Doug Glanville
I asked Doug Glanville one question and suddenly I was sprinting to keep up. The man remembers it all—every creaky tunnel at the Vet, every cheesesteak-fueled sellout at Citizens Bank Park, every face in the Wrigley bleachers. And he doesn’t just remember—it means something to him. The parks. The people. The magic. We talked firsts (walk-off, hit, stolen base), legacy, and even stadium design (spoiler: he’s in the Hall of Fame for an engineering paper). Doug doesn’t just show up in baseball history books—he thinks about how they’re written. I was lucky to sit back and let the stories roll.
From a player’s perspective, how would you describe the vibe and the excitement around South Philly going into that 2004 season?
It was transformational. I became a Phillies fan through Veterans Stadium and worried what we’d lose when that era ended. But Citizens Bank Park captured the spirit of Phillies fans—loud, intense, passionate. It had everything: a 360-degree concourse, the Geno’s vs. Pat’s rivalry built in. As players, we got bigger lockers, upgraded facilities, and a sense of something first-class.
What was it like transitioning from the Vet to Citizens Bank Park?
I never complained about old stadiums—hey, we were in the big leagues! But the Vet had issues: the turf, the tunnels. Moving into Citizens Bank felt like getting a new apartment—you had to find your routine, but everything was top-tier. It helped make us feel like a competitive organization. Even if the Vet wasn’t the Four Seasons, it was still “the show.”
I also started seeing ballparks differently as I got older. After a crane collapse during the construction of Miller Park, I began noticing all the behind-the-scenes workers—people clocking in, making it all happen. These parks became more than stadiums. They were museums of history, filled with people who gave their all.
You hit the first walk-off homer at Citizens Bank Park. Do you remember who it was off?
Rocky Biddle. To left-center. That moment became part of Phillies history, and that’s huge for me. Even though I wasn’t playing much that year, that swing mattered. It reminded me: you still have value. I’ve never liked the term “unlikely hero”—I was wearing the uniform. I had a history here.
You’re a Jersey guy, but you’re Philly-connected. When you go back, fans still recognize you. What does that say about this fanbase?
Philly fans are family. Tough, sure—but deeply loyal and knowledgeable. When I got traded here in ’98, I found out some of my family members had been boycotting the Phillies for decades because of the way Jackie Robinson was treated. But when I put on that uniform, they started coming again. Baseball helped reconnect those broken lines.
What do you remember about the vibe after that walk-off?
My buddy South Bendy was there. After the game, we went to Capital Grille and he said, “You got it,” right off the bat. I wasn’t sure at first, but watching the replay later and hearing Harry Kalas’s voice—that made it real. We had the shaving cream pie thing going. I told them: next time, banana cream. Anything but shaving cream!
What makes Wrigley Field so special?
Wrigley has soul. It’s evolved, but it still feels like a picnic in a neighborhood. The old days had quirks—tight batting cages, shared lockers—but that just made it more intimate. I remember walking my wife up the concourse. I didn’t say anything. She got to the top of the stairs and said, “I get it now.”
You had the first hit and stolen base at Enron Field?
Yup. I was the leadoff hitter on Opening Day. I hit a changeup off the end of the bat—it barely rolled into right field. Broke my bat. First hit, first stolen base. I’ve even got a lithograph. I brought it up to our ESPN Radio researcher recently just to mess with him. Took him hours to realize it was me.
When you look back, do you think, “Damn, that was pretty cool”?
Totally. These moments mean something. Every player is the first at something somewhere. I’ve got a stadium book that says: “Enron Field – First Hit: Doug Glanville.” That still gets me.
And fun fact—my last professional hit? A single to left off the Phillies in spring training. Same exact hit as that Enron opener. Baseball symmetry.
I was also into stadium design. I wrote my college engineering paper on building a stadium at 30th Street Station in Philly. The Phillies’ owner Bill Giles actually asked for a copy. That paper’s now in the Hall of Fame. Later, I even called up stadium architects asking to intern with them. I was that into it.
That’s amazing. Thank you for all of this, Doug.
Anytime.
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More from Doug Glanville
NOTE: The above was edited for clarity and length.
You can read the full transcript here.