Tony Burns (Transcript)
Robby Incmikoski: Interview. You are number 51, brother—51. Got about.
Tony Burns: Wow, 51 people actually talked to you?
Robby Incmikoski: And I got Tim Tschida lined up for tomorrow—former Major League umpire who worked the first-ever game at Target Field. So not only do I have two other interviews lined up this week, but I’ll be at about six by the time the week’s done.
All right, 26 years with the Phillies for you—but since 2004, you've been at Citizens Bank Park. How would you describe the impact that baseball stadium has had on the game of baseball in the city of Philadelphia? You've been there for decades. What kind of impact does that have collectively, do you think?
Tony Burns: I mean, it's huge. Going back to the Vet for a second—the Vet was the only place I knew growing up. We didn't travel to many other ballparks as a family, so I only knew the Vet. So it didn’t have such a bad rap in my mind as it maybe did with other people who got to see other ballparks.
When we started planning for Citizens Bank Park, we started visiting other ballparks. And then you kind of saw the difference between some of the newer places, and the shortcomings started to manifest themselves a little bit more when you came back to your own ballpark. So it was really cool getting to experience other ballparks...
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: ...because we wanted to see what they did wrong. And then once the announcement came, the energy—even at Veterans Stadium—shifted. There was a new ballpark on the horizon, promises of investing more money in the team and more revenue streams. So the last year at the Vet was crazy. We signed Jim Thome—we brought him in to kind of usher in the new era of Phillies baseball.
So even before we got to the new ballpark, there was already excitement. We had a young team of guys that we were marketing the new ballpark and the future around. So it was really a great time—not only to be a fan but to be an employee. And then being boots on the ground from construction all the way through Opening Day 2004—it was something that, at the time, felt like just part of the game, part of the business. But then looking back, you're like, “Wow, I was literally part of helping usher in a new ballpark, a new era of Phillies baseball.”
The entire 2004 season was crazy because we were learning the ins and outs of the ballpark—literally by the second.
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: We had a couple—we called them On Deck Series games—just to kind of familiarize...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: ...our fans with the ballpark. And it was craziness, but yeah, it's hard to describe. The energy it brought—like I said, the last year at Veterans Stadium, and then the first year at Citizens Bank Park—was just... you can’t describe it. People were excited. We had the Jim Thomes of the world, the younger guys like Burrell, and ultimately Rollins, Howard, Utley, and those guys.
So it was a big shift in...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: ...the culture of the organization. That’s when the light switch—or maybe the page—was turned. A lot of people looked at Phillies baseball as the longest-running franchise in Major League Baseball—the longest-standing team name since 1883—but there were a lot of losing seasons connected with that. And I think the mindset just shifted when it came to the new ballpark. And obviously, since then, things have gone pretty well.
Robby Incmikoski: So, you raise a few interesting points that I want to get to, but I want to stick to the baseball side of it first. As you mentioned, it kind of ushered in a new generation. Like, Terry Francona managed at the turn of the century. Larry Bowa had maybe some mild success, but really no sustained success with that franchise. It took a while—between ’93 and ’06—to win the division. They did get back to being competitive again.
But when you mentioned that Thome was the name—finished with over 600 homers in his career, right? So you look at that, then you got Utley, Rollins, Howard, Ruiz, Cole Hamels. They sign an aging Jamie Moyer, have Matt Stairs—veteran presences, right, in the clubhouse. Then you add a cut, Pat Burrell comes through the system. All these guys. Jayson Werth comes in, helps you.
My point is—how much did that kind of shift the mindset from “we have this new ballpark” to “wait a minute, we have a pretty damn good core… we might be able to win a World Series here”?
Tony Burns: Yeah, I mean, being a baseball guy—you know how it is. Especially when your heart is with a team. Obviously, you're also an employee of the team. There's that “hope springs eternal” type philosophy every year. You think you have the tools it takes to win the World Series. Sometimes it’s a little bit of blind optimism.
But like you said, the ballpark shifted things, and also the minor league system—like you mentioned. A lot of those guys—the Utleys, the Hamels, the Howards, the Brett Myers—we started bringing up homegrown talent. Which, the flip side of the coin is, it means…
Robby Incmikoski: Yep.
Tony Burns: ...we had those high draft picks. We weren't playing well to get those draft picks. Obviously, some of them we acquired in trades, but we definitely focused more on scouting. And when you brought up those guys that we talked about—and then, like you mentioned, Ed Wade did a great job of building the core of that Phillies team pretty much from ’07 to ’11...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah. Absolutely.
