On entering Suburban Station from the 16th Street entrance, one is welcomed by a vast, bare-walled concourse punctuated by empty retail spaces.
And then you turn right.
A painting made to look like a subway car stands out against the blank concourse. The inside is entirely covered in graffiti, along with paintings, drawings, and mosaics. Not an inch of space is bare.
Organizers and artists greet people as they come in and share stories about their street art journey.
A room in the exhibit looks like the inside of a SEPTA BSL train car, orange seats and all.
This is “Platform X,” a new era of graffiti art, organized by Step Outside, an artist-led program that transforms existing spaces into graffiti havens.
Exhibition curator and fashion designer Zucati Zuce poses for a photo at Platform X.
“We’re all street artists and we care about this more than anything,” said the artist who goes by the name Doomed Future. “There’s not much opportunity in galleries to showcase graffiti and street art here in Philly. We want to have our own thing here.”
Doomed Future works alongside Step Outside organizers Philmadelphia, Inphltrate, Zucati Zuce, Raw G Zero, Ianismymiddlename, and RoboQ4. Because graffiti is considered criminal mischief under Pennsylvania law, the artists did not want to share their real names for this article.
SEPTA representatives reached out to Doomed Future in January and asked them to take a look at the vacant spaces for rent in Suburban Station for a potential exhibit. The artist decided to rent a space from a real estate agent.
Artwork showcased in the Platform X art exhibition, in which the back room was made to look like a subway car.
“Street art’s grimy — it’s real, gritty, dirty,” Doomed Future said, “and so is the subway.”
A more rebellious Semiquincentennial
“USA 250″ is the theme around which 250 artists imagined their graffiti art.
One piece, American Religion, depicts Benjamin Franklin with a crown of thorns and the words “In God We Lust” above his head, certainly a switch from the patriotic depictions of the Founding Father we’ve seen for the Semiquincentennial.
Exhibition organizer Ianismymiddlename looks at artwork at Platform X, including “American Religion” by @Frewil_design.
Other pieces present a more rebellious yet optimistic view. Love Is Not Dead by Banjax the Balaclava depicts a bunch of angry figures holding anarchist flags in front of City Hall, with a match burning between two traffic cones at the center.
“The thinking behind it was that there’s been a lot of burnout and frustration, particularly with folks that have been active in the street, fighting against injustices,” said Banjax. “I think it’s important to bring the message of love into these spaces as much as there is rage. As things get harder, continue to heat up, I want to remind people of that love is at the core of what we do.”
Artist Banjax the Balaclava poses with “Love Is Not Dead” at Platform X.
“Platform X” is Step Outside’s fourth showcase after a year of operation, with this one put on in collaboration with the nonprofit United Street Art (USA). United Street Art is dedicated to advancing and highlighting street art and graffiti. Most of the artwork is for sale, with all profits going directly to the artists.
“Supporting the artists is our main mission. We’ve been doing free shows before, and this is our biggest one,” said RoboQ4 aka Robb Quattro, executive director of USA. “This is a big, long-term investment for us and we’re ready to continue doing more shows beyond this one.”
Establishment vs. antiestablishment
Graffiti, as an art form, is inherently antiestablishment, and the establishment still does not receive it well.
At the start of the year, the city announced the Gateways to Philadelphia project. In collaboration with Mural Arts and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, it invests $11.5 million toward beautification initiatives, including landscaping, new murals, and graffiti removal.
A sign for the Step Outside art exhibition with a sticker that says “Anti-Artificial Intelligence.”
“I can understand some people saying some graffiti is an eyesore, but there’s a lot that’s not,” said contributing artist Satan, who has been making graffiti art for over 40 years. “This is helping me as an artist grow.”
The show has been received glowingly by visitors, who have been invited to add to the art themselves. People have drawn on the walls with chalk, spray painted their own tags, and left stickers anywhere there was room.
On Father’s Day, there was a father-son duo putting their own graffiti on the wall, said artist and organizer Inphltrate. “That was really cool to see,” she said. “This is a safe haven for not only street art and graffiti, but for any person who is creative who needs an outlet. You are safe and accepted here.”
Artwork by the artist, who wishes to be identified with their Instagram username, @shrpy_ (top), and Elizabeth Fiend (bottom) is pictured at Platform X.
“Writing our names, I didn’t look at it as art. We were vilified,” said wallwriter Lewis Pittman, also known as Lewis or King Lewis in the street art scene. “I’m glad I’m still above ground to see the evolution of this culture. I’m glad it’s accepted as an art form.”
Pittman is one of Philadelphia’s original “wallwriters,” which is what graffiti artists called themselves in the 1970s. Pittman, along with wallwriters like Cool Cone and Cornbread, helped popularize the now iconic Philadelphia “gangster” handstyle, defined by tall, condensed letters.
“I remember Sunday nights going to Fern Rock, writing on all the buses and trains,” Cone, aka Cone ICP, said. “On Monday morning, nothing but my name came down Broad Street.”
Curator and fashion designer Zucati Zuce stands in front of street signs with graffiti, all of which are for sale.
After the USA 250 show closes, Step Outside plans to put on a Then and Now-themed showcase in August at Platform X, showing the evolution of street art. Incorporating and paying respect to the OGs who popularized the art form is a necessity for their exhibits.
