The Phillies yesterday put a limited number of tickets to NLCS Games 3-5 at Citizen Bank Park on sale, but some fans “complained of a glitchy process” while trying to secure them, according to Rob Tornoe of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. One of the complaints was a “glitchy process that kept [fans] stuck in a virtual waiting room and unable to add tickets to their shopping cart.” Phillies VP/Ticket Sales John Weber said, “Obviously, it was very large demand for very limited number of seats. A there were a few glitches due to the overwhelming demand.” Tornoe reported despite the complaints, the tickets “quickly sold out, thanks to the pent up demand of fans hoping to attend the team’s first NLCS series since 2010.” Weber indicated that he “expected the stadium to be even more electric than it was” during the NLDS against the Braves, when Citizens Bank Park was “so loud at times it set off decibel warnings” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/17).
HARPER VALLEY: In N.Y., David Waldstein notes RF Bryce Harper’s “ability to connect with the Phillies and their fans” since joining the team as a free agent in 2019 has been “so flawless that it could be used as a road map for future free agents.” Philadelphia is a city “known for riding its athletes when they do not perform well.” However, Harper’s on-field success “combined with his passion for the game and for playing in Philadelphia helped forge a bond between him and the city.” Harper shirts “were everywhere” at Citizens Bank Park during the NLDS, and “chants of ‘MVP’ recognized his past and current work.” Former Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said, “He’s very astute and acutely aware of what the city is about and what makes it tick. It’s a blue-collar city with people who have great passion for their teams and their athletes. They want accountability, effort and commitment, and Bryce has given them that.” Waldstein noted Harper during his debut with the team in 2019 “wore bright green Phillie Phanatic cleats … and he still sometimes wears a Phanatic headband and batting gloves.” He also “renounced” his fandom of the Cowboys and “publicly adopted the Philadelphia Eagles” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/18).
