What A Way To Go

Reading, Pennsylvania has some of the best fans in the Minor Leagues, and the city’s long-time affiliation with professional baseball has led to it being nicknamed "Baseballtown".

Still, not even the most rabid of fans are going to get too excited over the installation of a new playing surface. Re-sodding may be necessary, but it’s certainly not all that fun.

So, give credit to the Reading Phillies for going out of their way to create some excitement where none existed. On the last weekend of September, the club gave its old playing field a dramatic sendoff.

First, on Friday night, the club held a tribute band concert featuring Live Wire
(AC/DC), Separate Ways (Journey), 2U (U2, pictured at left), Bad Medicine (Bon Jovi), and Draw the Line (Aerosmith). The only thing that could have made the night better was a performance from Mini-Kiss, who performed at Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium this past July.

But the Tribute Concert was a mere prelude to Saturday’s main event — A "Smashin’ Trashin’ Field-Bashin’ Demolition Derby."
That’s right…after the grounds crew was tied up by the front office staff (true), 50 drivers roared onto the infield and participated in a no-holds barred demolition derby! A visit to the R-Phils website is well worth the trip, as it features a highlight video of the derby (set to Edwin Starr’s "War"), an interview with beleaguered groundskeeper Dan "Dirt" Douglas, and, most riveting of all, a live webcam of the new field installation.

The team’s new playing surface will be 100% Kentucky Bluegrass, so I suppose we can expect FirstEnergy Park to be the site of an Appalachian Folk Music concert some time around Opening Day.