The deep history of Philly graffiti
As a teenager, Cone founded Imperial Casanova Persuaders (ICP), one of the country’s original graffiti clubs, known for tagging public transportation. They helped originate the “wicked” variant of the Philly gangster handstyle, which puts a more wild, energetic spin on the lettering.
“They could look at us as being the start of murals, too, since a lot of stuff started in Philly. But we don’t get the recognition because a lot of people don’t speak on it,” he said. “In American history, we’re one of the best kept secrets.”
Contributing artist and self-styled wallwriter, who wishes to be identified as Cool Cone, is interviewed by a reporter. As a teenager, he founded graffiti club ICP.
Philadelphia, with its thousands of murals, is billed as the “Mural Capital of the World.” Mural Arts Philadelphia, the country’s largest public arts program, started off being a part of Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network in 1984.
Cone, like many graffiti artists, had several run-ins with police officers in the 1970s, getting targeted for wallwriting. Today, he travels the nation, speaking at museums and various art events, recognized as a trailblazer in street art history.
From left: Artists Cool Cone, Satan, and Lewis Pittman pose for a portrait at Platform X. The three are trailblazers in Philadelphia’s street art scene, going back to the 1970s and 1980s.
ICP’s symbol, a capital “I” with two dots on the side, can still be seen tagged around the city and even in Platform X.
“You’re not going to stop the wallwriters,” Pittman said.
Closing receptions for the “Platform X” USA 250 show are Friday, July 10, from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, July 11, from 1 to 10 p.m. The exhibit will stay open for the rest of the summer.
Platform X is located in Suburban Station down the steps on 16th Street between Market Street and JFK Boulevard in Center City, Philadelphia. More information on stepoutsideshow.com and @stepoutsideshow.
With Eagles training camp drawing nearer, The Inquirer is taking a closer look at the more than three dozen new faces who are expected to report along with the rest of the team on July 28.
Player: Johnny Mundt
Position: Tight end
Age: 31
Previous experience: Mundt is a journeyman veteran tight end. The Eagles are his fourth team in nine seasons. He played college ball at the University of Oregon and signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He quickly became a UDFA success story, not only making the roster but spending five seasons in Los Angeles as a reliable blocking tight end. He’s also had stints with the Minnesota Vikings and, most recently, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in March.
Path to a roster spot: Mundt projects to make the final roster for two reasons: His rock-solid blocking abilities and his familiarity with new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, with whom he was teammates in Los Angeles and Minnesota. The 31-year-old will slide into the third tight end blocking role, which would be crucial in Mannion’s wide zone scheme. He’s not a stat padder — Mundt’s best year came in 2023, when he logged just 172 receiving yards — but he’ll be a major key in rejuvenating the Eagles’ run game.
Fun fact: The back story behind Mundt’s blue collar, block-first approach to football is, well, nuts. In 1999, his parents started Alpine Pacific Nut Company, a plant that produces more than 75 million pounds of walnuts each year. Growing up, Mundt would wake up at dawn and work on the farm alongside his two brothers to help his parents run the successful business.
Quotable: “When I know I make a good block in the first one and a half seconds of the play, I know I won my rep and then I see the running back down the sideline, I mean, there’s no better feeling. It’s really special,” Mundt said via Eagles.com.
Ta’Quon Graham (pressuring Matthew Stafford) gives the Eagles another potential veteran presence in the front seven.
Player: Ta’Quon Graham
Position: Defensive end
Age: 27
Previous experience: Graham spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, the team that selected him in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. Prior to that, he spent four years playing for the University of Texas. He signed to the Eagles practice squad last November and re-signed with them in March.
Path to a roster spot: While you can never have too much depth off the edges, it will be an uphill battle for Graham to make the final roster. The Eagles already had Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith under contract entering the offseason. They then traded for (and subsequently extended) Johnathan Greenard. That means Graham will have to battle with Arnold Ebiketie, A.J. Epenesa, Uar Bernard, Jose Ramirez, Keyshawn James-Newby and Joshua Weru for rotational snaps. Let’s see if he can separate himself.
Fun fact: Graham’s mother worked night shifts as a correctional officer in Texas, so his brother, Broderick Thompson, was a father figure to him. Thompson taught Graham how to watch film, even during his peewee football days. That guidance helped him carve out a successful college career and hang around in the NFL.
Quotable: “I’m kind of a little foodie, just from trying different restaurants and things like that. Honestly, I’m pretty laid back; I don’t have many hobbies, but I do like to try new food places. I do like to try different things with my teammates, my friends, and all of them,” Graham said of his off-field life via USA Today.
As the 2020 NFL season kicked off, Terry Thompson picked up his phone and placed a wager with FanDuel Sportsbook on his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was his first time gambling through an app, and he soon started placing microbets, which are in-game wagers on something as small as whether the next play would be a pass or run.
He grew addicted to the effortless, rapid-fire action. Every game, every quarter, every play — click, click, click. Thompson would ultimately wager $18.5 million with FanDuel, earning him VIP status with the company. That meant exclusive perks, from champagne to Super Bowl tickets, which made him feel important and enticed him to continue gambling.
By late November 2024, Thompson had incurred steep losses and resorted to desperate measures to fund his addiction. Then, one afternoon, he flicked open his phone and received a FanDuel reward that momentarily distracted him from his debts: a personalized video message from Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper.
