Spring Break
Phils fight ALS at 19th Annual Phillies Phestival
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 8/8/08 Section: Sports
As cliche as it may sound, baseball is a humbling game.
A batter might hit .320 in Double-A, but after being brought up to the majors struggle to keep his average over the Mendoza Line. Likewise, a pitcher might have a sub-3.00 earned run average in the minors, but get lit up like a Christmas tree against professional hitters.
Even the best in the game - from mashers like Ryan Howard to hurlers like Cole Hamels - can be humbled on occasion.
In fact, the Phillies' entire 25-man roster was humbled at Citizens Bank Park on July 28. But it wasn't because of a bad night at the plate or on the mound.
The organization held its 19th Annual Phillies Phestival in an effort to raise money in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
ALS is better known to many as Lou Gehrig's disease. Gehrig, best known for playing a then record 2,130 consecutive games with the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1939, was the first well-known person to succumb to the disease. He passed away in 1942.
There is still no cure for the disease, which slowly breaks down a person's central nervous system - without any pain or mental breakdown - until their eventual death.
And that's why the Phillies so graciously took out a chunk of their time to not only sign autographs for fans but also gave words of wisdom and encouragement to a room full of ALS patients in the team's media room.
"It's kind of hard at time seeing the patients downstairs [in the media room], but it puts things into perspective," ex-Phillies pitcher and current radio color commentator Larry Anderson said.
The team raised a record $758,540 at the event through various signing booths and a sports memorabilia auction.
They've now raised approximately $10.1 million overall to fund future ALS research.
"It gives everyone [in the organization] a good feeling to be doing something nice to help somebody else," Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker said.
A batter might hit .320 in Double-A, but after being brought up to the majors struggle to keep his average over the Mendoza Line. Likewise, a pitcher might have a sub-3.00 earned run average in the minors, but get lit up like a Christmas tree against professional hitters.
Even the best in the game - from mashers like Ryan Howard to hurlers like Cole Hamels - can be humbled on occasion.
In fact, the Phillies' entire 25-man roster was humbled at Citizens Bank Park on July 28. But it wasn't because of a bad night at the plate or on the mound.
The organization held its 19th Annual Phillies Phestival in an effort to raise money in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
ALS is better known to many as Lou Gehrig's disease. Gehrig, best known for playing a then record 2,130 consecutive games with the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1939, was the first well-known person to succumb to the disease. He passed away in 1942.
There is still no cure for the disease, which slowly breaks down a person's central nervous system - without any pain or mental breakdown - until their eventual death.
And that's why the Phillies so graciously took out a chunk of their time to not only sign autographs for fans but also gave words of wisdom and encouragement to a room full of ALS patients in the team's media room.
"It's kind of hard at time seeing the patients downstairs [in the media room], but it puts things into perspective," ex-Phillies pitcher and current radio color commentator Larry Anderson said.
The team raised a record $758,540 at the event through various signing booths and a sports memorabilia auction.
They've now raised approximately $10.1 million overall to fund future ALS research.
"It gives everyone [in the organization] a good feeling to be doing something nice to help somebody else," Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker said.
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