Above are two photos I took on the evening of April 26, 1989. It was a great day and night professionally, an awful one personally, and we will likely talk about that at a later date.
I was there for the groundbreaking. I was there for the grand opening. I remember walking around just about every inch of that stadium 30 years ago, not believing out area could have something so nice. My media brethren felt the same way. We were stunned our area could have something so nice, so "big time."
You couldn't get anywhere near that place for years. Just about every night was a sell out. NEPA loved baseball. Eventually the rose lost its bloom. The stadium got old-- fast. It was a great design-- for the 70's. People stopped coming. the Phillies pulled up stakes and moved to Allentown. The Yankees and new management came in. There was a massive remodel, and that's where we are today.
I will fondly remember that opening night.
Here is a sad fact. In 30 years, I've seen exactly two games as a civilian spectator.
