Fans to flock to today’s Phillies Phestival

The Phillies Phestival helps patients with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, such as Lower Merion Police Officer Gary Temoyan, shown with his sons and outfielder Shane Victorino at the 2011 event.

By Peter Mucha, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: July 27, 2012

The player-autograph sessions are sold out, but fans can still attend the annual Phillies Phestival, a fund-raiser to fight ALS, at Citizens Bank Park, starting this afternoon.

It's a chance to see players, coaches, executives, broadcasters and ballgirls - the whole team will be there - as well as play games, win prizes, and see lots of impressive sports memorabilia that's up for auction.

At 4 p.m., rain or shine, fans, who can park in Lots R, S and V, can start entering via the Left Field Gate. Admission is $15 for anyone 11 and older, $5 for ages 3 to 10. (For tickets, call 215-463-1000.)

As of this morning, fans could still pay $45 extra to have a photo taken with pitcher Vance Worley. Sold out were photo booths with outfielders Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and ex-Phillies greats Mike Schmidt with Greg Luzinski.

There are two kinds of auctions.

The silent auction's 94 items include autographed jerseys (Ryan Howard, Mike Schmidt, Ryne Sandberg, Michael Vick, Mark Messier and a dozen others), autographed bats (Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Cal Ripken Jr. and a dozen more), autographed baseballs (signed by the Phils pitchers who threw no-hitters, for example), seats and other memorabilia from Veterans Stadium, signed football helmets (Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino), autographed photographs (Claude Giroux, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and more), a VIP Phillies ticket package, and several "opportunities" - to dance with the Phanatic, to be a member of the grounds crew, to announce the lineup, or to be an honorary batboy or batgirl.

The 6:15 p.m. live auction ($10 in addition to $15 general admission, or $20 for live auction only) includes even more remarkable merchandise: a set of jerseys signed by "Philly Hall of Famers" Schmidt, Julius Erving, Bobby Clarke, and Chuck Bednarik; bats signed by the 1980 and 2008 Philies teams that won the World Series; a set of balls signed by players who hit 500 homers, got 3,000 hits, won 300 games or struck out 3,000 batters; a set of six balls signed by the 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008 and 2009 Phillies teams; a set of baseballs signed by legends Wayne Gretzky, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana and Jack Nicklaus; boxing gloves signed by Ali and Joe Frazier; and a bat signed by Phillies Hall of Famers Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts and Jim Bunning.

For more information, go to the Phillies' Phestival page at http://ow.ly/cw5Ar.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.