The Inquirer obtained a copy of the 21-second video. In it, Harper addresses Thompson by name and acknowledges Thompson’s young son. Harper ends by thanking Thompson for his support.
Harper is not wearing any FanDuel merchandise, but the video is marked with the company’s logo, and Harper mentions that he was reaching out at the request of Thompson’s VIP manager, “your host Bryttanni at FanDuel,” who wanted to ensure that Thompson had an “extra special Thanksgiving.”
Professional sports leaders had long recoiled at having any association with gambling. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that states could legalize sports betting, and each league now has lucrative partnerships with sportsbook companies, whose advertisements can be easily found in stadiums and arenas, and during game broadcasts.
Still, league officials preach about the importance of protecting the integrity of their games and have rules that are designed to maintain distance between professional athletes and bettors. Although Major League Baseball’s policy does not explicitly reference interactions with VIP gamblers, Harper’s personal message to a bettor — apparently arranged by an employee of a major sportsbook — is a unique test of how cozy the league will allow players to get with gambling companies.
There is no evidence that Harper has an official partnership with FanDuel, or was aware that Thompson had an addiction.
The Inquirer could find no other examples of an active athlete recording a personal message to a sportsbook VIP customer who, by definition, had to be regularly betting large sums of money.
The Inquirer shared the video with Scott Boras, Harper’s longtime agent, and asked if he or Harper would discuss how FanDuel had obtained the video.
Boras declined to comment.
The Inquirer also shared the video with the Phillies and MLB. Both declined to comment, and the players union did not respond to a request for comment.
Multiple experts familiar with the fraught intersection of professional sports and the gambling industry said that while Harper does not explicitly encourage gambling in the video, it still raises concerns.
Danny Funt, who researched sportsbook VIP programs for his 2026 book, Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling, said in an email that VIP bettors sometimes get to hang out with former athletes. He cited former San Diego Charger LaDainian Tomlinson, who worked in retirement for DraftKings, as one example.
But the Harper video is entirely different, he said.
Harper, a nine-time All-Star and two-time MVP, has been one of baseball’s most marketable stars throughout his 15-year career.
“I’ve never heard of an active player, let alone a former MVP, doing something like this,” Funt said.
Leigh Steinberg — an agent who represents Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and whose past clients included MLB All-Stars Manny Ramirez and Will Clark — called the Harper video “bad for sports.”
Steinberg said if one of his clients approached him about doing promotional work of any kind for a sportsbook company, he would advise them to walk away.
“It’s not good for your brand,” he said. “It’s exploitative and it’s not the sort of activity you want to be associated with.”
MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire in December, allows athletes to appear in advertisements or make personal appearances for casinos, racetracks, or sportsbook companies, so long as the ballplayers do not encourage betting on baseball.
NFL players are prohibited from marketing or promoting “any form of gambling” under the league’s current collective bargaining agreement.
The NBA, meanwhile, allows its players to own a passive ownership stake — less than 1% — in sportsbook and prediction market companies, and engage in promotional work for gambling companies, provided they do not encourage betting on basketball. As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James appeared in advertisements for DraftKings.
Harper, 33, has been one of baseball’s most marketable players throughout his 15-year career. He has had endorsement deals with many companies, including Under Armour, Gatorade, Dairy Queen, and Blind Barber, a chain of barbershops and lounges of which Harper owns an equity stake.
He has also been famously unafraid of the spotlight, openly discussing everything from his Mormon faith — which prohibits gambling and alcohol use — to perceived criticism from his boss.
Professional sports leagues that once vehemently opposed any association with gambling enterprises have now embraced lucrative partnerships with sportsbook operators.
Jodi Balsam, a former NFL attorney who is now a sports law professor at Brooklyn Law School, said even if Harper’s video does not violate baseball policy, it raises ethical questions about the league’s relationship with gambling companies, whose business practices are facing increasing scrutiny from state and federal lawmakers.
“The first question I would have is, was [the Harper video] done by the sportsbook company precisely because they know they have an addicted gambler on their hands, and they’re trying to wring every cent out of him that they can?” Balsam asked.
FanDuel did not respond to a request for comment.
Balsam’s question is at the center of a lawsuit that attorneys for the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute filed in March in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia on behalf of Thompson and another plaintiff. The suit alleges that FanDuel and DraftKings, another sportsbook company, use their products and VIP services to intentionally maximize addiction.
Harper is not named in the lawsuit.
Thompson, whose attorneys declined to make him available for this story, details the depths of his gambling addiction in his lawsuit.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced in 2025 to 57 months in federal prison for illegally transferring nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank accounts to pay off gambling debts.
He alleges that he covered his losses by taking out second and third mortgages on his home, which later fell into foreclosure, and then sold his shares of an investment company that he had run for two decades.
By late February, Thompson’s suit claims, he wagered and lost his last $10,000 on a DraftKings parlay bet.
His losses totaled nearly $2 million, according to the lawsuit. Desperate and feeling like he could not confess the scope of his financial ruin to his family, Thompson texted his therapist, who then contacted the police. Officers raced to Thompson’s home and prevented him from harming himself.
Balsam said Thompson’s tragic story should give sports leagues and its players pause.
“Is this the kind of activity that either the union or the league want their players to be associated with,” Balsam said, “if it leads to addictive and self-destructive behaviors by a fan?”
