Cold weather doesn't faze Phils fans

The four friends planned through a long, baseball-less winter.

It was a long time between the final out the 2010 Phillies season and the first pitch of 2011, and the tight-knit group decided they wanted to celebrate the beginning of a new season in style.

So they rented tuxedos - black, with red vests and bow ties. They chipped in on a limo. They bought terrific, front-row seats along the third baseline.

On Friday, the friends didn't feel the cold or the intermittent rain.

"We've been e-mailing back and forth all winter," said Skip John, 25, of Bethlehem, Pa. "And this week, we checked the weather about 1,000 times. The forecast just kept getting better and better."

No, they said, they didn't feel out-of-place amid the Phillies' sweatshirts and jerseys and ball caps.

"It's formal, but we're here to party," said Jonathan Hare, 25, of West Chester, motioning to his red sneakers, which completed his outfit.

Throughout Citizens Bank Park, the friends accepted high-fives and posed for photos.

And the $300 they each shelled out? "So worth it," Hare said.

Despite the less-than-balmy weather, a sellout crowd was in high spirits. The lines to get in McFadden's bar were long, but instead of tank tops and T-shirts, the waiting wore parkas and hoodies.

Fans brought blankets and bought hot chocolate. They wore winter hats but brought an enthusiasm born of a long stretch of months without the Phillies.

"Rock and roll!" shouted Chris Reedman, a fan from Yardley.

In his arms, Reedman carried 5-year-old Ava, who wore a warm pink coat said she was very excited to see the Phillies again.

Her favorite part of going back to the ballpark?

"Eating a hot dog," said Ava, who went to a class field trip to a bug museum before cutting loose for the game.

Emily Seeker, a fan from Coatesville, took the day off from work - she works with people who have behavioral and mental health issues - and was screaming herself hoarse.

"I would have ditched work if I had to," confessed Seeker, 25.

Armed with hand warmers, thick socks, and other cold-weather gear, she was ready to go.

"I didn't pay for sunshine," Seeker said. "I paid for baseball."

Contact staff writer Kristen Graham at 215-854-5146 or kgraham@phillynews.com

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