Tony Burns: Then you bring on a Hall of Famer in Pat Gillick to put on those finishing touches—the guys you mentioned: the Jayson Werths, the Jamie Moyers, the Matt Stairses of the world. And kind of... it was finally one of those times where it wasn’t just blind optimism.
Jimmy Rollins made that quote going into ’08 that “we were the team to beat.” And the organization believed it. And it came to fruition—ultimately in the ’08 World Series, and then the ’09 World Series appearance, unfortunately losing to the Yankees.
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: But from ’07 to ’11, I mean, you combine that ballpark with that team, with this fan base—it was like the perfect storm. And we’re hopeful that we’re in the thick of that kind of run now, where the ultimate goal can be met and we get another parade down Broad Street.
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah, I mean, we’re not gonna key on Xs and Os or what the ballpark does, but like you said, there was never a guarantee with those guys. But you knew at least you had a chance every year, you know what I’m saying?
’07, fall short against Colorado. ’08, you win it. ’09, you fall short in the World Series. Then in ’10 and ’11, you struggle a little bit, but at least you have a chance every year. That’s what’s kind of cool when the team is good.
Let me back that up—just strike that first part of the question. How would you describe it, Tony—as a guy who’s seen it—you’ve seen 100-loss seasons, you’ve seen s*** seasons, you have World Series rings, you’ve seen all of it, right? And that’s the ebbs and flows of baseball, man. Just be realistic. You ain’t making the World Series every year. You ain’t making the playoffs every year. Unless you spend like the Dodgers spend, nobody’s doing it in baseball.
But the Phillies have done a damn good job of being relevant. When you look at it, since Citizens Bank Park has opened, they’ve done a really good job of keeping themselves relevant, for the most part. How do ticket sales ebb and flow with how the team goes?
Tony Burns: Yeah, I mean, as an employee, you understand what you just mentioned—that only one team wins every year.
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: We understand that. We get that. Some fans don’t look at it that way...
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: ...they look at it as, “We have to win, or we’re irrelevant.” So you kind of understand that. And when we built the new ballpark, like I mentioned previously, there was that shift in kind of the outlook.
Our former owner, Dave Montgomery, made a promise that...
Robby Incmikoski: Yep.
Tony Burns: ...we were gonna commit to being good—and being good long-term. Our new ownership group, John Middleton—they’ve committed to that as well. And it definitely has resulted in, over the 20-plus years that we’ve been there, a majority of more good times than bad times. But like you said...
Robby Incmikoski: For sure.
Tony Burns: ...there are ebbs and flows. So when you're going good, from the job side, it makes a lot of our lives easier on the ticket front. But also, it's more difficult in managing things.
You have to make sure that you're taking care of the people who supported you for the longest time—not just the people who are jumping on the bandwagon. And trust me, you want people on the bandwagon. That means you’re doing something right. But sometimes...
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: ...it's more difficult when you're good—trying to keep things managed the right way—than it is when things aren’t going well. You have inventory. You have things to work with. You can take care of as many people, whether you're calling two minutes before the game or whatever the case may be.
But it definitely doesn't hurt when the team’s doing well. And it does make a lot of our jobs a lot easier, to say the least.
Robby Incmikoski: No doubt. I don't want you to reveal trade secrets, of course, but what I am curious about is what insight you think you’re able to give us in terms of how you prioritize. You've had three World Series, right? You've had ’08, ’09, and ’22—three World Series you’ve worked at Citizens Bank Park?
Tony Burns: Yep.
Robby Incmikoski: Is that right? How do you prioritize long playoff runs and the World Series? Like, how do you manage that? I mean, what can you say without revealing too much? Don’t get yourself in a pickle by saying too much. But how do you guys do that? How do you manage, "Okay, here’s how I’ve got to do it"?
Tony Burns: Yeah, I mean, obviously when it comes to technology nowadays, we have a ton of information about our clientele. We know who’s been around the longest—whether it's continuous tenure or maybe they came back—whatever the case may be. We know all the metrics.
First and foremost, we always prioritize our season ticket holders—the people that commit the time and the money. It is a big financial commitment. Obviously, when team payrolls go up, that trickle-down effect is ticket prices. We still think we have a very wide assortment in terms of ticket pricing. We have the expensive stuff…
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: ...we have the less expensive stuff. But we always prioritize our season ticket holders. They get first crack when it comes to any events—postseason, any special events that we have, concerts, things like that.
