The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team has a passionate fanbase, especially in the town of Deptford. This passion was the force behind Phillies Day which was held at the senior center on July 27.
The venue provided a baseball fan’s favorite dishes, which included peanuts, cracker jacks, hot dogs and more, that were all free of charge. Participants also got to watch the team play one of America’s most popular sports on tv.
“This is probably our fifth year doing this,” said Roseann Foschini, the event’s organizer and a typist for the township’s clerk. “[The purpose is] to get our seniors out of the house and get together.”
Tables were set up where people could sit, eat, talk and enjoy the game. Phillies decorations were spread on the front doors and across the center. On this occasion, the team was playing one of their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, in a game where no one seemed able to get a clear advantage on the hot, sunny day.
“We come every time they have this,” said Richard Mastero, who came to the senior center with two friends.
Barbara Carola also attended with friends to watch the game; they had heard about the special from the Deptford newsletter. She has been a fan “since before they won the World Series.”
This particular World Series was the Phillies’ first ever title, which they won in 1980. They would win it all again in 2008, bringing their championship win total to two.
Though the Phillies Day Special was made for baseball fans in mind, even non-baseball fans were welcome to come and join the festivities.
“Anybody can come out and just sit down and have a conversation and have a pretzel, hot dog and popcorn,” said Foschini.
“I’m here to eat hot dogs,” said Mastero jokingly. “I watch the game and hot dogs; they draw us in. I’m a football fan but I’ll take baseball once in a while.”
The Phillies Day Special at the senior center usually happens around four to five times a year, depending on the team’s schedule, then around once a month during the team’s season, according to Foschini. The next event is scheduled for Thursday Aug. 11 and starts at 1:00 p.m. No reservations are needed and there is no price of admittance.
