Harry Jenkins, a Scranton, Pa., native, and his 6-year-old son Colin sat in left field and shared the first of what will be many great memories of the Phillies' new Citizens Bank Park.
The 43,500-seat ballpark designed with the fans in mind opened its doors for a spring training game Saturday to a chorus of praise.
"I like it," said the older Jenkins. "It's just the whole atmosphere ... very intimate."
Intimacy is one of the park's most noticeable qualities, a result of the move from Veterans Stadium, which held over 60,000 people.
Saturday's result was a 6-5 loss in an exhibition game with the visiting Cleveland Indians. The Indians completed the two-game sweep with a 3-1 victory Sunday.
Overshadowing the scores were the series of firsts at the new home.
In typical Philadelphia style, the first boo came early in the day, as Mayor John Street's welcoming address was drowned out by loud boos.
xThe mood quickly changed as the Phillies starting pitcher delivered the park's first pitch to Indians left fielder Matt Lawton in front of hundreds of flashbulbs.
Then, in the bottom of the first, Jim Thome, who represented his teammates in addressing the crowd before the game, provided the first fireworks. Thome crushed a Jeff D'Amico pitch into the second deck, inciting a frenzy that may have reflected as much excitement over things to come as it did over the blast itself.
In another sign of a new season, Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell, often booed at home during last year's struggles, received a standing ovation after a game-tying home run in the fifth.
But this unofficial opening day was about the fans and all of the workers who came together to make the opening possible.
Prior to the national anthem, members of local labor unions who worked on Citizens Bank Park took the field with the Phillies.
The construction workers will gradually leave the site of the nearly-finished ballpark and give way to hundreds of other workers manning the park's game-day operations.
Concessioner Gregory Murray, who is from North Philadelphia, is in his first year with the club.
Still, he has been to Veterans Stadium and said that the best improvements are "the TVs andthe monitors."
There are a lot of great improvements, but problems still exist in the new stadium.
Citizens Bank Park boasts the largest video monitor in the National League rising out of the left field upper deck, but there are no boards that consistently show the count and score for those fans seated in left field to view.
Also, the first day was marred by plumbing problems leading to puddles of sitting water in the men's room on Ashburn Alley, the outfield food court and souvenir area.
Still, there are no critical flaws that will prevent the Phillies from hosting a successful regular season home opener April 12 against the Cincinnati Reds.
