The Reading Phillies opened their newly-renovated park last evening with a 7:10 game against the Akron Aeros. This was the scene outside the park at around 3 p.m. The gates opened at 4 p.m. to give everyone a chance to see the renovated digs. Most of the $10 million renovations were made behind the scenes, as in the player locker rooms, front office, etc. There's also a renovated front and a new entrance into an expanded food plaza, a walk-in store, lots of new concessions, and such. The field itself looks pretty much the same, which is to say, it still looks endearingly classical.
The Reading Phillies have been associated with the Philadelphia Phillies for 67 years, which is the longest such affiliation in all of baseball. That may be one of the reasons that Reading Phillie games have such a family atmosphere. The team is a seamless part of the community and the fans span generations. Many seem to know each other. A man who had been to every opening day in the park's history was tabbed to cut the ribbon on the new park. A 94-year-old season ticket holder threw out a ceremonial first pitch. The man seated next to me, a season ticket holder, turned to me before the game, introduced himself, and shook my hand. 
The place was packed, for opening day, for the 'new' park, for the sudden good weather, and for the day's giveaway, the second in a series of Ryan Howard garden gnomes. 
Most of us were happy to get a table-top Howard gnome, but one random fan was selected to win a giant 500-pound version. The only stipulation was that the recipient immediately load the gnome up and cart it away. Judging from the way the winner, a young woman from Rosemont, Pennsylvania, skipped out of the stands when her name was announced, she was ready to roll. Another wonderful touch in tribute to the long-standing relation between the R-Phils and Philadelphia Phillies, Kane Kalas sang the national anthem. He is the youngest son of the beloved Phillie announcer Harry Kalas, who died on April 13, 2009 at the ballpark in Washington. Kane was still at the park when we left after the 8th inning.
It was a good game for seven innings. Two soft-tossing lefties matched up in a speedy pitching duel. Scott Barnes of the Akron Aeros went seven and allowed two hits, striking out 10. Ryan Edell of the R-Phils also went seven, giving up two hits and striking out nine. The stand-out player for me was Reading shortstop Freddy Galvis, who is a wiz at his position.
Reliever Tyson Brummett came in for the eighth, which started with an error on the third baseman, who followed with a weird mental error, and the game devolved from there. The Aeros batted around for four runs, added another in the ninth, and won 5-0. By then lots of fans had headed home with their kids on what was, after all, a school night. Still, it was a wonderful night at the ballpark.
