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 July 4, 2010
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Three years after visiting the hockey arena in Reading, PA, we returned for a visit to the baseball park on a steamy summer night. Reading is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania with a population of 88,000 and is famously known for its railroading past (thanks to Monopoly). It is also regarded as the Outlet Capital of the World and located in the southeastern portion of the state along the Schuylkill River. Tough times have come down on the city with its high poverty level and crime rates. Baseball has a lot of history in this city and Reading is one of the top minor-league markets in the country. For well over 100 years, the sport has been played here and most of that time has been spent in the Eastern League. The current team incarnation is in the form of the Phillies, who have been here since 1967. Reading has won three outright league championships and they call FirstEnergy Stadium home. This historic ballpark built in 1951 is a fun place that cleverly fits the old with the new and turns the game into a festive event (before it was hip to do so), yet the main fan focus is still on baseball.
Prestige Ranking: 4 out of 5
Location
FirstEnergy Stadium is on the edge of the city, located a few miles to the north of downtown. A few 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 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 and 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. We had to take this route and there were no signs or evidence of a ballpark coming up. Once there, parking was not easy as the nearby lots and grassy areas filled up very quickly. Team employees were vaguely directing cars where to go and ended up being no help. Eventually, we found open parking in business lots a ways down from the stadium. After the game, the departure was quite congested and it took awhile to get back onto a busy Route 61.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 3.5 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 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 includes signs for “Baseballtown” and “Ballgame Crossing” railroad signs. Very nice. Additionally, subtly engraved letters saying “Home of the Reading Phillies” are etched in the middle of the front facade.
Exterior Ranking: 7 out of 10
Concourse
Just past the turnstiles is a busy open area with merchandise, programs and Reading baseball exhibits. This then leads to a rather cramped, enclosed concourse that is very well decorated. What the concourse lacks in comfort is made up for in character with walls painted in team colors (red, white and blue), various team displays and concession signs designed to look like the old days. A great touch is the quotes from various Phillie personnel about Reading. There is much, much more than just the traditional concourse underneath the grandstand. Coming out from both sides, I have never seen so much going on at a minor-league park as there were a ton of people arriving early to eat and hang around before the game in the festive atmosphere. The outdoor first base side has the feel of a downtown block of cafes and there is even a concert stage for pre and post game. Along with food stands, there were games and activities for kids. More can be found near third base and left field with a wide assortment of picnic spots and bar seating. It’s somewhat chaotic, but also quite festive.
Concourse Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Food
Overall food options were plentiful with some of the more popular items being cheese steaks, soft pretzels and chuggars, which is a combined chicken and burger sandwich (not sure who would want that). Being the “Pretzel Capital” makes it required that Reading had them. While variety of food was decent, quality was another thing. The pizza I had was quite bleh and during my second visit, the burger was inedible. It tasted like flattened silly putty and the cheese was nearly liquid. Given the atmosphere, 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, as are a number of different craft brews.
Food Ranking: 5.5 out of 8
Interior
FirstEnergy Stadium is an example of how an old venue can be updated for use in current times and still maintain the charm from a past era. The main bowl from 1951 remains with one large section wrapped around home plate and a roof hanging over some seats. The chairs are of a much older style as they don’t fold down and are colorful (blue, yellow and red). 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 newer sections which include bleachers, decks and picnic areas. There is even seating in the outfield, as the left side features a terraced approach accompanied by a bar. Meanwhile, in right field is a swimming pool and another picnic deck area. There is a lot going on in the stadium, but a view beyond the bowl includes some of the rolling hills of Berks County. This is not exactly a serene, historic park as Reading’s stadium has morphed into a baseball/entertainment mix that casually still features an old-school grandstand. Yet, it all comes together to work.
Interior Ranking: 8 out of 14
Scoreboard
The scoreboard in left-center is highlighted by a wide-screen video, which not only is quite clear, but does well through the game with various clips and replays. The stadium name is at the top, while the box score is at the bottom. After a few ads, a vertical brick column was added to each side for a little character. I’m also a fan of how they added smaller boards above each of the newer seating sections, thus helping out those that might not have as clear a view of the main scoreboard.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3.5 out of 4
Displays
Reading has not forgot the original name of this stadium and 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. On the exterior of the ballpark itself, there are several historical plaques recognizing many associated with the city, stadium and team. As mentioned in the concourse section, there is a lot here to admire and with such a storied baseball history, Reading does well to showcase that. Immediately upon walking in, to the right is a neat display case for R-Phils memorabilia through the years. Other sections include a hall of fame, team pictures and a wall listing those that have made it to the bigs. While the inside featured three retired numbers beyond the outfield wall (Mike Schmidt, Jackie Robinson and Ryne Sandberg), the only thing missing from the stadium were championship pennants.
Displays Ranking: 4.5 out of 6
Cost
Though the parking sucked, it was free, as were the programs. In fact, this might be the most affordable game in the Eastern League. Even concessions were cheap (just $1.75 for a hotdog). My ticket was $8 and the priciest seat only cost $3 more.
Cost Ranking: 8 out of 8
Fan Support
Not only is there a festive vibe at FirstEnergy Stadium with fans coming out to enjoy the night, but there are also a lot of great, passionate fans that care very much about the team. It helps to have a nearby affiliate as many fans sported both Philadelphia and Reading Phillies gear. The crowd is well mixed between families, young folks and older couples all of whom were into the game. Reading annually ranks first in the league for attendance and the two games we saw were packed. Playoff attendance was respectable as Reading hosted their first in eight years recently, able to draw 3,402.
Fan Support Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
Though the home team didn’t provide much for the fans to get excited about, they really rose to the occasion in the ninth inning and got pretty loud. That’s a big thing in itself as there were not too many who left, uncommon for a minor-league team (even on Fireworks Night). Adding to the great atmosphere is an organ that frequently is in charge of in-game music and a scoring celebration that includes a sign designed as a train that lights up and sets off fireworks (when players are in score position, steam comes out).
Atmosphere Ranking: 12 out of 14
Other Stuff
The home stadium was originally called Reading Memorial Municipal Stadium before the naming rights were sold in 1999…..The Eastern League has seen a boom in new stadiums and this refreshing place is the oldest in the league by an amazing 34 years…..From 1987 to 2004, nearly every year featured a renovation…..One of the coolest features of this old park is that dressing rooms are still situated so that players have to walk through the fans in the concourse to get to the playing field.
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 
