July 12, 2008
FirstEnergy Stadium (Capacity: 9,000)
Reading, PA
Reading Phillies vs Akron Aeros
Final Score: 2 – 3
* The stadium was re-visited for a game on August 3, 2024
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Each time that I’ve visited this ballpark, it has been sweltering and my most recent journey came on an evening when the dewpoint was 75 degrees. Reading, a city of 95,000, is the fourth largest in PA and is located towards the southeastern portion of the state along the Schuylkill River. Known for its railroading past (made famous by the game Monopoly), the area is known as the Outlet Capitol of the World. Tough times have come down on the city with its high poverty level and crime rates. Baseball is a bright spot however and this is one of the most historic minor-league spots across the circuit. For well over 100 years, Reading has fielded a team and most of that time has been spent in the Eastern League. During the 1950s and much of the 60s, it was the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox who put their farm team here. Then in 1967, the Phillies became partners and it is a relationship that still exists today, making it the longest partnership at this level. It just makes sense given that Philly is a short drive away. Not long after my first visit, the team had a slight rebrand and became known as the “Reading Fightin’ Phils” (kind of wonky in my opinion). It’s pretty crazy there hasn’t been more success here as Reading has only won three outright league championships, their last one coming all the way back in 1995 (and it’s been five seasons since they’ve had a winning record). They call FirstEnergy Stadium home and this historic ballpark hosted it’s first game in 1951. Self-described as “America’s Classic Ballpark”, this fun place encapsulates the vibe of minor league baseball, cleverly fitting the old with the new and turning the game into a festive event (before it became a trendy thing).
Prestige Ranking: 4 out of 5
Location
FirstEnergy Stadium is on the edge of the city, located a few miles north of downtown. Corporations and businesses are nearby, but for the fan there is really nothing. Additionally, the nearby neighborhood isn’t all that inviting. Restaurants can be found further up or down on Route 61. One place I would go check out is the Reading Pagoda, the city’s landmark. This Japanese building sits on Mount Penn, offering a stunning view of the city and surrounding area.
Location Ranking: 3 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Reading is in between major interstates 78 and 76. While there is an interstate connection from the south (I-176), the trip in from the north takes longer to get to with state roads to traverse. Route 222 isn’t too terrible at night and I think that is the best way get back to I-78 if heading eastward after the game. For parking, the team doesn’t do a great job at informing where to go if you are new to the area. The stadium is by the Carpenter Technology mill, which takes up a lot of space. Subsequently, they have several parking lots and they can be used for the game. Nearly all of them are free and a drive down Front Street leads to these lots. They can fill up quickly on nights with a decent-sized crowd and with nobody directing in the area (besides the paid lot), you may need to use a lot well distanced from the entrance. After the game, the departure can get congested and if you wait for fireworks on one of those nights, expect a slow crawl to Route 61.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 5 out of 8
Exterior
The old ballpark has a brick layout with the walls above colored blue. It is a charming look, though a little hard to get a full scale appreciation for it since some trees get in the way of the view. There is a nice plaza-like feel to the entrance area, while the opening to the ballpark and the brick walkway adds to the appeal. On the building, letters saying “Home of the Reading Phillies” are subtly etched into the middle of the front façade.
Exterior Ranking: 6.5 out of 10
Concourse
There is basically a block party before the game as gates open 2 hours before first pitch, allowing fans to enjoy the festivities in the Plaza. This area behind the first base side features a stage, which often has both pre and post-game concerts. There are many tables in this space and there’s a bar as well with long counter seating. Besides food stands, kids will find plenty of games at the end of the plaza as things get a little more cramped. Heading back under the main grandstand is an enclosed concourse that is very small. At least it is colorful and well-decorated with Reading memorabilia and once you come out on either side, space opens up. More behind third base and left field with a wide assortment of picnic spots and bar seating. Navigating can be chaotic at times, but at least the whole concourse is festive.
Concourse Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Food
The food is just terrible and that is somewhat surprising as it feels like it should be better. Variety lacks and quality is even worse. I’ve had a bleh pizza on my first visit and a burger on my return trip that looked like it wouldn’t even pass in a school cafeteria. The French Fries had so much salt that I couldn’t eat much of them. At the same stand that I got the burger, they offer a “Churger”, a sandwich that combines a chicken breast and a burger. There’s a reason you don’t see that combo anywhere else. They also offer a “Slammer”, which contains four patties and a whole mess of other stuff. Anyone ordering that gets a salute from a cowbell. God Bless their soul afterwards. If you need to get something, try a pretzel, especially since Reading is the “Pretzel Capital”. Many come here to drink and they won’t be disappointed by the beer selection. Yuengling (made not too far away in Pottsville) is readily available with a number of varieties not seen in stores. Locally produce Pagoda City Brewing is a great choice, as is the stand that has Hard Slushies.
