VETERAN'S STADIUM (1971-2003)
Give Us your Favorite Vet Memories...and check back to see them posted.
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Ever Get Lucky at the Vet? Know someone who did?
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| I must be a little bit older than most of your contributors, or maybe my dad started taking me to games when I was much, much younger. I have more memories of the Vet than this page could hold. I remember when the food was actually good and you could get a hot dog, a soda, and Cracker Jack for $3.00. I remember paying $1.00 for a general admission seat for a Phillies' day game. I remember the day they painted that yellow star out in the outfield stands on that step above your head (I wonder how many of your readers even know why it's there - good trivia question for you). My highlight for an exciting moment is probably Curt Schilling's brilliant performance in the NLCS Game 1 in 1993. I remember seeing Randall Cunningham play a quarter late in a meaningless preseason game, before he had ever played a down for the Eagles, and thinking "man, who IS that guy?" For the past ten years or so, I've been bringing my daughters to the Phillies' fireworks show so they could lie on their backs on the field and watch the sparklers and listen to the music. I remember performing on that field as part of the Penn State Blue Band and then watching PSU whip Temple's ass; then, going to countless more Penn State games as an alumnus. The phrase "I'll meet you at the sliding guy" is completely understood by all of my friends. And yes, I once made the drunken mistake, as a teenager, of flashing the 700 level crowd. I guess I should have noticed that my gender was outnumbered about 500 to 1. At least there was no live camera feed to the scoreboard back then. It may be outdated, and its days may be almost over, but when the Vet was rocking, the feeling was electric. And you could ride that high for days. |
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| I WAS IN A CONCOURSE AND SAW A WOMAN WHO WAS ABOUT 65 YEARS OLD SQUATING IN A CORNER. I WENT OVER TO HER THINKING SHE MAY BE IN SOME DISTRESS.I STICK OUT A HAND AND ASK HER IF SHE IS ALLRIGHT.SHE SLAPS MY HAND AWAY AND GRUNTS AND DROPS ONE OF THE BIGGEST TURDS ON THE CONCRETE ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN..RIGHT THEN I THINK DOROTHY IS RIGHT, I'M NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE. PATRICK FEENEY, PHILADELPHIA |
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I have a lot of nice Phillies memories of the Vet, but one the memories that stands out was not at a game, but an Eagles pre-season function. Its was a festival for the fans, and the proceeds went to charity. It all took place on the field, and I thought it was great to walk on the field- it was neat to see the place from a player's point of view: being down on the field and looking up into the stands instead of the other way around! And I got to see the much- criticized turf up close. (Yes, its really that bad!) I also got autographs and photos of then-QB Randall Cunningham and then-mayor-now-governor Ed Rendell. Both were very personable. It was a very nice experience.
Stacey Carmody |
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| My best favorite memory was from the first time I came to be Vet back in1980. The Phillies were playing Montreal and we were in the 500 level about the Bullpen. We kept heckling Warren Cromarti and at the end of the 6th inning, he flipped us the bird! I also loved buying the cheap seats and sneaking past the iron gates that kept the white collared people away from 700 level people! Dave Miller |
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| My favorite memory of the Vet came at the 2000 Phils' home opener. My friends and I decide to splurge and get 600 level seat (the last row of the 600 level). Keeping with tradition of the Fightins' home openers of the past couple of years, a brawl breaks out in the 700 level right behind us. about 30 high school winners and two huge 35 year old dudes in Gold's Gym tanks are throwing each other around and over seats. After security guards and police stop the fight, they escorted the kids down the stairs to the ramp. There was this one kid whose shirt was torn off of him and was bleeding from both of his eyes screaming, "YEAH! WE WON! YEAH! WE WON!"
