Wednesday, July 15, 2026 An Open Letter to Philadelphia, PA Dear Philadelphia, Being that this Open Letter to Philadelphia has been broadly but plainly addressed to "Philadelphia," and in consideration of this communication being broadcast to a broad array of audiences via platforms both near to and far from Philadelphia — with hopes of it reaching many people along its journey — I request that the addressee "Philadelphia" be broadly interpreted to include any and all within an affiliation to the city. Indeed, for the purposes of this letter, "Philadelphia" begins at the top with Mayor Cherelle Parker and her administration, the Philadelphia City Council, the entire city management team and support staff, and especially the city staff leaders specializing in economic development and those working closely with MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies to both secure and flawlessly execute the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. <!-- more --> Of course, it should go without saying that the MLB and Philadelphia Phillies executive teams are covered as being "Philadelphia" — as are all the support staff and volunteers working inside or outside of Citizens Bank Park this past week, in whatever capacity, for whatever company, all of the hospitality industry workers providing top-notch service, and ultimately the fans, for showing up and delivering a product for the rest of the nation and the world to witness. More on those fans as we progress. But first — I realize we are already several paragraphs in and have not truly opened this letter. It's a bit unconventional, I know. But you know what — Philadelphia has inspired me. Who gives a FUK? The important thing is that Philadelphia gets credited with delivering an amazing week for the rest of us. As long as I convey that message, I really do not care if this is the entry of the year, if a paragraph is misplaced, or if I sell a single card, plaque, or piece of memorabilia. The overarching purpose of this communication truly is to simply thank you, Philadelphia. Now that we have established the identity of the said “Philadelphia,” it should be as clear as the day is long why we thank them. Their excellence has been so consistent that this letter is hardly groundbreaking news. Still, people like to be thanked and acknowledged — at least occasionally. At least I do. So I figured I’d better offer some thanks myself. Plainly, here it is: Thank you, Philadelphia, for once again building baseball and taking it to the next level with an impeccable performance over the past week of All-Star festivities. They gave you the approval. That means they gave you the trust. That means they gave you the confidence. And you grabbed all of that and ran — F-N ran with it — flawlessly, demonstrating to everyone watching the greatness of your city, the sport, and your local team, which happened to be tied for the most All-Stars in the game this year. The week focused on Philadelphia was revitalizing for me personally. As a Mets fan, I did not get here all that much in my earlier years — but enough to remember what it's like to spend Fireworks Night on the field at The Vet. Not so much recently, just because of logistics, but there was also a long stretch when I would come at least once a year and meet my young cousins from South Jersey to some games at the new park. I miss it. It was great to reminisce about some of that this week. Thank you for that as well. Earlier I alluded to the Phillies fans and said I would get back to that. In many ways, they were the factor that defined the festivities of the past week. Just like that great stadium, the fans are a bit rigid, very abrupt — and it's so damn compelling, especially on TV. Not that Phillies fans necessarily care what you think of them. Many probably don’t even think about it . They are not performing for the cameras. And that's what makes it so great. They made great television just by living in the moment — believing in the game, enjoying the time with their families and their friends, whether they had just gotten off work in Center City or traveled from a distance further away. Their joy for life, for baseball, for each other — that's the real story of the 2026 All-Star Game. Undoubtedly, many will say, "Adam, it's just a baseball game, and this particular game doesn’t even count for much.” But that's where they're wrong. It's not just a baseball game. And Baseball is Life. For some of us, it’s all we ever had. Now, certainly, I am aware that the Founding Fathers and the founding of a nation was probably a bit more important. So too were the two presidential nominating conventions held here in Philadelphia over the past quarter century. Guess what? Philly delivered flawlessly during those times as well. They met and exceeded every obligation. Sometimes the flawless execution has been part of a bid that was submitted or a contract that was earned and secured by city executives. Though on many occasions it's been a championship parade that had to happen on short notice, or a presidential nominee deciding to hold a rally in the middle of the street on 48 hours' notice — and Philly simply buckles down, focuses, prepares, gets to work, and