Phillies fan, 91, returns to his usual position after postgame hit-run the night before

AT 91, Raymond DiCrescenzo is nothing if not intrepid.

DiCrescenzo and his Army comrades endured bombing almost every night when they served in the Quartermaster Corps at ports in Africa and Italy during World War II, he says.

He never suffered a scratch.

But as he was leaving Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night, DiCrescenzo was struck by a hit-and-run driver. Luck was with him and he suffered only a head cut when the vehicle, a pickup truck, knocked him down.

A lifelong Phillies fan and season-ticket holder, DiCrescenzo didn't let a little thing like a brush with serious injury - or worse - stop him from returning to the ballpark for another game last night.

"I go to all the home games," said DiCrescenzo, a retired grocer from New Hope. His wife, Adele, goes with him.

"I go back to the Baker Bowl [Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue], around 1935 or something like that," DiCrescenzo said. The Phils played at Baker Bowl before moving on to Connie Mack Stadium, at 21st and Lehigh, and then to South Philly.

"I'm really lucky," DiCrescenzo said of the accident. "I was leaving the park and tried to cross the street. Usually the cars stop and I thought he was going to stop."

The driver of the truck didn't stop, and DiCrescenzo quickly jumped backward. "He just brushed me and knocked me down," DiCrescenzo said.

"I really fell hard. I thought I was really hurt bad."

He was taken to Jefferson Hospital and treated for a cut to his head, he said.

A police spokeswoman said no arrests had been made by late yesterday. The truck was described as a gray or silver pickup with Delaware plates.

DiCrescenzo said he drives down to the park himself, with other members of the family accompanying him. "My eyes are good; I have no physical defects. I'll be 92 in December."

Now for the tough question: Who were better players, the old-timers or today's Phils?

"That's a little difficult," DiCrescenzo said. "They seem to hit a lot of home runs today."