Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Phillies Reception
After a lot of consideration, my brother and I decided to check out the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Phillies reception on Friday. The price was pretty steep for us, and based on feedback from others who attended the event in previous seasons, we were a little nervous about what we might find. Ultimately, we decided it was worth the money for us to spend some time together, get a few autographs and partake in the buffet. And, in the end, we were not disappointed...
Phillies Meet and Greet
The first part of the agenda was a team "meet and greet". Attendees were split into two groups based on ticket color and instructed to go either right or left when exiting the elevators. Autograph booths were set up on each side. Booths for our ticket color were: Antonio Bastardo/John Mayberry, Jr and Carlos Ruiz/Laynce Nix. The other side had Domonic Brown/Erik Kratz and Chad Durbin holding down a solo table. Lines went fairly quickly as attendees were held to one-item per person, per time through line. And, key to note, attendees were not restricted to one side or another. I did go through Durbin's line twice, since it was pretty short. With my brother's help, I was able to add him to both my 2008 and 2009 World Series balls, and my 2009 World Series lithograph.
Also, while we waited for the autograph booths to open, several younger players were milling around the elevators. From that group I started my 2013 team ball with autographs by Philippe Aumont, Freddie Glavis and Jeremy Horst. Those were a few nice surprises for me.
Phillies Q and A
I wasn't sure how these would go...Again, the team had Q&A sessions set up on both sides of the suite level. Because we spent a little more time going through the autograph lines, we missed the first coaches session, but did catch Wally Joyner, Steve Henderson and Ryne Sandberg who shared their career highlight and most embarrassing moments. Then, we hung around for Mike Adams, Jimmy Rollins and Ben Revere. Overall, I thought both were pretty interesting and a good experience.
After the on-field presentation, I took my stuff back to the truck and relaxed a little. I did see a few guys signing for fans at the gates before the game, and heard that type of interaction continued on Saturday, too. Despite not being a big fan of the "On-Deck" series, it was a great way to get back into the season, and might consider the event again next year.
Phillies Meet and Greet
The first part of the agenda was a team "meet and greet". Attendees were split into two groups based on ticket color and instructed to go either right or left when exiting the elevators. Autograph booths were set up on each side. Booths for our ticket color were: Antonio Bastardo/John Mayberry, Jr and Carlos Ruiz/Laynce Nix. The other side had Domonic Brown/Erik Kratz and Chad Durbin holding down a solo table. Lines went fairly quickly as attendees were held to one-item per person, per time through line. And, key to note, attendees were not restricted to one side or another. I did go through Durbin's line twice, since it was pretty short. With my brother's help, I was able to add him to both my 2008 and 2009 World Series balls, and my 2009 World Series lithograph.
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| 2009 WS ball - Antonio Bastardo |
Also, while we waited for the autograph booths to open, several younger players were milling around the elevators. From that group I started my 2013 team ball with autographs by Philippe Aumont, Freddie Glavis and Jeremy Horst. Those were a few nice surprises for me.
 |
| Start of a 2013 Phillies Team Ball |
Phillies Q and A
I wasn't sure how these would go...Again, the team had Q&A sessions set up on both sides of the suite level. Because we spent a little more time going through the autograph lines, we missed the first coaches session, but did catch Wally Joyner, Steve Henderson and Ryne Sandberg who shared their career highlight and most embarrassing moments. Then, we hung around for Mike Adams, Jimmy Rollins and Ben Revere. Overall, I thought both were pretty interesting and a good experience.
After the on-field presentation, I took my stuff back to the truck and relaxed a little. I did see a few guys signing for fans at the gates before the game, and heard that type of interaction continued on Saturday, too. Despite not being a big fan of the "On-Deck" series, it was a great way to get back into the season, and might consider the event again next year.
 |
| 2009 World Series Lithograph - added Ruiz and Durbin |