Aug 25, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) scores a run on Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) (not pictured) RBI single against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher
I can't tell you how many idle conversations on my side of the press box at Citizens Bank Park are centered around the music playing in the stadium, but believe me, it's a lot.
Here's the thing - I hate it.
I get it. I accept it. I live with it. I still hate it.
And here's the thing - what we experience in Philly pales in comparison to the experience at Citi Field in New York.
Know how much music plays at the Bank? Take that amount and multiply it by ridiculous and that's the experience in Queens.
First of all, the speaker system there is far superior to in Philly in that they crank up the bass. So every time the first chord of "My Girl" hits when Francisco Lindor comes to the plate, the building vibrates. I'm not complaining about walk up songs - those are great. They add drama and engagement to the game, hearing Mets fans uniting in unison to sing the rest of the chorus after the song stops playing is a pretty cool experience - like "A-OK" for Bryson Stott only more people know the words to My Girl - so it's got a little extra oomph.
@sny_tv The fans at Citi Field delivered on their singalong of "My Girl" for Francisco Lindor 🎶 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #home #homepage #music #song #songs #motown #temptations #mygirl #mets #nymets #nym #lgm #lfgm #lindor #francisco #singing #sing #baseball #sports ♬ original sound - SNY
No, my problem is the need to blare music after every pitch. After every out. After every walk. After every everything.
They do this in Philly too, and it's just as annoying - it's just louder and brassier in N.Y.C.
Can't people just enjoy the ambience of a baseball game anymore? Do we need John Williams orchestration to get us through an entire game? Can't crowd noise just be organic? Do we need to have it artificially enhanced with underscoring?
And then the light shows... they jump the shark at Citi Field.
You know Jhoan Duran's entrance is a big deal in Philly - and I get it. The Phillies haven't had a top end closer like Duran since, who? Jonathan Papelbon? And he was on some pretty bad teams. So, you want to have that light show when he comes in, go for it. It's fun. Fans get amped up for it. It brings good energy. Zero complaint here.
But here's what they do in New York.
First, in between innings in the sixth inning, a light show happens for what they call the "Mid-Sixth Mayhem."
@cary8883 #lgm #mets #nym #newyorkmets #citifield ♬ original sound - cary888
The lights go out, the phones light up, the music pumps through the speakers as a choreographed light show plays out across the stadium.
Then, when Ryan Helsley comes into the game, usually in the eighth inning, we get lights out again and an entrance that is almost identical to Duran with the only difference being that Helsley's music sticks with "Hell's Bells" the entire time and there are no spiders.
But the lights out. The bell dongs. The flames filling all the scoreboards - they're all there.
And if killing the lights twice isn't overkill, what say you about three times?
That's right - when Edwin Diaz comes in for the ninth, he has the whole Timmy Trumpet experience which begins with the lights going out again.
@espnatbat That’s one way to enter a game 🤌 #mets #diaz #pitcher ♬ original sound - ESPNatbat
It's like being stuck on an indoor haunted roller coaster at the shore.
One of these is fine. Two of them is painful. Three of them is absurd.
Know what else is absurd? The outrage this week over Bryce Harper's "rivalry pack" of cleats and batting gloves in the color of his opponent.
Rather than losing your marbles over it - as many did on social media and on talk radio this week, I'd prefer you answer two questions:
Safe to say Spike wasn't a fan of Bryce Harper breaking out his 'rivalry pack' for Game 1 of Phillies-Mets:
"As a Phillies fan I'm embarrassed. As a guy who cheers for Bryce Harper and that team I am embarrassed." 😳 pic.twitter.com/3iKKyNBYdy
When I watch a game, I don't notice any of this stuff. That's because I'm old. But you know what? I'll take being old this time. I watch the game. I care about talking about the game. I care about writing about the game. I don't care what the hell the players are wearing - because it doesn't freaking matter.
Do you really think that by Harper wearing those accoutrements it's going to fire up the other team? Here's a secret, it doesn't.
Fans have this notion that stuff like this is posted on cork boards and gets a clubhouse all in a lather. That they determine it's disrespectful.
Again, hate to burst that balloon - but that doesn't happen. At least not based on the color of a player's footwear and batting gloves.
Stop getting all in a tizzy about this nonsense. There's enough examples of things from the past three games that are actually, you know, baseball-related, to be angry about regarding the Phillies.
What Harper was wearing should hot have been one of them.
Jalena Ostapenko is a sore loser.
I know I am not alone in this thinking.
Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got in a heated interaction after their second round match at the US Open.
Townsend is on to the third round. pic.twitter.com/cOIYzoyfmG
And while I may be an old man about a lot of things, one of the things I'm not is the "unwritten rules" in sports. Most of them are ridiculous - especially in sports like golf and tennis. Stop being so damn elitist with your nonsense. You have to apologize for a ball ticking off the top of the net and landing in? Why? Like it was done intentionally just to fool you? Like it's unfair?
Should a batter apologize to the pitcher if a batted ball it's the foul pole for a home run? Should a hockey player apologize to the goalie when he score s a goal that clangs off the post and in? Should Steph Curry say "my bad" every time he hits a three that isn't a swish and hits off the rim, the back board, or both, first?
Like, what is that nonsense?
And to complain about it at the end of the match that you just lost - in front of everyone - because you are pissed off at yourself that you let a player ranked far below you to beat you - that's far worse of a violation than not apologizing for a ball hitting the net.
Here's an unwritten rule for all athletes - don't make an ass of yourself in public, no matter how emotional you are about the outcome of your competition. Period.
Now, Get off my lawn.