Then it kind of trickles down to our clients by tenure…
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: ...even individual ticket purchasers. Somebody who might not be able to afford a season ticket plan, but we see they buy four, five, six games throughout the season—we’ll take care of them. And then we go to the general public.
Back in Veterans Stadium—not that we made the playoffs—but in the last year at the Vet, there were some big games. Technology wasn’t what it is now, so things were a lot more difficult then to make sure that tickets got into the right people’s hands.
But with the way things are now, I think we make sure that we take care of the people who need to be taken care of. That’s one of the benefits that we push to our clients: “Look, we’re not gonna forget about you. If you were there when things were not so good, we’re not gonna forget about you when things start going well..."
Robby Incmikoski: Yep.
Tony Burns: "...just for the sake of somebody else that may want to come on when we’re hot.” But we do want to take care of those people as well. And I think we do a really good job—not to toot our own horn—but I would say we put an extreme amount of effort into making sure the right people are taken care of.
Robby Incmikoski: I just got a text from one of the bleacher creatures at Yankee Stadium, who we talked to. Kyle texted Mark, and I waited to get back to him because if the Yankees made the World Series, I was gonna wait till after the World Series. He does the roll call at the World Series—gonna make it a better story. He’s the leader of the roll call.
Tony Burns: Mmm.
Robby Incmikoski: He just texted me right now, as you were answering that last question. He goes, “I’m a little concerned because the people that have been there all year from Day One are priced out if they don’t have season tickets.” So they’re dealing with that—with the Yankees, with the bleacher creatures, with their most devout fans. They’re going through their thing.
All right. Backtrack. I have one other question. I’m a big ticket stub guy. What is the feedback from fans who want stubs? And not just because I love ticket stubs—man, the World Series tickets, the big games—they’re awesome collectibles. They’re priceless for me. So what’s that been like, transferring from physical tickets to digital?
Tony Burns: Yeah, it was definitely—I don’t want to say we’re primarily digital—as a lot of sports teams and other events are. Look, I’m a big concert guy, so I’m the same as you.
Robby Incmikoski: Right, right.
Tony Burns: I used to...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah, that frame with all that...
Tony Burns: I love, yeah...
Robby Incmikoski: ...all your stuff. Great.
Tony Burns: I love to have concert tickets to put with my souvenir program—which they don’t even really sell anymore—but I digress.
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: So it was definitely a learning curve when we started to go digital. I mean, we started going digital...
Tony Burns: ...seven years ago.
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: But we never said, “We're doing it, we’re turning on the switch overnight.” We rolled it out. We didn’t force our hand with people. So it was kind of gradual.
If you were new to us, your only option was digital—so it was kind of all you knew. It was really about dealing with that client base that was so used to having printed tickets and making them feel comfortable with it.
So like I said, it was kind of a slow rollout. We said, “Look, just get yourself ready for this. Get familiar with it. We’re not going to jam it down your throat right away.” But we also said, “There’s a chance that X number of years down the road, we’re going to be 100% digital.”
We’re not there yet, but there was definitely a learning curve. I think because we rolled it out over a period of time, it made people feel comfortable getting used to it—and ultimately realizing it’s not as difficult as you might think.
But yeah, from a souvenir perspective, it definitely changed things. But once again, with technology the way it is, if you were at Bryce Harper’s 300th home run game, we could send you an email and say, “Look, if you want to purchase”—granted, it wasn’t us making the money, really—but if you wanted to purchase a commemorative printed ticket, we could do that.
So we don’t lose sight of those kinds of moments...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: ...Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter, when he joined—we did the same thing for that. So once again, technology can provide those benefits, and we still try to keep that in mind when there are events like that.
I’m sure, if we—knock on wood—go to the World Series again at some point, there might be the same type of option. But it was definitely a hurdle.
I have Eagles season tickets, and I feel like one day, they were just like, “You guys are going all digital,” and it was like, “Okay…”
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: You almost had no choice or say in the matter. With us, we rolled it out over such an extended period of time that I think it eased...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: ...that transition a lot.
Robby Incmikoski: That’s always interesting because, like I said before, there are so many angles to the fan that think of these things—me being one of them. Because obviously, like, I love ticket stubs. I’ve got cornhole boards based on all my old ticket stubs.
All right, let’s talk—I want to go back to one other thing you said. You guys visited other ballparks in advance of 2004. Did I hear that correctly?
Tony Burns: Yeah.
