Michael Kirshenbaum
I’ve been to a lot of parks and talked to a lot of fans, but few stories have stayed with me like Mike Kirshenbaum’s. Maybe it was the image of him sneaking into the Hall of Fame Club with fake tickets. Maybe it was his dad screaming during Joe Carter’s home run while his mom yelled at _The Bodyguard_. Or maybe it was just the way he talked about Citizens Bank Park—as a place that made him feel something real. This place matters. It’s not just bricks and grass. It’s family. It’s memories. It’s Philly. And it’s sacred.
Mike, when was the first time you went into Citizens Bank Park? What do you remember about your first game there as a fan?
The first game I saw there was against the Indians—it was one of the “fake” pre-season games. There were still wires hanging from the ceiling in the Hall of Fame Club. Stu had tickets for that game, and I just remember walking in through the center field gates and seeing grass and thinking, “My God, this is crazy.” I was so used to the Vet. The next day, we snuck back into the Hall of Fame Club using the old tickets because they didn’t really check.
So we both grew up with the Phillies at the Vet. The ’93 team was huge for me.
My first real baseball memory was Curt Schilling in Game 5 of the ’93 World Series. My dad nearly tore the house down when Joe Carter hit the walk-off. In one room my mom was watching The Bodyguard, and in the other my dad was watching the World Series. They both screamed at the same time—for very different reasons. I was just stuck in the middle. Definitely a preview of their divorce.
What do you remember about the anticipation for Citizens Bank Park?
Driving down Pattison Ave, we’d see the Ballpark Viewing Area. My dad and I jokingly called it “The Travis Lee House” because they had a giant Travis Lee banner up there that somehow lasted into 2021. I remember thinking, “This is going to be cool.” I’d been to Camden Yards and Yankee Stadium—liked Camden, respected Yankee—but I was excited for a true baseball stadium close to home.
So now, twenty years later, what’s been the impact of Citizens Bank Park on the Phillies and their fans?
Massive. Sure, maybe they’d have sold out in 2008-10 even at the Vet, but the new park made everything better. Even if the game wasn’t good, it was just a nice place to be. Once I sat in the outfield with my laptop doing expense reports because I had the day off. Try doing that at the Vet—it was concrete and bleak.
CBP changed the team’s vibe. Getting Jim Thome doesn’t happen without the new stadium. It helped them shed the small-market label. Now they’re top five in payroll and selling out nightly. That’s the ballpark.
You’ve traveled with WWE. You’ve seen a ton of parks. What makes CBP stand out?
I’ve been to all but three stadiums. What sets CBP apart is its timing. Opened in 2004, just before the exclusive club seating trend exploded. You can sit behind the dugout without needing a concierge or a second mortgage. Great views from everywhere. Full concourse access—360 degrees—without ever losing sight of the field.
Ashburn Alley works—it’s like a Philly version of Baltimore’s warehouse. Blue-collar, approachable. Nice but not fancy. You don’t have to be rich to be part of it.
And the playoffs?
Unmatched. It’s the closest thing in America to a European soccer match. People stand the whole game, singing walk-up songs. That Arcia “Attaboy Harper” moment? I would’ve bet my life Harper would homer next game—and he did. The inevitability you feel in that stadium is just electric.
Any last stories before we wrap?
In 2008, we had a Sunday ticket plan that entered us into a World Series ticket raffle—and we won Game 3. My dad couldn’t go, so I brought a friend. Delayed three hours, Jamie Moyer was somehow starting. But no one doubted they’d win. Taylor Swift sang the anthem—people forget that.
Then during Game 5 (the weird one), we were at the Sixers’ opener when my dad got a call: someone had two extra tickets for the resumed game. We left the Sixers game, ran across the street, and saw 45 of the wildest minutes in baseball. And then the Phillies won the World Series. Just unforgettable.
NOTE: The above was edited for clarity and length.
You can read the full transcript here.