Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader (44) warms up before game two of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross
PHILADELPHIA — Even though Harrison Bader was part of a New York Mets team that upset the Phillies in the NLDS a year ago, he had a simple message when asked Saturday what it’s like to be a visiting player at Citizens Bank Park in October.
“It’s really loud,” Bader said. “Obviously, the fans are into it, so excited to be on the other side now.”
Bader is one of three current Phillies that have played at Citizens Bank Park during what’s been dubbed “Red October.”
Another is Jesús Luzardo, whose lone postseason start to date was for the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of the 2023 NLWCS against Zack Wheeler and the Phillies. Luzardo struggled in that outing, allowing eight hits and three runs over just four innings of work.
"Obviously, they're on you the whole game," Luzardo said of Phillies fans. "A lot of boos, they kind of just try to wear you out over nine innings. And I think that's what makes it fun. Playing here, the fans take ownership into that in that they want to make it hard on other teams."
Of course Alec Bohm delivered with runners in scoring position. pic.twitter.com/0YvkIJvJqf
The Marlins are a perpetually-young team, but the 2023 iteration of the Fish were led by Skip Schumaker. In addition to being that season's NL Manager of the Year, Schumaker had experience playing at Citizens Bank Park in October, having driven in the lone run in the 1-0 win that the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS to eliminate probably the most talented team in Phillies history. Is there anything Schumaker did to get Miami ready to play in Philadelphia?
"No, just really kind of making others understand like, 'Hey, it's a tough place to play. You gotta kind of block out the noise and just understand that it's the same game that we've been playing all year,'" Luzardo said. "But yeah, there's nothing really you could do to prepare for how loud it's going to get, and the momentum swing is just so fast with the fans on your side."
Perhaps the most interesting perspective on this all comes from David Robertson. In addition to having been on the 2022 Phillies squad that won the NL pennant, Robertson has played twice at Citizens Bank Park as an opponent in the postseason, with each coming under entirely different circumstances.
The most recent came as a member of the same 2023 Marlins team with Luzardo that ultimately got swept in the NLWCS.
FIRST POSTSEASON HOMER pic.twitter.com/yvuolECfS0
Robertson gave up two runs — one of which was on a home run by J.T. Realmuto — during a two-inning relief appearance in the second and final game of the series. What does he remember about the environment at Citizens Bank Park during that series?
"The exact same as it was every year. It was the same as it was in '22 when I was here, same as in 2009. It's an electric atmosphere. You know, it's Bedlam at the Bank," Robertson said. "This place is nuts. You gotta be ready to play hard, and the crowd is gonna be loud and be fierce."
However, as he alluded to, the 40-year-old Robertson was also on the 2009 Yankees team that defeated the Phillies in six games in the World Series. He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in that series as a 24-year-old set-up man for Mariano Rivera.
How does the environment that Robertson experienced as a young pup in 2009 compare to 2022 and 2023?
"I think it's gotten better here," Robertson said. "I think it's gotten better, I think it's gotten louder. Scoreboard is better, music is better, lights are better. Everything's just gotten better."
Rob Thomson on the difference between being an opponent at Citizens Bank Park in the playoffs versus the home team
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/rRBQinhWZi
Manager Rob Thomson — who was the third base coach for Joe Girardi’s Yankees in 2009 — had a similar perspective on the postseason environment at Citizens Bank Park getting even better with time.
"You know, I didn't notice it as much in '09 as I have since '22," Thomson said. "I don't know why, but it's as good as it gets. I've never been through something like we go through here come postseason. How loud it is ... and how loud it is from pitch one to the last pitch of the game. It's just something I've never seen before."
