Behind the Scenes at the Vet

Pictures from the Phillies 1996 Holiday Fair

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Every winter, the Phillies invite their season ticket holders to the Vet for a holiday fair.  The fair gives loyal fans the chance to purchase Phillies merchandise at reduced prices, ask questions of Phils players & management, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Vet.  For those of you who can't make it to one of these events, here is a virtual visit to the 1996 edition.

General Manager Lee Thomas (left) was ready to be the target of Phillies fans' complaints this year.  He calmly explained that letting Eisenreich & Santiago go were both tough, but necessary to make the team competitive in the long run.  Surprisingly, there were no questions about why he fired Jim Fregosi. Broadcaster Chris Wheeler (right) served as MC.

For many fans, this year's fair was the first opportunity to see & hear from some of the new faces on the Phils up close.  Many fans didn't know too much about these guys, so there weren't as many questions as usual this year. Third baseman Scott Rolen (left) told the fans he was fully recovered from his broken arm and ready to play.  New Manager Terry Francona (the bald guy on the right) expressed a lot of enthusiasm for the team, even if there is no cleanup hitter in sight. Closer Ricky Bottalico and new first baseman Rico Brogna also made appearances.

In addition to new players, the holiday fair often allows fans the chance to meet some of the heroes of past Phillies teams. This year, Curt Simmons (left) and Hall-Of-Famer Robin Roberts (left) autographed copies of Robin's new book on the 1950 Whiz Kids. 1980 Phillie Dickie Noles is always a fan favorite, especially when he lets them hold his World Series ring. Long-time pitching ace Steve Carlton and former rookie-of -the-year Dick Allen have also been on hand in recent years.

Of course, no kid's day would be complete without a visit to Phanta Claus. Phanta doesn't say much, but he is a good listener.  What do you think Lee Thomas & Terry Francona asked for?

Phanatic isn't the only one standing in for Santa at the fair, though.  Most Phillies personnel wear Santa hats during the day--sometimes even team owner Bill Giles can be seen sporting a different kind of red and white hat than is usually seen around the Vet.  If that's not enough to bring out your holiday spirit, the Phillies Wives charity usually raffles off a christmas tree decorated with a collector's dream--all kinds of items signed by current & former Phils.

One of the rarest treats for fair participants is the opportunity to walk the same halls as their favorite players, and get a peek inside the normally off-limits clubhouse.  If you ever find yourself  lost deep in the bowels of the Vet, identifying the home clubhouse should not be a problem, but getting in may be.  As the players enter, they are reminded of some of the best moments in Phillies history.  On the left wall (pictured at right) are the four numbers retired by the team, as well as pictures of championship teams who played at the Vet. The right wall (left picture) still carries reminders of the most recent championship team, the 1993 NL champs.

Once inside, the fans get to wander around the same room where the players spend so much of their time. It's probably never this clean during the season, but you can imagine your favorite Phillies getting ready for another contest on the turf outside.  Off the main clubhouse are training and equipment rooms, and the manager's office.  

The players' jerseys are hung in their actual lockers which, as you can see, are really more like stalls.  The far wall in the above picture (closeup right) is the famed "Macho Row." Catcher Mark Parent now occupies the spot between Darren Daulton's corner stall and Lenny Dykstra's.  Nails had a leather jacket and a bunch of hangers in his stall- -maybe he was working out the day before & didn't have much of a chance to clean it out.

A door off of the clubhouse leads directly to a tunnel, which opens onto the Phillies dugout.  (Is it me, or does that tunnel still smell like cigarette smoke?) It's hard to pretend that you are sitting there with a game going on when its 35 degrees and raining (as it always seems to be during the holiday fair), but lots of fans give it a try--including me. I'm the one wearing the dugout jacket. You can also walk onto the field itself, but only the sidelines, since it's configured for football.

From field level, we go up a few stories to the 400 level--the press boxes.  You may think that these folks have a pretty good deal.  I guess they do--not only do they get paid to watch the games, but they have their own room with free food.  Take a closer look, though.  The accommodations are not exactly as plush as the luxury suites.  The boxes used by the regular TV & radio broadcasters--Harry Kalas, Ritchie Ashburn, and the rest of the crew--are a bit better than this, but still a bit cramped.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit to the parts of the Vet you don't usually get to see.  

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