Robby Incmikoski: Can you tell us—what was that process? And what did you learn about yourself as far as what you guys had planned and envisioned for Citizens Bank Park versus “Maybe we need to kind of modify a few things”? What was your role in it?
Because many people would say, “What does a ticket sales guy have to do with that input?” People might be surprised. The umpire we’re interviewing tomorrow—he helped design the umpire’s room at Target Field. He’s in Minnesota, he’s from Minneapolis. So they consulted him and said, “Hey, help us with the design of this.” You know what I’m saying?
What was your input, just from the front office perspective, on that ballpark?
Tony Burns: I’m not gonna lie—I wasn’t at the forefront.
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah, but you were part of it...
Tony Burns: Our stick...
Robby Incmikoski: ...you knew what was going on. You were aware. That’s what I mean.
Tony Burns: Yeah. No, it’s funny—and I remember it distinctly—one of the ballparks we visited was Pittsburgh. I remember they took us down on the field, and...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: ...we did the pregame tour and everything, because their new ballpark was built just before us. And I just remember being mesmerized by just the grass—something as simple as that. We had AstroTurf in Veterans Stadium, so it was basically playing on concrete.
So something as simple as the grass—but that was one of the things I remember, just thinking, “Wow, we’re going to have an actual playing field.”
But we also talked to other teams, especially in the newer ballparks, about what worked—but more importantly, what didn’t work. From our end, what we really sunk a number of years into on the ticketing and sales side was transitioning our season ticket holders from Veterans Stadium to the new ballpark. We did surveys...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: ...and we really took our time to make sure that every single season ticket holder we had knew from start to finish what the process was going to be like.
In terms of, “Here’s where I sat at Veterans Stadium for 20-some years—where am I going to be sitting in the new ballpark?” There were a number of seating areas in the new ballpark that weren’t there at Veterans Stadium. So things changed, but we were very transparent. We took care of our tenured season ticket holders.
Robby Incmikoski: But...
Tony Burns: We made sure that—like you said—every bit of the way, they knew what the process was. So we, more from the sales department, were more so on the back end, making sure that everybody was comfortable with that transition. And for the most part, everybody was satisfied with that transition.
But I know more of the higher-ups, when they visited the ballparks, they learned a lot about premium seating. We didn’t have that at Veterans Stadium. Not suite levels...
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: We had those in Veterans Stadium, but they were way up. That stadium was a multi-purpose facility, so it wasn’t really built only for baseball. It was about sightlines, about unobstructed views, open-air concepts. There was a lot of background work put into those kinds of things.
Like I said, I wasn’t involved with all of them, but I do know that when we made the transition on the ticket front, we delved into it deep and made sure that we took care of everybody as best we could.
Robby Incmikoski: That’s amazing. Because we’re talking about current stadiums—and Kyle’s got three daughters, so sometimes he just jumps and...
Tony Burns: No worries. Work.
Robby Incmikoski: ...goes up. So we’re still recording and transcribing, so he’ll see this and hear this when he goes to watch—all for transcription purposes.
But—is that a daunting process? I ask that on behalf of all 30—not all 30 because of Wrigley, you know what I’m saying—but I’m talking about the new wave of stadiums, right? Fans wonder: “Where am I going to be? What’s going to happen?”
What is that process like—going, “Okay, now we have thousands of season ticket holders,” like you just said. You were very transparent about the process, but is that daunting? I guess that’s more my question. Like, are you going, “S***, how are we going to do this?” Or is it, “Okay, this has been done before”?
Because really, you were still kind of in the new wave. PNC Park was 2001, Miller Park was ’02, ours was also ’01. The Reds were ’03. So you were right in the middle of that wave. Comerica Park, I think, was 2000. You weren’t on the front end, but you also weren’t on the back end either. So what was that process like? How did you guys approach that?
Tony Burns: I mean, it was definitely daunting. Like I said, every season ticket holder—we reached out to them. They got a survey...
Robby Incmikoski: Yep. Yep.
Tony Burns: ...and they were corresponding with us tremendously. I mean, back then, email was a thing—but it was a lot of phone calls. Keeping people updated. Answering their questions—sometimes when you didn’t have the answers. Focus groups. Things along those lines.
I’m dating myself a little bit, but like I said, the survey was literally a written survey that we sent out. It was five or six pages, and it would ask all their background information—which we kind of had—but we were getting into the technology age. So we were able to start entering that into these things called computers, and the software, and being able to track things.