How MLB’s betting stance changed
“People know gambling is deadly,” Allan H. “Bud” Selig said. “I don’t have to conduct focus groups.”
It was November 2012, and Selig, then MLB’s commissioner, was being deposed for nearly three hours in Milwaukee. A lawsuit instigated by then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sought to overturn a longstanding federal law that restricted legal sports betting to just four states.
Major League Baseball longtime commissioner Bud Selig (center) argued in a 2012 deposition that widespread legalized sports gambling would be harmful to baseball. He was later succeeded by Rob Manfred (left), who has overseen partnerships between the league and sportsbook companies.
Baseball’s leaders had sought for decades to avoid recurrences of past gambling scandals that had threatened the integrity of the sport. Selig had maintained the hard line of his predecessors, perhaps most notably by upholding the league’s 1989 lifetime ban of former Phillies first baseman Pete Rose, who was found to have bet on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds.
Selig said he understood why state lawmakers would welcome the tax revenue that widespread legalized sports gambling could generate. But he argued such a development could only increase the odds of new baseball betting crises, which would be “the end of your sport.”
“I’m just — guess I have to say to you that I’m appalled,” Selig said in the deposition. “I’m really appalled.”
In 2019, MLB — led by a new commissioner, Rob Manfred — entered into its first partnership agreement with FanDuel.
Manfred sent a memo to players outlining the league’s gambling policy. At that time, it prohibited players from performing services “in any capacity involving sports betting for any third party,” a categorization that included “promoting or endorsing sports betting products or services.”
A new collective bargaining agreement, reached in 2022, allowed players to do promotional work for sportsbooks. Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon soon became the first professional baseball player to secure a deal as a brand ambassador for a sportsbook company.
Not everyone affiliated with MLB has welcomed the new relationships between the league and gambling entities.
“We’re entering a very delicate and, dare I say, dangerous world here,” Tony Clark, then president of the players union, told reporters in 2022.
MLB gave a lifetime ban in 1989 to former Phillie Pete Rose for betting on baseball while he was the manager of the Reds.
Two years later, MLB Players Inc. — a licensing and marketing subsidiary of the players union — filed a lawsuit that accused DraftKings of using without permission or compensation photos of MLB stars on its betting app and in social media posts. FanDuel and Bet365 were also named as defendants in the suit.
Harper figured prominently in the lawsuit. The complaint against DraftKings, filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, included images of Harper’s face on the DraftKings app and a reference to a hypothetical wager on Harper hitting two home runs in a game. Attorneys also mentioned Harper in later courtroom arguments.
Being able to control how their names, images, and likenesses are used is a “crucial return on their substantial career investment,” the players’ attorneys wrote in the complaint. “It also enables athletes to avoid being associated with companies, commercial products, and industries that they do not wish to be perceived as supporting and endorsing.”
(The union ultimately dropped its case against FanDuel, and the lawsuit was settled earlier this year for undisclosed terms.)
In May 2024 — five months before FanDuel sent Harper’s video message to Terry Thompson — Manfred fired umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing a sportsbook account with a professional poker player who placed bets on baseball.
An investigation found no evidence that Hoberg himself had bet on baseball, Manfred later said. But the existence of the shared account — and the fact the umpire had deleted Telegram messages between himself and the poker player — created the “appearance of impropriety that warrants imposing the most severe discipline.” Hoberg appealed his dismissal but lost.
A year later, Bud Selig’s stark warning materialized.
Former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase has been accused by federal investigators of conspiring with bettors in exchange for financial kickbacks.
Federal authorities indicted Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis L. Ortiz, and accused each of conspiring with bettors.
Clase and Ortiz “agreed to throw specific types and speeds of pitches” prior to games, and bettors wagered on those pitches, the indictment states. In exchange, the bettors wired thousands of dollars to the pitchers through a third party in the Dominican Republic. Clase and Ortiz have each pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and related charges and are awaiting trial. MLB has placed them on paid nondisciplinary leave.
That same year, Ippei Mizuhara, a former translator for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegally transferring nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to pay Mizuhara’s gambling debts.
Those episodes have not resulted in baseball’s demise, as Selig had once imagined. But they also did not rupture MLB’s relationship with gambling entities, which collected a record $165 billion in sports wagers in 2025.
As part of negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement with MLB, the players union recently asked the league for to grant players more freedom to seek endorsements from sportsbook operators and prediction markets, ESPN reported.
The VIP treatment
FanDuel awards five points for every dollar that a bettor pays on a contest entry fee. To achieve VIP status, bettors must amass 600,000 points, which expire after a year of inactivity.
“But don’t worry,” the company explains on its website, “it’s easy to stay active.”
Terry Thompson earned a FanDuel VIP manager, Bryttanni Morgan, in 2021, court records show.
Morgan texted Thompson often about the fortunes of the Eagles, commiserating over the team’s ups and downs. Their conversations also veered into more personal terrain — favorite restaurants, travel plans, and family.
A FanDuel VIP manager allegedly offered tickets to Super Bowl LVII to bettor Terry Thompson, an Eagles fan who had a gambling addiction.
FanDuel’s intention, Thompson’s attorneys allege, was for Thompson to believe that Morgan was his friend.
Their exchanges often returned to Thompson’s betting activity. Morgan encouraged him to place more wagers, even when he showed signs of financial strain, the lawsuit states.
