The Three Ring Sign

Old Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia

Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies, May 27, 2004

Citizens Bank Park , Sec 130, Row 24

"Hey, get your cold beer! Hey, get your Ballantine!...Just look for the three-ring sign/And ask the man for Ballantine." That's how the jingle went.  Just ask Mel Allen.
Not many people know this;  the beer of choice of Martin Crane, Frazier Crane's character father in the sitcom "Frazier" was Ballantine Ale.  

I watched from afar the planning, design and building of the new Phillies ballpark.  I grew up in the Vet.  Not knowing any better, it was the center of the universe.  Until I got a taste of baseball played on grass.  Then I grew bitter that my childhood was robbed of real baseball.
I couldn't wait to see the Phils play a home game on grass.  This was their first season in the new Citizens Bank Park.
I read previously that the Phils were going to honor the passion of Philadelphia for drinking beer by offering every beer brewed within a 30 mile radius of the city.  In addition, the defunct Ballantine Beer recipe was purchased, and that beer would also be sold at the new ball park.
The reason Ballentine held a special place in the heart of the Phillies was they were the main sponser on the center field scoreboard at the old Connie Mack Stadium.
I was on a mission to drink a Ballantine.  I remember the commercials as a kid.  The cans in the fridges at the corner local tap rooms.  I may have even had a cheap 6 pack or two in my youth.  But not all local beers were available at each beer stand.  Understandable.  And, as far as I could see, no list available to show where each individual brand was sold.
Being I was on a mission, the beer took precedence over the Braves v Phillies on the field.  I was with my wife.  She knows when I act like a kid in a candy shop to just let me go.  So she patiently followed me on my quest for the golden nectar once known as Ballantine. 
Our seats were above 3rd base.  Pretty good for a kid who spent countless Phils games in the 700 Level (mostly 714).  But I was drawn back upstairs to my roots in search of a Ballentine.
Finally, I found the stand offering the beer which disappeared from shelves 30 years prior.  I don't know what I was expecting, maybe a can or bottle, but remember being disappointed when I got a generic disposable cup of beer from a tap handle that read "Ballantine".
I walked several sections anticipating my first sip.  I found it.  This was my moment.
I took my first much anticipated swig................Ahhhh........No wonder they no longer make this swill.
But I have to endure being I spent months anticipating and innings searching.  As I made my 2nd or third sip, a typical lughead Phillies fan bumped into me, spilling my Holy Grail in a plastic cup to the concrete below.
Normally, that's good enough reason to pursue a new beer from the other gentleman.  He stopped and apologized, then offered to buy me a new beer.  Being he actually did me a favor, I patted him on the back and said, "no problem" and walked away.  Right to the next stand to buy my own replacement of something other than Ballantine.
Somewhere along the line the Braves went on to manhandle the home Phils 6-1.

Nomar Comes Home

Boston's Jim Leyritz takes BP

Boston Red Sox v Trenton Thunder, May 27, 1998


Waterfront Park, Sec ?

A festive day in Trenton this date.  The parent Boston Red Sox were visiting for an exhibition game and bringing short stop sensation Nomar Garciaparra with them.  Garciaparra spent the entire 1995 season in Trenton.  On this night the Thunder would retire Nomar's Number 5.

The Red Sox became the first major league team to play in New Jersey since the Brooklyn Dodgers played part of their regular-season schedule in the state in 1957. It was the first appearance in Trenton by a major league team since the Washington Senators played the Trenton Senators in 1936.

The big team would go on to win the exhibition 4-3 in an evening when stars such as Pedro Martinez and ex Thunder Trot Nixon and Lou Merloni were on hand.

Nomar in 1995

Treadway Hat Trick

Jeff Treadway hit 3 home runs tonight

Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies, May 26, 1990


Veterans Stadium, Sec 617, Row 7

Prior to the Braves run at consecutive divison titles but many of the pieces were falling into place.
A pretty decent Saturday night crowd on hand of 56,789 on a cool night in a drizzle.  The Phils never held Saturday afternoon games in those days like Boston and New York.  It was too bad because The Vet always looked better in the sunlight.

The Phils jumped ahead quickly in the bottom of the 1st with a Von Hayes RBI single to center scoring Lenny Dykstra who drew a lead off walk.  Dykstra was moved to 3rd on a Ron Booker double.

The Braves rocked starting pitcher Pat Combs in the 3rd with a 3 run home run from Jeff Treadway and RBI singles from Jamie Presley and Dave Justice.  The Braves continued the fight at the bat rack in the 5th with a Greg Olson RBI double a Ron Gant sac fly and a 2nd Jeff Treadway round tripper to deep right field  to put the visitors up 9-2.

The Phils Dave Hollins contributed a little too late with a lead off home run in the bottom of the 5th off Braves starter Pete Smith.  That single run was negated by Jeff Treadway's hat trick 3rd dinger in the 7th scoring Ron Gant.  Lonnie Smith piled on his old team in the 9th with an RBI single to score the final run in this 12-3 slug fest.