Yeah, buddy... you're a winner. That kid narrowly beat out the 1983 Sixers parade that ended in the Vet as my favorite Vet memory. I love PhillyPage2.com. Thanks for the laughs. Kevin, Ambler. |
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Being a 36 year old FEMALE, my first experience at the VET came a year ago when my husband (then boyfriend) and EAGLES season ticket holder in the 700 level invited me to go to an EAGLES game. Never having been in the VET before or to a professional football game, I did not know what to expect. The moment I stepped into the stadium where the seats are and saw the EAGLES players on the field, I had chills. As the game began and the fans started cheering and showing incredible support for the EAGLES, I became hooked. I have not missed a game since then. I have become such a dedicated EAGLES fan that this past weekend I attended the EAGLES vs. Skins game after being in the hospital just the day before, still being ill and then ending up back in the hospital the day after the game for unexpected surgery. On Sunday before the game, my husband asked me if I felt up to going. I told him "I WOULD NOT MISS AN EAGLES GAME COME HELL OR HIGH WATER...SICK OR NOT SICK...I WAS GOING TO SEE OUR EAGLES PLAY AND WIN THE Skins." This is only my second season going to the VET, but I will spend hopefully many more seasons seeing the EAGLES play.
Sharon B. Sharon! Thanks for being the first female contribution! It is wonderful to get some feedback from the gentler, fairer sex... We are glad you enjoyed the 700 level, and wish you a speedy recovery, and in true 700 level fashion, from the bottom of our hearts, we at Phillypage2.com would like to say.... |
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| Being 31 years old the Vet to me has been my only point of reference for home town baseball. Over the years I have had quite a few great memories there... Late September 1980 Bake McBride hitting a game ending home run into the bullpen in the 9th inning against the Expos to move them into first place for good...August 1993 Darren Dalton hitting a slam against the Cards helping the Phils overcome a 5 run first inning deficit to help put the division out of reach...
As all of us know, baseball and all other sporting events were cancelled in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. As the nation watched, the Phillies and Braves competed in the first sporting event after that fateful day. I entered the Vet with a feeling unlike any other I had for a professional sporting event. Some had suggested it was foolish to go to a sporting event because a stadium would make a tempting target for terrorists. American Flags were everywhere, the pre-game ceremonies and video on the Phanavision were unbelievably moving. As both teams took the field, there were chants of USA, USA! It was a sad and emotional day, but one in which I was proud to be an American. Chris Ounjian,Voorhees, NJ |
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My favorite baseball memory was when i was young and the general admission(yellow seats) were just 50 cents. At the top of the stadium there was a walkway all the way around. This was before the phanavision and the additional seating. We would get the lids of our little icecream cups and try to throw them all the way down to the field. Believe it or not we used to make it every once in while with a good wind.
 My favorite football memory was when I got my first taste of the 700 level. It was an eagles wildcard game against the giants in the sleet and freezing rain. Wally Henry fumbled two punt returns and the birds went down. But then so did the giants fans in the 700 level. There were brawls every where. And needless to say the giants fans didn t fare to well. This memory just nipped out 2 monday night games for my best memory. The bodybag game and the randle game against the giants. I also left alot of fluid at that place so its like losing a part of me.Thanks Vet, The Brownman |
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 Thirty-plus years ago I had the pleasure of seeing my first pro baseball game. Walking into the newly-opened Veterans Stadium is as vivid today as it was then. The bright green turf made an impression that something wonderful was about to unfold. That it did!They played two that Sunday . . . a twi-night doubleheader. The Phillies took the opener and the Pirates rebounded in the second. |
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| I have a few...Baseball, has to be the MONSTER rain delay, late 80's vs. the Padres, it took forever, and almost everyone went home, but we stayed, and Tony Gwynn through a perfect strike to us in the stands with his warm up ball. Other baseball, Game 6, 1980, Game 1 NLCS 1993. Football...The debauchery of the 700 level, the excessive drinking, public urintation, the vomiting, the weed smoke on the ramps, I'll never forget it. And that is good, because I think that in the new stadium, all that stuff will be a memory...