Morgan is named as a defendant in Thompson’s lawsuit. Her attorney could not be reached for comment.
In late December 2022, after Thompson had suffered more losses, Morgan texted him: “Are we gonna take a little break and start fresh in the New Year?”
“I’ll try,” Thompson wrote back, adding a smiley face symbol.
A few weeks later, on Jan. 13, 2023, Morgan offered a FanDuel VIP perk: two tickets to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona — where Thompson’s beloved Eagles would face the Kansas City Chiefs — along with free transportation, and tickets to Sports Illustrated and FanDuel parties.
On other occasions, Morgan provided Thompson with tickets to Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers games. FanDuel also flew Thompson and his son to Super Bowl LVI in California, with pregame access to the playing field and celebrities like Chris Rock.
Funt, the author, said he has major concerns about how the VIP programs are used to ensnare gamblers.
“They exist to egg on a reckless and potentially dangerous style of betting, using perks and other incentives that would be borderline irresistible for many sports fans,” he said. “I can only imagine how someone who loves Bryce Harper would feel indebted (no pun intended) to a sportsbook that facilitated a personalized video from him.”
Leigh Steinberg said he had not heard of other instances of sportsbook companies using active athletes to send greetings to a bettor.
“Because it’s not public, it’s hard to understand whether it’s ubiquitous or an exception,” he said.
Leigh Steinberg has represented numerous NFL stars, from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to NFL Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Steve Young.
But Steinberg, who publicly struggled with an addiction to alcohol, argues that interactions between athletes and bettors who wager heavily on sports are inherently problematic.
“Getting a phone call or a zoom or a Cameo from a highly placed player is so flattering,” he said. “It’s stacking the deck unfairly in favor of continuing addicting behavior.”
The glamour of Thompson’s Super Bowl trips and brushes with celebrities had long since faded when he reached the nadir of his gambling earlier this year.
There were no more offers of free betting credits to be had, or microbets to chase.
Broke and broken, Thompson entered a psychiatric facility to undergo treatment for gambling addiction.
The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you, or someone you know, wants to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com and wbender@inquirer.com
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the university where Jodi Balsam works as a law professor. She works at Brooklyn Law School.
During the early 19th century, gentleman did not play games, at least not outdoors.
Outdoor frolicking was for children.
But the yellow fever epidemic of 1822 and the cholera epidemic a decade later started Philly’s men of means on a health kick. It became cool for grown men to play outside, breathe fresh air, stretch limbs, and build their muscles.
In 1833, a few of them formed a social club to play a fairly new outdoor game called Townball in which a player goes to bat at “home,” and gets three tries to hit a ball. If he manages to hit it, he runs a course, stopping at three bases along the way before returning home, safely.
Every time a player returned home, his team scored a point.
Artist David McShane illustrated three three ball players from the early- and mid-1800s to represent the Olympic Ball Club.
Sounds familiar? John Thorn, the official historian for MLB Baseball agrees.
Townball, Thorn said, caught on because it was a different kind of sport. “It wasn’t not gymnastic. It wasn’t pugilistic. It wasn’t mere combat…It was more than exercise. It was camaraderie. That was nice.”
The recreational athletes referred to themselves as the Olympic Ball Club and are considered America’s first baseball team. As MLB All-Star Week 2026 gets underway in Philly this weekend at Citizens Bank Park, that first ballclub will be feted at the park for the Philadelphia Historic District’s 28th firstival.
Firstivals are weekly day parties honoring events that happened in Philadelphia before anywhere else in the world, part of the city’s yearlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The Olympic Ball clup pictured in 1883, 50 years after the organization was founded.
The Olympic Ball Club played early games in Camden. In those days the club split themselves into two teams and played against each other. There was no foul territory, the ball was smaller, yet softer. And sometimes they even swung the bat with one arm.
“Runners would be declared out if the ball was thrown at them between the bases,” Thorn said. In other words, you didn’t have to tag people out.
In the 1860s, the Olympic Ball Club adopted the same rules as the New York Knickerbockers. In the same decade, they also moved the club’s home to North Philadelphia, a field between Master and 27th Streets. Back then, this area was known as Camac’s Woods, an estate and public park owned by 19th century Philadelphia gentleman Turner Camac.
The first professional base ball team — it was originally spelled with two words — the Cincinnati Red Stockings, were formed in 1869. Their salaries were paid by an organization of local businessmen.
By 1876 — the year the National League was founded — Philadelphia had a second base ball team, the Athletics. On April 22 of that year, the Athletics played the Boston Red Caps in America’s first professional league baseball game. That game was played in North Philadelphia at 25th and Jefferson, and Boston beat Philadelphia 6 to 5.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Esmerlyn Valdez hits a run-scoring single against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tim Mayza during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Why are there so many baseball firsts in Philadelphia?
“Philadelphia was the home to organization and structure,” Thorn said. “This was the seat of government, the place where American politics and innovation started. Philadelphia is a town of invention.”
This week’s Firstival is Saturday, June 11, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA
Donald Trump has turned a questionable red card call in a soccer game into a red herring in international sports — just by using his position, as a humble fan, to give the FIFA president a quick call. He is laughing at the whole world now, not just us Americans, at the simplicity of shocking heads around the world. His shamelessness is costly, and we Americans pay dearly for it. In our domestic politics, GOP politicians no longer speak of deficits, small government, law and order, or even family values. In foreign relations, with Trump’s leadership, the “shining city upon a hill” is fading. Coming to America is less attractive to those yearning to be free, and our nation’s version of diplomacy is doing little more than showing the rest of the world that America is an unreliable gadabout.
