Last Pitch at the Vet
April 10, 1971 – September 28, 2003 Total games played: 2642
A panoramic view in Philadelphia, PA – The Rob Arra Collection
Note the ball in motion

As a baseball stadium, it was perhaps the worst in the majors by 2003. As a place of excitement, intrigue, and memories, it was perhaps the best! Despite a disappointing end to a promising season, no fan left a late-season game without a bittersweet mix of emotions, as an era of Philadelphia sports history was coming to a close. This poster celebrates the final moment of the Veterans Stadium era – the last pitch heading home, a Jason Marquis fastball that Chase Utley turned into a double play groundout. Out with the old, in with the new – no one will miss baseball at the Vet, but it was quite a ride!

Like all prints in photographer Rob Arra’s Everlasting Images series, every single detail is in perfect focus, and as you pan across the image you feel like you are actually there, as 58,554 fans prepared to exit the crumbling monster one last time. It’s all here – the scoreboards, the championship commemorative baseballs beyond the left-field wall, the retired numbers behind the right-field wall (#42 Jackie Robinson, #36 Robin Roberts, #32 Steve Carlton, #1 Richie Ashburn, #20 Mike Schmidt, #14 Jim Bunning, Pete Alexander, Chuck Klein), the championship seasons beyond the left-field wall, the fans in the stands, the action on the field, and, of course, the giant replica Liberty Bell in dead Center! Phillies fans, you may not be sad to see it gone, but you will still want to remember your beloved Veterans Stadium. Perfect for the wall of any true fan!