Welcome back to a special edition of “Philling You In”.

Today’s edition will serve as a recap of what proved to be a great night for the Reading Phillies franchise, and of course, an outstanding night for Baseballtown charities.

Last night, the 2010 Phillies Winter Tour made its annual stop in Reading, and a great time was had by all in attendance. Jam-packed with awards, highlight videos, great food, auction items, merchandise, and an “A” Team of who’s who in the Phillies organization — the night was an overall success once again.

As part of the successful night, and thanks to the many in attendance, the event raised over $13,000 for Baseballtown charities.

For me, being a part of this event was something I had been excited about for awhile. Standing there with Charlie Manuel, Ruben Amaro, Benny Looper, Ricky Bottalico, Marty Bystrom, and Scott Palmer, was the feeling of a lifetime, and for the 500 plus people in attendance, the night was one they will never forget.

2010 King of Baseballtown Carl Mathias, who was a member of the 1957 Eastern League Champion Reading Indians, spoke to the crowd about his time in Reading. Mathias was very amusing, making the crowd laugh, and giving everyone a good feel for what baseball was like during the era in which he played.

Once it was the Phillies turn to take to the podium, Director of Public Affairs Scott Palmer took the mic for a Q & A session with the distinguished crew. In what proved to be a joyful part of the evening, Palmer’s questions to each of the members were what every fan in attendance really wanted to know.

In speaking with Amaro — Palmer asked him about dealing Cliff Lee, acquiring Roy Halladay, restocking the Phillies farm system, and his busy offseason, which included signing Placido Polanco, Dannys Baez, and the recent (earlier yesteday) Jose Contreras.

Amaro on Dannys Baez “… he give us some versatility, a little more depth and hopefully that will help improve our bullpen overall.”

Amaro on Philadelphia and its fans “…the fans have been extraordinary…once you win here, it becomes a very special place.” “…It makes our lives a lot easier to have the kind of support of our fans….”

In speaking with Manuel, Palmer asked him about his weight-loss, the 2010 squad, the acquisition of Placido Polanco, and his philosophies on the game of baseball.

Manuel on Polanco – “…he handles the bat real well, plays situation baseball, moves the runners…”

Manuel on the team – “…we got the best attitude and best chemistry I have ever been on. Believe me, I have been in baseball 48 years, we have that kind of guys. We play the best we possibly can!

Manuel on Nutrisystem – “I thought to myself I can do that…I got on the program…some of the food was absolutely terrible…a lot of it was really good.” 

Advice from Manuel – “Win! “Winning takes care of everything, winning handles everything. You can learn a whole lot by winning.” 

To hear more from last night’s event:
 
Check out http://www.readingphillies.com for my interviews with Marty Bystrom and Benny Looper
and videos with Ruben Amaro, Ricky Bottalico, and Marty Bystrom from last night’s event, which will continue to be released in the coming days…