PHILADELPHIA — Around the sports world, Philadelphia fans’ reputation precedes them. They are tough and rowdy. They can be extremely difficult on visiting teams and the opponent’s fans. They do not pull any punches (sometimes literally).
And now there is this: On Friday, Citizens Bank Park will host a postseason game for the first time since 2011. The Phillies fans – the die-hards who have lived through a lengthy playoff drought, with many disappointments along the way – can unleash that bottled-up energy from years of losing.
“It’s going to be a rowdy, hostile environment there in Philly,” A.J. Minter said. “We’re fully aware of the stadium there, and we’ve played there so many different times. So we feel confident going in there.”
