Today in Philly Sports History: First Game at Citizens' Bank Park, 2004

Memory-packed as Veterans' Stadium may have been over its 32 year history--indeed, some were the inspiration for the naming of this blog, in honor of its oft-riotous upper-upper deck--most would agree that come the new millennium, it was about time for a change. The cookie-cutter "octorad" style in which the Vet had been built (along with many other stadiums of its time) had become badly outdated, and with the Eagles moving out to the Linc, it was only a matter of time before the Phillies followed suit. Breaking ground on the new park in 2001, and selling the naming rights in '03, by 2004, Citizens Bank Park was finally ready to open.

On April 12th of that year, the Phillies took their positions on the CBP field for the first time in a regular-season game, hosting the Cincinnati Reds. Though the stadium came to be largely well-received, its opener was something of a clunker. Aside from a Bobby Abreu home run in the bottom of the first, the Phils' bats were largely silent, as the Reds scraped together four runs in the first four innings, which would prove to be more than enough for a 4-1 win. Good feelings over the park's opening weren't enough to save the team the fans' ire, as the stands showered the soon-to-be 1-6 ballclub with boos. "You can't get on the fans. The fans are great here," said an understanding Larry Bowa. "They can boo. They're frustrated. They
want to see a winner."

Luckily, they wouldn't have to wait too long. The Phillies would turn around the slow start to finish the season 86-76, and by 2007, they were ready to become perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, Citizens Bank Park has turned into one of the hottest baseball tickets in the country, setting records in the post-World Series 2009 season with a total attendance upwards of 3.6 million, and with 73 sellouts, including 42 in a row at one point. McFadden's, The Schmitter and a whole lot of W's...who knew it would be such a reliable recipe for success?