So literally when we called somebody and said, “Here’s your location,” we were able to justify why and how we came to that decision based on all that correspondence. And Year One was still a transition year. I mean, obviously nobody sat in their seats until— in some instances—on Opening Day or whatever their game was on their partial season plan.
So obviously after they sat in their seats for the first time, there were some more phone calls and...
Robby Incmikoski: Of course.
Tony Burns: ...kind of walking people through...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah. Right. That’s part of it...
Tony Burns: Yeah. Yeah.
Robby Incmikoski: Part of the process.
Tony Burns: ...and walking people through what other options were available if they weren’t necessarily happy with where they sat. So Years One and Two, we were still trying to iron things out.
I mean, Year One at the ballpark—from a season ticket perspective—we didn’t have many, if any, season ticket holders that would take seats in the outfield. Because they only knew outfield seating at Veterans Stadium, where you were 20-some feet removed from the first row of seats.
In the outfield, just because of how it was built. Year One—everyone who sat in the outfield was like, “Wow—literally, I’m five feet from the players.” So Year Two, everybody wanted to go to the outfield.
Robby Incmikoski: Wow. That’s interesting.
Tony Burns: ...yeah, it was the 300 level from there. There were some small 200-level seats, but yeah—you couldn’t reach down and potentially high-five a player. Citizens Bank Park—not that we want that to happen—but it’s possible. You’re that close.
So there was definitely that shift. Year Two was a lot of people saying, “Now that I have a year under my belt, here’s what I want to do.” Then we had to move the fence back in left field, so that created a little domino effect.
And over the course of the ballpark’s lifetime, Major League Baseball mandated that teams put up netting. Some people didn’t like that. So then that creates an obstacle, where we had to figure out how to maybe move some of those people.
There’s always something going on. Wrenches get thrown into plans—whether you want them or not. But the one key thing about our department, our ownership group, and everything from top to bottom is transparency and customer service. We try to make sure that we take care of people as best we can.
Robby Incmikoski: Yep.
Tony Burns: And I think that’s one of the reasons why we have such a tenured season ticket base.
Robby Incmikoski: Unbelievable.
Tony Burns: Because we try to do right by them, as best we can.
Robby Incmikoski: You guys are great. I mean, you can’t even compare how the Phillies do things to how most other teams do. They’re elite with how they function as a franchise.
All right, I’m going to let you go here in a couple minutes. I’ve seen photos over the years of you guys just hanging out after you make the playoffs. I mean—so many fans out there don’t know what this is like for you guys. How much Tony Burns and the rest of your colleagues at the Phillies—and all 30 franchises—how much you impact the games.
Players talk about what the atmosphere is like. That’s in large part because of you guys and what you do. You create that culture. You help build that energy. Yes, the players play the game—you guys don’t. I get that. But you guys help a lot.
So what is it like for you guys to have your own celebrations in the front office after making a World Series, winning a playoff round? You guys work your butts off from November until the end of September. And when you clinch a playoff spot, you guys are drinking beers and hanging out and enjoying yourselves a little bit.
What are those moments like—where you can sit back and go, “Look at the atmosphere. Look at what we created”? I’m talking about you guys on the business side.
Tony Burns: Yeah, I mean, it’s not lost on us. This past year, we had 3 million fans.
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: Last year, we had over 3 million fans. And obviously—
Robby Incmikoski: How hard is that to do? Three million fans two years in a row—that’s hard to do.
Tony Burns: It is. You look at the number of home games—81, 82. You take out the London games...
Robby Incmikoski: That’s three million fans. You need 37,000 fans a game...
Tony Burns: Yeah, yeah...
Robby Incmikoski: You know how hard it is to get 37,000 fans a game? That’s hard to do in baseball.
Tony Burns: No, trust me. We look at the numbers and see where other teams are and where we fall. And in the last several years, we’ve been near the top in attendance, which is great.
Like I said, when you’re playing well and have big-ticket guys, it helps. But there’s still work to be done. Our season ticket base is in a great spot, but we don’t want to just be “okay” with that.
You mentioned 37,000—that’s the average. How do we get that to 38, 39, 40? How do we get back to those sellout streaks we had back in the day, when we sold out almost two years’ worth of games?
We’re always thinking about how to do that. It can be daunting at times, but it’s what we signed up for. We’re all pulling toward the same goal.
So when we have those moments you talked about—we’re fans just like everybody else. We may be a little more invested—but some would debate that...
Robby Incmikoski: Right.
Tony Burns: So when first pitch is thrown—or after you’ve made your rounds, said hi to your clients—this goes on whether it’s postseason or a regular game. You want to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You want to cheer on your home team and see how it shakes out.