Brew Crew Pounding

Milwaukee Brewers v Washington Nationals, May 23, 2008

National Park,  Sec 104 Row T

Milwaukee's Jeff Suppan faced Odalis Perez in the Friday night matchup.

Willie Pena hit a line drive home run deep to left in the bottom half of the third for a Nats 1-0 lead. 
Perez held the Brew Crew scoreless for 5 when the pitcher Suppan helped his own cause with an seeing eye RBI up the middle.

Willie Pena moves away from past ball

Suppan remained strong until the top of the Nats top of the order produced a Ryan Zimmerman double, Lastings Milledge sacrifice and a Jesus Flores double put them up 5-1.

Riley Cup Final

Mississippi Sea Wolves v Richmond Renegades, May 23, 1999


Richmond Coliseum, Sec 6L, Row D


The prize wasn't as grand as the 97 Calder Cup Championships the family attended but the Richmond Renegades were in the Finals of ECHL Championships.  The home Renegades won a squeeker infront of a jubilant, rare Coliseum sell out crowd taking going up 3-1 in the series.

The Sea Wolves went on to win the next 2 setting up a Game 7 in Mississippi.  There was no TV for minor leagues so I sat in front of the radio and listened as the Renegades took Game 7 into OT.  Bruce Boudreau was the coach for the Sea Wolves this season. 

Playoff Hat Trick

The last helmetless NHLer; Craig MacTavish

New York Rangers v Philadelphia Flyers, May 21, 1995

The Spectrum, Sec 21, Row 9

1941 was a chant you no longer hear when the Rangers play as they won their first Cup since then in the 1994 season.  The Flyers didn't even make the playoffs in 94.  But with Eric Lindros and the acquistion of Eric Desjardins and John LeClair, 1995 was a whole new season.

Normally I split seats with 4 guys during the regular season.  We only had 2 tickets for select playoff games.  We did some contest to divvy up the pairs.  I drew this game and took my wife.  The guys muck during the regular season and the wives get all the glory games.

Playoff hockey is a different atmosphere.  Traffic is more intense.  I usually parked for free on the other side of a lot where Lincoln Financial Field now sits.  Cops had the side street blocked.  I wasn't familair with too many options so I pulled into the first lot off Pattison (where Citizens Bank Park now sits).  A guy stood at the entrance collecting $15.  Suck it up and enjoy the day.  We park and as we get out of the car I see other cars coming in from another entrance and they appear to be doing so without anyone collecting money.
I walked up to a guy who pulled in from that direction and asked if he paid.  He said, :No, this is a free lot.  It's private property."  I told my wife to sit tight.  I walked around the warehouse to the guy collecting money.  he had to have a wad of hundreds in his hand.  Not to make a scene, I walked up behind him, made no eye contract and said "give me my fucking money back so I don't have to kick your ass".  Not missing a beat he charged the next car $15, handed me my refund making no eye contact and continued charging cars again.  Nice work if you can get it.

This was Game One of the series.  A weekend afternoon game.  The Flyers dispatched Buffalo 4-1 in the previous series.

Things didn't start out well for the upstart Flyers playing the Stanley Cup defending champs.  The Flyers Eric Lindros was called for a cross checking in the opening minutes of the game.  Referee Don Koharski was hell bent on controlling the much more physical Flyers.  With a man advantage New York's Mark Messier fed Brian Leetch for the game's first goal.  Hoping to close out with a 1-0 deficit in the first the Flyers were called for another infraction with :31 to go in the period.  Kevin Dineen was called for elbowing.  Shortly thereafter the Rangers Petr Nedved scored with assists going to Sergi Zubov and Leetch.  A goal in the first minute of a period or last minute is alway hard on the victim's psyche.  The Rangers took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

The 2nd started with a nice make up call when the Rangers Alexei Kovalev was sent to the box for hooking.  On the same penalty kill, The Rangers Steve Lamar was called for hooking, giving the Flyers a 5 on 3 advantage.  What the fans came for was to see the Legion of Doom in action.  Eric Desjardins and Mikael Reneberg fed John LeClair for the home team's first goal of the game.  The goal energized the Spectrum.

The Rangers were given another power play opportunity at the 15:04 mark setting up a Pat Veebek goal with assists to Messier and Zubov.   John LeClair added another unassisted goal late in the 2nd.

While even strenght,the Flyers Eric Lindros and Petr Svoboda set up LeClair for a game tying hat trick which almost caused the crowd to rip the roof off the building at the 12:50 mark of the 3rd. Reneberg passed to Desjardins shortly after for the go ahead goal.  The place could not be louder.

In desperation the Rangers pulled home town goalie Mike Richter for a man advantage.  With :19 seconds left in regulation Verbeek scored tying the game and letting the air out of the barn.

A nail biting 20 minute intermission seemed like it took forever.  Etched on the Stanley Cup for the 1994 Rangers was Craig MacTavish.  MacTavish was traded to the Flyers in the off season.  And it was today that he passed to the point to set up Desjardin up for the game winning goal.  This may have been the loudest I remember the Spectrum.  If not, it ranked up their the the Top 3.  Also one of my greatest memories of The Spectrum.