Phillies And Fans Ready For October Baseball
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Phillies and their fans are getting ready for Saturday's 5:07 p.m. opener of the National League Division Series against St. Louis.
Inside Citizens Bank Park, it is a familiar scene of bunting along the stands and the National League Division Series logo painted on the field.
Outside of the ballpark, the merchandise tent is fully stocked and crews were erecting the stage for the pregame block parties that Phillies fans hope will be running all month. The Phils, behind Roy Halladay, take on the Cardinals in NLDS Game One Saturday evening.
How are Philies fans feeling?
Michael Goldstein, a Center City resident, said no team in either league makes him nervous.
"No one scares me. I'm a Philadelphian. Nothing scares me. New Yorkers, the former Bostonians, may they rest in peace! If the Phillies play up to their capabilities and use their heads, if the weather works out and nobody has anything else on their mind but winning, we'll destroy the competition."
Goldstein said other Philadelphia fans are going into this postseason with the same high hopes.
"The expectations are always to win -- to win a championship. For the fans, it's wonderful. What's more important is, you have a generation of Philadelphians that don't know what losing is about in baseball."
With four aces on the mound, we asked Colette Barlow of Northeast Philadelphia if her expectations were higher for this fifth straight playoff appearance.
"I don't know about higher. I always expect them to go as far as they can and do the best job. But I think, with the best pitching rotation in all of baseball, we can't help but go for another parade down Broad Street."
Game Two on Sunday night is scheduled for an 8:07 p.m. first pitch.
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060