Tony Romeo |
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| I have many memories of the Vet. As a kid my father would take me to many baseball games and I would get to ask a friend and him and his father would go to the game with us. One of my favorite things to do was to leave our good seats in section 326 and walk around the stadium with my friend and go all the way to the top and sit in front of the phanavision for a couple of innings, or try to sneak down and sit in the really good seats right on the field. That usually lasted about 2 pitches because security would come and kick us out. I still don't understand that, no one was in those seats. Why couldn't I sit there? The Eagles vs. Buccs playoff game on New Years Eve 2000. It was a 4:00 game, we had about 8 inches of snow on the ground and it was COLD!!!! The stadium was buzzing from start to finish. Once I got inside, I knew that there was no way we could lose. I believe it was game 6 of the 1993 NLCS. It was the game the Phils beat the Braves to go to the World Series. When Mitch Williams struck out Deion Sanders in the 9th inning the place went nuts, and before the final out was recorded the whole crowd (except Ted Turner and Jane Fonda) was doing "The Chop" to mock the Braves. It was the loudest chant I have ever heard in Philly. TJ Moos |
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| My favorite Vet memory has to be my first Phillies game. I still remember that night like it was yesterday. It all started when my cousin Bud called my Dad and told him he had an extra pair of tickets to the game that night. My Dad, being a child of the Depression immediately inquired how much this was going to cost him. When he was told that they were free, well that’s a price my Dad couldn’t refuse. Of course my little physce was taking a major league beating listening to this exchange between my cousin, and my Dad. Will we go, won’t we go? No wonder so many of us are in therapy, or on mood altering drugs now that were in our thirties. As a sidebar here. The source of my cousin’s generosity wasn’t due to some blessings of the ticket gods. Back in the day Herrs potato chips use to give away tickets to the game on a bag of chips. Just bring the greasy coupon from a bag of chips down to the box office and you got two free tickets. Now keep in mind this was the era of Schmidt, Rose, and Carlton, the golden age of Phillies baseball, and they still couldn’t fill a stadium What I remember most about that night was how big and bright everything was. Having only watched games on TV I was amazed at the size of the stadium. It was bigger then the twenty inches of my parent’s TV screen. The turf was a brilliant green. The lights seemed brighter then daylight. The smells of the hot dogs and popcorn. I was in awe of it all. There was so much I wanted to remember about that game, I wanted to burn it into my memory, because I didn’t know if I would ever make it back there. I’m thirty-four now, and of course I’ve made it to quite a few Phillies games, including some that were historic, or memorable. I’ve even returned the favor of taking my Dad to a few games over the years. For me however my most memorable moment at the Vet will always be when I held my Dad’s hand and walked through those turnstiles for the very first time, and a Philadelphia sports fan was born. Bob Delcamp |
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| One of my favorite memories at the Vet was my first experience there in 1999 for the EAGLES!!! I sat in the 700 level, where I have season tickets now, and saw so many crazy things like puking, fights, loud chants at opposing fans, girls flashing the crowd, and so much other great stuff. I know everyone critisizes the Vet for being a bad place, but every time I walk thru those gates on Sundays, I get the chills. Its a great place and will be missed when its gone.
Justin - NJ |
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| I have so many moments. There was the playoff game between the Birds and the Lions. No one gave the Eagles a chance, Detroit was on a roll and might have been close to a double digit favorite, not to mention Barry Sanders who nobody could stop. The game was over by half time, Sanders was a non factor and the stadium was rocking from start to finish. In 1983 my father brought me to my first playoff game at the Vet. It happened to be the 6th game of the NLCS vs, the Dodgers, sitting in the left field foul territory. As soon as we walked in Gary Mathews hits a 3 run home run. Later in the game Sixto Lezcano fouls one off and I end up with the ball. The next pitch he hits a seed over the left field fence. No doubt the last few years where awesome for Eagles fans that live and die with our team. And yes I do think we are a part of the success. Teams come to the vet dreading the locker room facility, the turf, the weather and I think most of all US crazy and passionate fans. My absolute favorite moment at the Vet will be this years playoff run including the NFC Championship Game. Let's send our “home away from home” off with bang, by winning the whole damn thing!!!!!!! Dominick |
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| The best memory I have of the Vet is not a personal one but with the stories of the visiting team locker room peeping into the Eagles Cheerleaders locker room. The thought has gotten me through many a cold winter night.
Eric Zemitis |
