes an air-conditioned indoor club area with exclusive food and souvenir shops where ticket holders can watch batting practice on either side of the club (especially on rainy days). A second level, called the Hall of Fame Club, is located between Sections 212 through 232. This air-conditioned area features exclusive food and souvenir stands akin to The Diamond Club, and also houses memorabilia from the teams' past going as far back as the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1900s. In addition to being an attraction to fans, the Hall of Fame level also houses the A/V crew on the first-base side of that level that controls the scoreboard and all other monitors throughout the park, as well as the press box and TV and Radio booths.
• High and Inside Pub — Located on the Terrace Level behind home plate, the area is open to groups before the ballgame, and the public once the games start.
• Liberty Bell Home Run Celebration — Standing 102 feet (31 meters) above street level, this 52-foot (15.8 meters) by 35-foot (10.7 meters) wide mechanical, lighted replica of the Liberty Bell "rings" and lights up after every Phillies home run and victory.
• Majestic Clubhouse Store and Alley Store — The clubhouse store is open year-round, and serves as the starting point for tours of the ballpark. The bi-level store features regular merchandise on the first level and Phanatic-themed items on the second level, while the Alley Store is open during all home games and features customizable Phillies jerseys.
• McFadden's Bar and Grille — Open year-round, this restaurant combines the McFadden's and Zanzibar Blue menus at the Third Base Gate. Since it's opening, it has become a popular post-game (or event) site for events at the nearby Wachovia Center, Spectrum and "The Linc."
• Phanatic Phun Zone — Located at the First Base Gate plaza, this playground offers fun for guests eight years old and younger with slides, climb, explore and play games. A separate area for toddlers three years old and younger is found inside.
• Phanatic Rock Climb and Giant Shoe Slide — Located on the Terrace Level near home plate, kids can climb an inflatable rock climb and slide in and out of a replica of one of the Phanatic's sneakers.

[edit] Statues

Besides the Richie Ashburn statue in Ashburn Alley, statues of three other famous Phillies — Robin Roberts (at the First Base Gate), Mike Schmidt (at the Third Base Gate) and Steve Carlton (at the Left Field Gate) — ring the outside of the facility. Each of the ten-foot high statues were made by local sculptor Zenos Frudakis. Other art found throughout the park includes tile mosaics, murals and terazzo floors with outlined images of famous players in Phillies history.

A familiar sight to Phillies fans in the 1970s and 1980s was Mike Schmidt sending one "Outta Here!"

The statue of Robin Roberts was done similar to a black-and-white photograph from the 1940s.

The glaring look of Steve Carlton froze many opposing batters in the '70s and 80s.

The legendary Phillies player and broadcaster Richie "Whitey" Ashburn is honored with this statue in the middle of Ashburn Alley.

[edit] Photos of the Park

Outfield View from Ashburn Alley	Citizens bank Park Exterior	Scoreboard Interior with Singer	The view from the 300 level
Entrance to the Ballpark	Another view of the skyline

Philadelphia Portal

[edit] External links

• Philadelphia Phillies: Citizens Bank Park
• Ballpark Reviews' Visit to Citizens Bank Park
• A tale of two ballparks: San Diego outdistances Philadelphia

Coordinates: 39°54′20.65″N, 75°9′59.62″W