Wayne Williams,Malvern
. . .
Last week, after a FIFA World Cup referee issued a harsh, game-disqualifying red card to the U.S.’s star player, Folarin Balogun, President Donald Trump quickly stepped in. After his complaints to FIFA leadership, the call was shockingly reversed. As is almost always the case with his gratuitous intrusions, every possible ill-considered outcome occurred. A joyous, global festival of sport became contentious, and the underdog U.S. team was diminished and tainted. This was a lose-lose situation for the U.S. team — regardless of the outcome. Think about it: If the U.S. won with Balogun on the pitch, the soccer world could say: ”Of course they won. The bully Trump got them their best player back.” If they lost, the response would be, “They couldn’t even win after Trump unfairly put his hand on the scale for them.” On Monday night, they did lose to Belgium, their exciting, unifying 2026 FIFA World Cup run now only a footnote to the Trump-generated red card debacle. As usual, with his reflexive, unwarranted interference in any situation, everyone loses.
Joseph B. Baker,Honey Brook
. . .
The mob boss tried to rig the game, but it backfired — and he gave the opposition all the motivation they needed. Plus, he put his favored team in an untenable situation, making it a game they couldn’t win, regardless of the outcome. They played like they knew it. Karma is tough to overcome.
Bill Maginnis,North Wales
The people prevail
It is refreshing to witness the way Americans have embraced the international soccer community in our cities and towns. Coming together to welcome visitors from all over the world for this event is the kind of civic engagement we are capable of if left to our own instincts. When compared with the divisive rhetoric, the self-dealing, and the self-aggrandizing fiascos of our current president, it becomes evident that things work out better for us as long as Donald Trump is not involved. It is sad to think that the president of the United States — who holds a position long regarded as the most respected in the world — must now be prevented from ruining what’s left of the White House and the grand democratic experiment that it represents. But at the same time, it is truly amazing to experience the spirit of friendship and generosity of the actual people of this republic.
Patrick J. Ream,Millville
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Someone drops the ball — inconvenient but understandable. You could turn it into a larger statement about their character, or you could chalk it up to being human. Giving people the room to be imperfect is a keystone of social grace.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today requires a measure of courage. Were you not so brave, you could stay home, watch a show, live vicariously. But that’s not you. So up and out into the world you go, and you return home tonight better for the effort.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re quick to help when someone asks. Look beyond the request itself. A person’s sense of urgency does not always reflect the reality of the situation. Before offering your time, energy or resources, make sure they’re truly needed.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You have many kinds of love to give and you’re generous with it. Whether it’s compassion, friendship, fandom, romance or something else, you give freely without requiring they love you back, pay it forward or even be gracious receivers. That’s true love.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Someone responds to you as the person you’ve become, not the person you used to be. It’s a subtle moment, but a meaningful one. The effort you’ve invested in yourself is beginning to show.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). With Venus now in your realm, affection is purposeful. Love and follow-through go hand in hand. Your timely responses and practical support are received as a message: “I like you.” You’ll complete a task for someone; is this you flirting?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You saw the missing piece. Now the tricky part: How do you bring it up to the others without making them feel like you’re showing off, or they’re underperforming or being unobservant? A question may accomplish more than a declaration.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’re so thoughtful today, remembering what people like, checking back on what matters to them, anticipating their needs… how do you know how to do all this? Practice. You have practiced being not just the server, but the served.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Fun facts and trivia are fodder for small talk, but your favorite is learning something that serves a practical purpose. Today’s nugget becomes useful almost immediately, giving you one of those satisfying moments when knowledge turns into capability.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your name comes up in a room you’re not even in. Someone needs a capable person and someone else recommends you. But of course. It’s not you consciously building a reputation. It’s the natural goodness of you being you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re warm. This we know. Now comes the part where warmth becomes stewardship. You follow through. You make sure that, in the weeks to come, resources, talents and relationships flourish on your watch.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You know someone likes you because they care to return your calls, show up where they said they will and do what they said they’d do — plus a little extra. Notice what they make easier for you. Your appreciation encourages more of the same.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 9). It’s your Year of the Cowrie Shell. For centuries, cowrie shells served as currency across parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific and became symbols of wealth, fertility and protection. The treasure of small things collect into substantial abundance. More highlights: Love notes, applauding audiences, and affirmations that your work moves people. Perfect financial partners. You’ll seize learning and travel opportunities. Gemini and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 19, 20, 1 and 17.
DEAR ABBY: At 82, my father continues to live alone and unassisted. He’s generally in good health but is starting to recognize that he won’t be forever. One thing he really wants to do while he still can (or thinks he can) is take a road trip — by himself — to visit his sister on the other side of the country.
He regularly does shorter drives (two to three hours) and figures if he takes his time, he can make the 2,000-mile journey by doing many short stretches over a few days. I think it is a colossally bad idea. He is underestimating the fatigue he’s going to experience after a long day of driving and is forgetting how much extra energy it takes to navigate in an unfamiliar place. I’m worried he’s going to get in an accident or get lost.
