READING, Pa. — Long before first pitch, fans were already making their way into FirstEnergy Stadium — many hoping to get a look at Phillies top prospect Gage Wood.
“Gage Wood makes his home debut for the Fightin Phils,” said Jake Starr of the Reading Fightin Phils. “Wood, who’s the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect, was a first-round pick last year.”
R-Phils officials say excitement around Wood has been building all week.
“Between the nice weather, the exciting giveaway and Wood pitching, should be a pretty big crowd tonight,” Starr said. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive traction on social media, just in our pre-promotion of Wood’s start tonight, so I know a lot of people are really excited.”
One of them was Roberto Vega and his family from Shillington.
“We’ve been here a couple times this year,” Vega said. “It’s fun. It definitely creates memories. I love doing that with them.”
The 22-year-old allowed just one earned run and registered four strikeouts and no walks in four innings of work.
His kids were also hoping to be among the first 2,000 children through the gates, earning free Hersheypark tickets. For other families, it was the perfect way to start summer vacation.
“We just got off of school, and we’re going to come see the baseball game with our grandpa,” said Jalen Langlois.
And while many came to see Gage Wood’s home debut, others came for something even bigger: the tradition.
“I’m here 56 years. I’m 91 years old,” said Francis “Ducky” Turner. “At one time, I was a stadium manager here. I used to keep score. I charted pitches. I ran the beer stands. And right now, I just try to stay out of the way and enjoy myself.”
It’s a lifetime spent around baseball — a lifetime spent at this ballpark.
“You can’t beat it. Every day,” Turner said. “In fact, I’m lucky enough, even when the team’s on the road, I come out just to talk to the staff and everything else. This was my life, really. This was my life.”
Whether fans came for a future Phillies star, a free ticket, or simply another summer night at the ballpark, this crowd showed why baseball remains part of the fabric of Berks County.