Food Ranking: 3 out of 8
Interior
There is a lot going on inside the stadium too as this is not exactly a serene, historic park. Reading’s stadium has morphed into a baseball/entertainment mix that casually still features an old-school grandstand. That main seating area dates back to 1951 and it is one large section wrapped around home plate with an unmemorable roof hanging over some seats. The chairs are of a much older style as they don’t fold down and even though the rows look narrow, leg room isn’t as bad as I initially feared. Each row goes up at a gentle incline and back rows are further from the field than you would expect. Seats starting at ground level do not help sightlines, nor does the protective netting that features multiple obstructing poles. There used to be a colorful arrangement of blue, yellow and red seats, but these changed to a calmer blue/green combination when I visited in 2024. Between the roof and seats is just a press box (no suites), while at the bottom after a couple rows near the field, there is a small walkway. Surrounding the rest of the ballpark is a mish-mash of sections that include bleachers, party decks and picnic areas. The bleachers date back awhile and they are terrible as their location and position makes for just a poor seat in general (especially on the first base side where the sun is blaring). Seating in the outfield consists of a terraced approach in left field, accompanied by a bar. Meanwhile, in right field is a swimming pool and another picnic deck area. Centerfield is taken up by an Event Center that opened in 2024. This looks like is a natural fit in the stadium as the design is integrated seamlessly. The versatile venue also features group seating, as well as upgraded team facilities. The view beyond the bowl offers some serenity beyond the craziness as the rolling hills of Berks County flow in the distance.
Interior Ranking: 7 out of 14
Scoreboard
Also new for the season that I revisited, was a scoreboard in left-field. This video screen is fantastic as the size and clarity is just about perfect. They use the video frequently and I was happy to see replays of key game moments, something often not a given in the minor leagues. My only small gripe was the line score display at the bottom, which was a little hard to read. That wasn’t enough to take away from a perfect ranking.
Scoreboard Ranking: 4 out of 4
Displays
Reading has not forgot the original name of this stadium, “Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium”. Community veterans continue to be honored appropriately as evidenced by the Pow-Mia flag flying outside the ballpark and the dog tag statue dedicated to all the veterans. Each game, a ceremonial flag is flown to honor a specific veteran. In terms of team honors, Reading does a fantastic job of that as the entire ballpark pays homage to 70+ years of baseball. Team Hall of Fame honorees get a brick on the entry plaza, along with a baseball card on a wall display. Further in, the concourse has an incredible array of posters featuring historical team pictures and details on prior championships, unique events and early timelines. I spent 30 minutes wondering through here and this is the stuff that I love to see. Memorabilia is presented in a case at the end of the concourse, nearby a listing of State Championship winners in baseball from Berks County. Beyond the outfield wall is a retired name and number for 5 former players.
Displays Ranking: 6 out of 6
Cost
It is impressive how low the prices are for a Reading game as there is free parking and $9 general admission seats if bought in advance. Even the other grandstand seats are favorably comparable (just $12 and $15). Food prices aren’t bad either with a hot dog at $3 and combo meals in the $12 – $18 range.
Cost Ranking: 8 out of 8
Fan Support
This was one area that I was surprisingly disappointed in during my return. The Friday Night game I attended featured a ballpark filled at 50% capacity and quite a disparity between the bleachers and the Grandstand (I don’t get why as the difference is just $3 per ticket). That was not the case when I visited in ’08 and ’10 as each game was packed and Reading was first in the league attendance standings. Now they are 4th and the vibe / crowd makeup was much more typical of any other city. I don’t understand the dropoff given the history, parent team and well-run nature of the club. Average playoff attendance over the last five seasons for Reading is 3,996 and that ranks 7th in the league. On the positive end of things, the team gets great local media coverage and there is plenty of apparel for the home side in the stands.
Fan Support Ranking: 5.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
Same thing here as the first couple games seen featured a fully invested crowd and one that stayed throughout. In 2024, you could’ve mistaken Reading for anywhere else. There was applause for 3rd outs and home runs generated a fair bit of noise with a few people standing. However, nothing made them stand out like the passionate group I saw in the past. When the game was tied at 2 in the 7th inning, the crowd did little to acknowledge a key strikeout. They cheered ok when the home side took the lead (see below). It’s not that the atmosphere is bad here (and the festive pre-game atmosphere is nice), it’s just that it is average and that is a step below the vibe I got in the past.
Atmosphere Ranking: 8 out of 14
Other Stuff
FirstEnergy Stadium is the Eastern League’s oldest ballpark by 34 years (soon to be 36 after Richmond’s is complete)…..The Crazy Hot Dog Vendor has been a fixture in the ballpark since 2004 and is something uniquely Reading. During a break in the second inning, the man dressed as an entertainer from the olden days, gets on his stuffed ostrich and runs around the park throwing out hot dogs to people. Fans love it and this is minor league baseball…..There isn’t just one mascot in Reading as a group of 5 parade around the ballpark. They even form their own band as “The Mascot Band” occasionally performs on the stage before the game…..Taylor Swift grew up in Wyomissing, a suburb of Reading. She performed the national anthem at the ballpark a few times during her youth…..There have been plenty of renovations in Reading and the most recent one that I saw completed in 2024 (Event Center and Videoboard) came in at a steep price tag of $45 million…..Credit to the team for the Knothole Gang, a row of red seats at the top of the stadium reserved for free to a deserving charitable or non-profit organization each game.
Game (Initial Visit)
Struggling Brett Myers, sent down from Philadelphia, promptly gave up a home run on the very first pitch of the ballgame. Not the best of starts. After two more Akron runs in the early going, Myers settled down and struck out 10. However, Reading could not put anything together offensively until the ninth inning, when they nearly rallied before striking out with the tying runner on second.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