After telling him all that, and that he’s got better options, I offered to pay for a plane ticket. But he doesn’t like the idea of trying to navigate an airport (which makes no sense to me compared to driving), or trying to drive an unfamiliar rental car when he arrives. I’ve suggested going with him, but he wants to stay for a long visit, and there isn’t room for me at my aunt’s.
Dad has got his mind set on this trip, and I’m worried he’s going to leave without telling anyone he’s going. If I can’t reason with him, what can I do? We don’t live close to each other, and I don’t have any right to take his keys, but this is nuts, right?
— SEES A DISASTER IN OHIO
DEAR SEES: Whether you or I think your father’s plan is nuts is beside the point. He is going to make the trip. However, this does not mean you cannot have some input and assurances.
Help your father plan and map out his trip. Note what hotels or motels there are along the way and help him make reservations. Then get his promise to call you every evening when he checks in so you can know he is all right. It may take some work on your part, but the reassurance of being able to track his progress would be priceless.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My youngest child (early teens) has a hard time making and keeping friends, but he made a new friend three weeks ago. I have met the mom once, briefly, and mostly texted to discuss timing for plans with my kid and hers.
The mom keeps asking me for money. Our stories are similar, and I’ve filled her in — divorced, single mom, no contact with ex, no support. Most recently, she texted me asking for gas money and additional money to help fund a trip out of state for a funeral. I may live in a nice house, but I have no help in paying for it plus all the other life expenses. I’ve told her as much, but I still get these requests.
I don’t want to be rude to her, but I feel like my next step is to be blunt. However, I don’t want to risk hurting the friendship between the kids. How do I make it clear without doing damage?
— DOLLARS AND SENSE
DEAR D & S: Resist the urge to be blunt. Simply tell the woman nicely that you don’t have funds to give her at this time. When she asks again, repeat as necessary.
CINCINNATI — Each time a Reds player clubs a home run at Great American Ball Park, fireworks are released from the smokestacks in the outfield.
By the end of the fourth inning of Wednesday’s11-5 Phillies loss, it was fair to wonder if Cincinnati’s supply might be running low. Because the Reds blasted four homers in the inning, including three consecutive off lefty Tanner Banks, leading to a lot of pyrotechnics.
Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and JJ Bleday went back-to-back-to-back off poorly located pitches from Banks, who took over for Alan Rangel with one out in the inning. Rangel, who was recalled earlier on Wednesday to start the Phillies’ bullpen game, had already given up a leadoff homer from Noelvi Marte to start the fourth.
“At the end of the day,” Banks said, “I just need to be better at making those pitches.”
The blowout exposed two glaring weaknesses on the Phillies roster: a lack of depth in starting pitching and left-handed relief pitchers. It marked the club’s ninth consecutive loss in games started by the fifth spot of the rotation, a streak that includes Andrew Painter’s last five appearances before he was optioned in June.
While the front end of their rotation has multiple aces, the Phillies do not have a true No. 5 starter. And the lack of depth means the team would be in a truly precarious position in the event of an injury.
Justin Crawford’s RBI triple in the second inning put the Phillies ahead.
But what really doomed the Phillies on Wednesday was the Reds running up the score on two of their three left-handed relievers. After Banks’ collapse in the fourth, José Alvarado also gave up four runs in the sixth inning. Banks and Alvarado left the ballpark dragging ERAs of 7.14 and 7.03, respectively.
“Tonight, it didn’t look very good. We’ve really probably been searching for that more than anything through the course of this season,” said interim manager Don Mattingly.
After Kyle Backhus was optioned on Tuesday following his own struggles, Tim Mayza is the only other left-handed option in the Phillies’ pen. Mayza pitched a scoreless eighth after sidestepping a double.
Mayza, who was a nonroster invitee to spring training, lowered his season ERA to 2.81. But the Phillies need more than just one reliable lefty reliever.
The expectations were high for Banks and Alvarado entering the season. In 2025, Banks had pitched his way into higher-leverage opportunities with a 3.07 ERA. But this season, he is experiencing more frustration than at any point of his career.
“I think if I were to try to put my finger on one thing, I would say maybe a bit of … being a one-trick pony,” Banks said. “Like throwing a lot of the same stuff in the same place, and it’s hard to get someone out when you’re doing the same thing over and over again.”
Banks said he feels like this year, he has given hitters the same look too many times in the same at-bat, which allows them to adjust and square him up.
“He’s just missing, not getting the ball where he’s trying to get it to,” Mattingly said.
Interim manager Don Mattingly pointed to José Alvarado’s batting average on balls in play of .449 — a career high — as an explanation for his overall numbers this season.
The manager views Alvarado’s struggles somewhat differently. The lefty struggled to find the zone Wednesday, issuing consecutive walks to start the sixth inning. A single, another walk, and a bases-clearing double sank the Phillies into a seven-run hole before Alvarado could end the rally with a strikeout.
But Mattingly pointed to Alvarado’s batting average on balls in play of .449 — a career high — as an explanation for his overall numbers this season.
“Alvy’s been, I’d say, more inconsistent than bad,” Mattingly said. “His stuff is still good. We were looking at it today, actually. The batted ball stuff is actually not bad. So it looks like he’s probably been better than his numbers show, but still, obviously, he’s been inconsistent with giving up runs.”
Alvarado said he feels healthy, which is what gives him confidence he can bounce back.