And when it does shake out, going into the office the next day is easier. When it doesn’t, it’s the opposite.
But postseason baseball—we don’t take it for granted. We just had a meeting a couple of weeks ago, talking to the younger crew—new hires, interns—and we said, “Some people were just hired three years ago. All they know is postseason baseball.”
Robby Incmikoski: Ain’t always like this.
Tony Burns: It’s not always going to be like that. Don’t take it for granted. Enjoy it—but keep your eye on the prize. We want to sustain this. We all have a job to do to make that happen.
But when it comes to popping champagne bottles when you make the next round—or having beers afterward—look, in this world, like you said, you’ve been in it. We’re with these people more than we are with our families. It’s not a normal 9-to-5 gig. You lose your summers, and you spend a lot of time with these people.
And when you hit that highest point of success—ultimately, the World Series—words can’t express it. Being at the ballpark when that happened—luckily, we clinched at home. And we were fortunate enough where front office employees were included on the parade float.
And look, I would never give up those World Series rings you mentioned. But if I had to pick between the rings or the feeling of turning down Broad Street—I’m getting chills right now thinking about it—it’s a moment...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah.
Tony Burns: My memory has never been the greatest—too many concussions—but that is one thing I will never forget. Turning down Broad Street and seeing millions of people lining the road, and for three-plus hours, taking a slow ride and savoring every moment of it. I hope that wasn’t the only time. Hopefully, it happens again.
But like we said—only one team gets to do that every year. You can’t take it for granted.
We use the term a lot: “The Phillies are family.” It’s not just a slogan—it’s everything we do. From how we treat each other to how we treat our season ticket holders. We view it as a family.
Robby Incmikoski: That’s exactly where I was going to go next—the last thing I’ll ask. I remember seeing John Middleton—I think it was during the World Series in ’22, when you played Houston. He had a bucket of baseballs and climbed on top of the dugout, handing them out to fans. Was that during the World Series?
Tony Burns: You’re probably right. But he does that more often than not, so you might’ve seen one of many times it happened.
Robby Incmikoski: You’ve got a Pirate—so let me just say, by comparison, on the other end of the state, you’ve got an owner whose fans hate his f***ing guts. He would get booed everywhere he went. If John Middleton walked into a bar or restaurant, I think everyone would stop and applaud—because of the way he treats the fans.
Tony Burns: Yeah. No...
Robby Incmikoski: How do you describe the feeling of family and togetherness the Phillies organization has? I’m jealous of it. I’d love to be a part of that culture, because I know how you guys treat each other.
Tony Burns: Yeah... I mean, it started with—our previous owner, David Montgomery...
Robby Incmikoski: Yeah, I know David. Rest his soul.
Tony Burns: He was the most down-to-earth guy. From what I understand, there was a point where they considered him as a possible replacement for the Commissioner when Selig left—whether that’s true or not. He was one of the most influential people in baseball.
The fact that a guy like that would sit down with you at lunch—and not only know your name but your significant other’s name, your kids’ names—that set the tone for how he wanted us to treat each other, and how we treat our fans.
Then you bring in John Middleton—big shoes to fill—and he’s doing everything he can. And I think he’s doing so admirably. Not just continuing the fan relationship—but putting his money where his mouth is. And that’s the ultimate. The two things you ask of ownership are: a commitment to the fans, and a commitment to winning.
And if you question his commitment on either end—I’d love to see your side of the argument, because I don’t think it holds up.
When we were going through those transitions—rebuilding the minor league system—we talked a lot about “The Phillies Way.” And that evolved into our motto as an organization.
I don’t know the ins and outs of every team, but I’d never hesitate to stack us up against any organization when it comes to our commitment to fans, to the city, to outreach, and to charity work. People don’t always see those things—but they matter.
It starts at the top and trickles down. I’ve been around long enough now that I find myself having these conversations with the younger kids coming in—as interns or new hires. I say, “Keep this in mind. This isn’t always easy. Playoffs aren’t guaranteed every year. But treat the fans right. Because when things aren’t going great, they’re the ones you’ll want back.”
I’ve had clients in the same seats for 25 years. I try to treat them the same whether we’re winning or losing. I may not be able to give them everything, but if I treat them consistently, I think they’ll stick with us.
Just like with any business—if you treat people right, they’ll have your back.
Robby Incmikoski: Yep. That’s great. I appreciate that. I’m going to stop the transcription.