Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 7:27 PM | 39 comments |
 

Just Hot Dogs, Folks
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Just hot dogs.

The Philadelphia police bomb squad detonated three suspicious packages outside Citizens Bank Park this evening that actually were hot dogs accidentally left behind after a Hatfield commercial shoot that involved the Phillie Phanatic and his hot dog launcher.

Police received a call at 4:13 p.m. about the three packages found on a light post near the first base gate on Pattison Avenue near Darien Street. Once the bomb squad arrived, Pattison Avenue was blocked from traffic and pedestrians and game-day employees evacuated the building. Phillies employees whose offices were near the activity moved to the other side of the ballpark, but were not evacuated.

The bomb squad detonated the packages. The Phillies said the hot dogs were heavily wrapped in white packaging and duct tape so they could be fired from the Phanatic’s hot dog launcher.

“We just did what we thought was appropriate,” said Mike Stiles, senior vice president of administration and operations. “We looked at it. And in this day and age if you have a question you call the police. The police came and they said, ‘Yeah, this merits the bomb squad to take a look and take action.’ They detonated it. It’s important to let people know that although it was suspicious, it did not contain any explosive device and we didn’t get any bomb scare notes or threats.”
Posted by Todd Zolecki @ 7:27 PM  Permalink | 39 comments
39
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:02 PM, 09/24/2008
    Hatfield should remunerate the city for any additional costs incurred, including the arrival of the bomb squad, and OT required by PPD.
    — shoeshineboy
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:24 PM, 09/24/2008
    Well it was nice while it lasted. Can't believe Myers got smacked around again!! Thought his start against the Marlins was "just one of those baseball moments", but I don't think so. Maybe, maybe, maybe, they'll make a nice comeback (as I write this it's the 6th inning) HEAVY SIGH :-(
    — KarenA
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:44 PM, 09/24/2008
    Yes, it is definitely disheartening to watch this game tonight. For a few games the Phils look like they are finalkly playing like a legitimate playoff team, and just as quickly as it started, the team begins to play like a team content to go home and play golf. Myers was awful for the second straight game...not a good time of the year to revert to old form. The offense is basically non-existant for the second straight night (yes, I know they have two home runs, but the league is batting .300 against Jo Jo Reyes AND his team had lost his last 11 starts) and for a team trying to win their division in the last week of the season, an offense just cannot look this inept. Yes KarenA, MAYBE they will come back, but while my heart still holds out hope for a comeback, my brain tells me it's over. ARGHHH!
    — MrPhillie
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:51 PM, 09/24/2008
    I'm just worried that it's 1964 again. This isn't looking good.
    — psuflyers
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:27 PM, 09/24/2008
    How ironic that some hot dogs are literally blown up before the game outside and another hot dog, Myers, gets blown up inside during the game by the Braves.
    — Realistic One
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:36 PM, 09/24/2008
    Who is going to drop out of first place quicker, the Phils or the White Sox?
    — atp2007
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:42 PM, 09/24/2008
    C-H-O-K-E. By this time tomorrow, we'll be in a first-place tie with the Mets. I'm guessing that the Marlins will roll over for the scumbags from NY while the Nats scratch and claw with everything they've got to keep us from reaching the postseason. Nice work by the Philly media with the major league jinx job this week.
    — psuflyers
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:47 PM, 09/24/2008
    Depressing last couple of nights ... the Phils' rivals are getting tying and go-ahead runs walked in and the Phils are losing to a team 20 games out of first with their best arms on the mound ... ugh!
    — sha987
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:49 PM, 09/24/2008
    As usual we back ourselves into a corner. Maybe the Phils need a few hot dogs to be detonated under their keysters because they sure look flat. How do you detonate a hot dog anyway?
    — bski
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:00 PM, 09/24/2008
    You know, even worse than the fact that we just lost two in a row is HOW we are losing. Yes, Myers was awful tonight, BUT we were still in it when he was taken out. Durbin came in and did his job. He got a ground ball that, with a good throw, would have been the second out. Instead we got Howard's 18th error. Next, Durbin struck out Francoeur. That should have ended the inning. The Braves would have only scored 1 run and would have been leading 4-3. That error was a killer. Then Eyre comes in to face Chipper, who was hitting from the right side. The next two hitters, Anderson and Johnson, are far less dangerous than Chipper, plus they are both LEFT HANDED hitters. Instead of being very cautious or even staying away from Chipper, Eyre makes a mistake which ends up being a 3-run homerun. The upshot of all of that is that the Braves scored 6 runs on only 3 hits and the ballgame was effectively over. We have just given away back to back games.
    — bski
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:03 PM, 09/24/2008
    Media is to blame for this. Philly should know better to fall for this. Folks, this city is jinxed!! Until the Phils are in the playoffs officially it's a disgrace to write the "let's get ahead of ourselves" articles. For you young people, this is what it's like to be a Phils fan! Chose another team before you fall in love with these losers!
    — Repubrebirth
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:07 PM, 09/24/2008
    Leave it to shoeshineboy to put a negative spin on an otherwise humorous story. You can't beat a Hatfield hotdog. Tough to watch these past two games, but I've got faith they'll pull it out.
    — CT Philly Fan
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:40 PM, 09/24/2008
    Uh........I'm not yet ready to tell you all I told you so.....but.....
    — Mark1npt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:14 AM, 09/25/2008
    Myers was terrible and the offense was blah, but it was the poor defense in the 5th that really hurt. Howard's error was enormous (and although it was a difficult throw, most 1st basemen could make it...just throw to the outfield side of the bag) but Werth should have caught McCann's "double." First of all, Myers had Prado in the hole before throwing pitches nowhere near the strikezone, then Myers had McCann 1-2 before throwing pitches not even close to make it a full count...THEN he lobs a pitch middle-in and up and McCann hits it hard.
    — MrPhillie


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Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.

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