Yankees fan attends 50 straight years of Opening Day

Their family tradition is a total home run.

A die-hard Yankees fan celebrated attending 50 consecutive years of Opening Day games Thursday — including 29 in a row with his daughters and the first ever with his young grandson, he told The Post.

“It’s a very emotional day for me — I’ve dreamed of this with all three generations,” said Barry Phillips, 73, of Westtown, NY.

Fontanez’s daughters, Brett Phillips-Gleis, 48, and Dana Fontanez, 43, attended their 29th consecutive Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium. Stephen Yang

“My girls grew up and went away to college, but every year they’ve come back for Opening Day,” said Phillips, who attended his first Major League Baseball kickoff game in 1975. 

“They were here in the snow and the rain. They wanted to keep the tradition alive.”

Phillips’ daughters, Brett Gleis, 48, and Dana Fontanel, 43, first started coming to the House that Ruth Built with him as teenagers in 1995 —  back when superstar Derek Jeter was a no-name rookie.

“That year, we see this skinny rookie, Derek Jeter, and the girls say, ‘Dad, he’s got a cute tush!’” Phillips recalled.

Fontanez’s grandson Eric Fontanez, 8, also attended his first Opening Day game. Stephen Yang
Social media influencer Bigtime Tommie (Tommy Romola), poses with his Yankees Cadillac Deville outside of Yankee Stadium. Stephen Yang

The family had field-level seats, so when the girls yelled, “Derek, Derek!” the budding Hall of Famer ran up to say “hi,” Phillips said.

“After that, he would put his hand to his mouth and blow a kiss to them.”

“So the girls started coming and they liked it,” he said. “As they say, the rest is history.”

Yankees fans seen here wearing Yankee gear right outside Yankee Stadium before the start of Opening Day. Stephen Yang
Fans are heading into Yankee Stadium for Opening Day of the Major League Baseball (MLB) season, where the Yankees will play the Milwaukee Brewers. Stephen Yang

Thursday’s game against the Brewers also marked the first year Phillips’ 8-year-old grandson, Eric Fontanez, joined the fun.

Meanwhile, Gleis — who dresses up in goofy costumes to celebrate Opening Day each year — donned a cheeseburger get-up for no particular reason, while the rest of the family wore Yankees hats.

“We’re having a great time,” Phillips told The Post as the game got started.

“We’ve made a pact that we’re going to keep this tradition going.”

The Bombers went on to win, 4-2.

Source link

Leave a Comment

Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing Indexing