makes it happen. Without fail. Every single time. Not only has Philly been instrumental in choosing our nation's leaders, but the city has also been asked to crown a king. WrestleMania, two years back — after Philadelphia secured that contract, which included a two-night extravaganza — they brought 120,000 fans out to the football stadium over two nights, with thousands more arriving from all over for a week-long WrestleMania fan fest. Guess who won. The fans did. Because Philly did their job. So don't let anyone tell you the ASG and this past week has been about just baseball. For one, it's not as theatrical as wrestling — and while it may not carry the weight of a purely political event, it is my belief that if we all took a little more time to relax, spend time with the people we care about, doing things that bring us joy and inspiration — we'd all be a lot better off. Don't you think? That sounds pretty effin important to me. So thank you again, Philadelphia, for giving us that opportunity this past week. Look — sometimes it's serious. Sometimes it's the most important political moment in a generation. And sometimes it's wrestling. And sometimes, yes, it's baseball — which is slightly more dignified than wrestling, but don't tell the wrestlers I said that. The point is: Philly has learned to dial it up and dial it back. To bring the intensity when it's needed and let the moment breathe when it calls for it. That's maturity with an attitude. I speak from experience. Back in 1990, Philadelphia threw me out of an arena for defending Dusty Rhodes from Randy Savage at the first SummerSlam, held at the Spectrum. Overtaken with emotion after Savage had clobbered Dusty over the head — after the Million Dollar Man stole his manager, the Sweet Sapphire — I somehow, on instinct, thought it would be a good idea to push the Macho Man and instruct him to "get off him." Security had a different opinion. They took us to the door and told us never to come back. Well, I did anyway. That's how much I love this place. That's what this city does to you. Of course, I had to refine my antics a little bit — and gladly. Something I certainly wouldn't do today, not simply because the Macho Man has passed on, but because I'd like to think I've grown up a fair bit. And perhaps, from time to time, some Philly fans might consider dialing back the beer bottles and the vulgarity — but that's a private conversation for another time. Overall, we accept you for who you are: courageous, spirited, knowledgeable, passionate, fired-up fans who are among the best in the entire league. Now let's talk about what that fan base actually does to the players who come through here — because this is important. Ask any of them. Those players will tell you themselves: they are better athletes because of Philadelphia. Stronger people. More resilient competitors. They made more money, won more titles, earned more prestige — because of their time spent in front of these fans. That's not a small thing. That's a legacy. Philadelphia doesn't just host greatness — it creates it. It demands it. It pulls it out of you whether you're ready or not. But here's the question worth asking: did the fans create the players, or did the players create the fans? The honest answer is both — and that's exactly what makes Philadelphia different. It’s an ecosystem on passionate autopilot. Once you have it, it feeds itself. The passion in the stands raises the level on the field. The greatness on the field deepens the passion in the stands. Generation after generation, it compounds. That's not an accident. That's Philadelphia. And it didn't start this week. It didn't start with this generation of Phillies. Philadelphia's baseball history is as rich as any city in this sport — Hall of Famers, perennial All-Stars, and local heroes who may never have made a headline outside of South Philly but who meant everything to the people who watched them play. Not every legend gets a plaque in Cooperstown. Some of them just get a city that never forgets them. Philadelphia is that city. Those players — the ones who built this fan base, who set the standard, who made it what it is today — I see them all the time as they exist in THE BASEMALL | Philadelphia. but after ASG 2026 in Philly. I have a whole new respect for our Philadelphia collection. Signed jerseys. Graded rookie cards. Authenticated pieces that connect you directly to the men who wore that uniform and earned this city's respect. Yesterday's heroes. Today's stars — including the five All-Stars Philadelphia put on display this week. And yes, some of those cards might just hold tomorrow's legends — players whose best days are still ahead of them, whose names you'll be saying for the next thirty years. This is not just one good year. This is not a moment. This is Philadelphia — and it's always been this way. Take a look at our Philadelphia collection. Stack it up against any team, any city. You'll find nothing to be ashamed of and everything to be proud of. These are your players. This is your history. And now some of it can be yours to hold. PLAY BALL! ADAM I ECOM, Founder & Commissioner, THE BASEMALL and BASEBLOG
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