By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Chase McDonald’s dance partner was a 7-foot-tall, furry green creature with a ridiculously oversized nose and a frenetic personality.
Chase, a 13-year-old Philadelphia Phillies fan from Berlin, N.J., got to “shimmy” a little bit with the Phillie Phanatic and then boasted afterward that he was the better dancer.
“This was a crazy experience. I could have been nervous because he’s a big star. But it was cool – probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Chase said. “Being able to Shimmy with the Phanatic was a dream come true. It’s something I can check off my bucket list.”
Chase’s impromptu dance-off with the Phillies’ mascot came during the “Phillies Shimmy Down The Shore,” a family-friendly event Tuesday evening that attracted thousands of Phillies fans to jam-packed Excursion Park in Sea Isle City.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gESCDYJktzU
While the high-energy Phanatic entertained the crowds with his shimmy and other antics, former Phillies Mickey Morandini and Milt Thompson were on hand to sign autographs for adoring fans clad in red Phillies jerseys and caps.
Morandini, who played second base, and Thompson, an outfielder, were members of the Phillies’ 1993 World Series team during their careers in Philadelphia.
“I didn’t expect this many people,” Morandini admitted while mobbed by autograph seekers. “It’s Philly mania. It’s awesome. Philly fans are the best.”
Tony Dominguez, a lifelong Phillies fan from Dingmans Ferry, Pa., had Morandini sign his baseball.
“It’s awesome,” Dominguez said of getting Morandini’s autograph. “I was born in 1993. He was a member of the Phillies team that went to the World Series in 1993. He’s one of my favorite players.”
Phillies fan Tony Dominguez shows off his baseball autographed by Mickey Morandini.
Shimmy Down The Shore culminated Tuesday night with fans lounging on beach chairs and blankets to watch the Phillies game against the Atlanta Braves live on the big screen at the Excursion Park Band Shell.
Down The Shore was the first event of its kind in Sea Isle involving the Phillies and builds on the momentum that started earlier in the summer with the Eagles and Flyers.
The Phillies organization contacted Sea Isle’s Recreation Department to pitch the idea of having a family-style event, city spokeswoman Katherine Custer said.
“There are definitely thousands,” Custer said of the overflow crowd in Excursion Park and lining the oceanfront Promenade. “We anticipated a very good turnout simply because we have a lot of Philly fans in Sea Isle and the Phanatic is such a big draw. But this exceeded our expectations.”
Custer said Sea Isle “would love” to have Shimmy Down The Shore become an annual event.
Thousands of Phillies fans pack Excursion Park.
Sea Isle has become a home-away-from-home of sorts for Philadelphia sports this summer – with the Eagles, Flyers and now Phillies staging major events highlighted by the appearance of star players and other celebrities from the Philly sports scene.
Reflecting the Philly sports mania, hockey fans filled Excursion Park on July 10 for the annual Flyers Community Caravan festival featuring former players Bernie Parent, Bob Kelly, Brian Propp and others as well as the googly-eyed, 7-foot-tall furry orange team mascot, Gritty.
To start the summer season in Sea Isle, hundreds of fans packed O’Donnell’s Pour House and its sister property, the Ocean Drive bar, on June 26 for a fundraiser headlined by newly retired Eagles All-Pro and Pro-Bowl center Jason Kelce, defensive end Brandon Graham and other players to benefit autism awareness.
Kelce and his wife, Kylie, bought a summer vacation home in Sea Isle in 2022 and are frequently seen around town – adding to Sea Isle’s reputation as a seashore getaway for Philly sports stars and luminaries.
The Phanatic entertains the crowd with his version of the shimmy.
Another Sea Isle homeowner, former Flyers coach John Stevens, brought the silver Stanley Cup to Sea Isle for a special appearance in July 2023.
Stevens, an assistant coach with the 2023 National Hockey League champions Vegas Golden Knights, wanted to share the cup with Sea Isle’s municipal employees.
Considered the “Holy Grail” of championship professional sports trophies, the historic Stanley Cup dates to 1893 and is presented to the NHL’s championship team each year.
Players, coaches, owners and management from the NHL championship team are allowed to spend a day with the cup as part of its longstanding tradition, so Stevens brought the gleaming trophy to Sea Isle.
Sideline reporter Taryn Hatcher interviews former Phillies Mickey Morandini and Milt Thompson while the Phanatic watches.
