Last Saturday I was in the stands of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. with my 26-year-old son. That is when history was made. Phillies all-star catcher J.T. Realmuto hit an inside the park home run versus reigning World Series Champion Atlanta Braves in the clinching game to win the series. The win placed the underdog Phils into the National League Championship Series. As a life-long Philadelphia Phillies fan I was fortunate to witness THE FIRST catcher in baseball history to hit an inside the park Home Run in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
With the Braves pitcher Collin McHugh on the mound, Realmuto smoked one to center. The center fielder appeared to have the ball tracked down but could not quite reach it in the air. As the center fielder collided with the wall, the ball caromed off of it behind him at an angle, rolling far away towards right field. Realmuto never slowed down, and legged out the inside the park home run, sliding into home well before the ball reached the plate on the relay throw. The frantically red towel waving fans raised the decibel levels to dangerous levels to celebrate history.
This was the first time I had ever gone to two Phillies playoff games in a row. I had attended the night before to witness the epic bat toss of the much-maligned Rhys Hopkins hitting his stadium rattling go-ahead three run homerun to lead the win. Two days of firsts I will never forget. A shared first, with my only son, is even sweeter.