“Things are not going my way right now,” he said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “In that regard, it’s just about controlling what you can control, getting back to work, working harder, improving, and let’s just hope things turn around for me.”
The Phillies’ offense had its chances against Reds starter Chase Burns. The 23-year-old, who is poised to make his first All-Star appearance next week, issued a career-high six walks. But those walks — plus three hits — only translated to three runs, slightly raising Burns’ season ERA to 2.54.
In total, the Phillies left 10 men on base. J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber each hit solo home runs off Cincinnati relievers, but the two big innings against Banks and Alvarado put the game out of reach.
“I’ll never give up,” Alvarado said. “It’s just going out there, giving the best of myself every time I’m on the mound. I’ve been through this before. I’ve gotten out of this before.”
A sergeant with the Salem County Sheriff’s Office has been charged in connection with the deaths of two K-9 dogs who were left for seven hours in an unattended hot patrol vehicle, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Cody Henderson, 41, was charged Tuesday with two counts of recklessly causing bodily injury to a living animal, and related offenses, including unnecessary cruelty to animals, Salem County Prosecutor Kristin J. Telsey said.
According to the complaint filed against Henderson, surveillance video showed the K-9 handler arriving to work on May 29 shortly before 8:30 a.m. in his county issued 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe with Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Boomer, a 6-year-old springer spaniel.
Henderson did not return to the vehicle until just after 3:30 p.m. and found both dogs dead in his patrol vehicle, prosecutors said.
He then transported the two dogs to an animal hospital in Delaware, prosecutors said.
Later that evening, the sheriff’s office notified the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office about the K-9 deaths.
Necropsies conducted on both dogs determined that they likely died from heat stroke with no evidence of other causes, prosecutors said.
There was no evidence that a K-9 heat alarm “Hot-N-Pop” device in the vehicle malfunctioned, and that it was “presumably turned off on the above date,” the complaint said.
The “Hot-N-Pop” device lowers windows and triggers sirens and flashing lights if the interior of a vehicle is too hot.
Henderson could be reached for comment.
In a statement posted on social media, Salem County Sheriff Charles M. Miller wrote that Henderson had been charged in connection with the “deaths of his assigned canine partners.”
Rip and Boomer “exemplified the highest standards of service, loyalty, and dedication. Their contributions to public safety and their commitment to duty will not be forgotten. The loss of these loyal partners has had a profound impact on our agency, our law enforcement community, and the citizens they faithfully served,” Miller said.
“We continue to honor the memory and service of Rip and Boomer and extend our thoughts to all those affected by this tragic loss,” Miller said.
CINCINNATI — Interim manager Don Mattingly briefly considered putting Brandon Marsh back at leadoff.
The No. 1 spot in the lineup was vacant on Wednesday against the Reds as Trea Turner was due for a day off. The Phillies shortstop has been “a little banged up in the lower half,” according to Mattingly.
Marsh previously batted leadoff against the Marlins on June 16, while Turner was down with a bruised wrist. But this time, Bryce Harper — who typically prefers to hit No. 3 — went to hitting coach Kevin Long and volunteered to lead off against righty Chase Burns.
It marks Harper’s first time in the leadoff spot since Sept. 8, 2025.
“I don’t mind it,” Mattingly said. “I mean, he comes up quicker than anybody else.”
Marsh instead moved to No. 3 in the order, offering protection to Kyle Schwarber at No. 2. The Phillies stacked four straight lefties — Harper, Schwarber, Marsh, and Bryson Stott — at the top of Wednesday’s lineup to combat the right-handed Burns, who entered Wednesday with a 2.40 ERA. The 23-year-old debuted last season and earned his first career All-Star selection this year.
“Hopefully we can just keep throwing those lefties at him, get some hanging sliders, or try to put some damage on him,” Mattingly said.
Brad Keller was activated from the injured list on Wednesday.
Brad Keller reinstated
Right-handed reliever Brad Keller was activated from the injured list on Wednesday to give the Phillies a reinforcement for their bullpen game against the Reds. As a corresponding move, Seth Johnson was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies need a reliable setup arm as a bridge to closer Jhoan Duran, and Keller was signed in the offseason to be just that. But Keller, who Mattingly said had been dealing with nagging forearm tendinitis for a while before hitting the injured list, has a 4.15 ERA this year.
Orion Kerkering, who has the most eighth-inning appearances for the Phillies this year, walked the bases loaded on Tuesday night against the Reds. Jonathan Bowlan entered the game and stranded all three runners with a strikeout, but it’s not the only time Kerkering has found himself in that situation recently. Kerkering also walked the bases loaded June 28 against the Mets, though he battled back to end the inning without damage.
“We like him, his stuff is good, but you got to throw strikes to the point where you trust your stuff, and you got to get in the zone,” Mattingly said of Kerkering. “We still like his stuff and where he’s been, but obviously the walks are something you hate seeing late in the game.”
He hopes a fully healthy Keller could be a big asset for the Phillies bullpen.
“The bounce back is different when you’re feeling that kind of stuff, because then the next day, you’re not feeling great, you’re just taking another day to recover, and it’s putting pressure on another guy,” Mattingly said. “So, looking forward to having him healthy, not worried about what his stuff’s going to look like. It’s going to be good.”
Extra bases
Lou Trivino III was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a right thoracic muscle spasm. Alan Rangel was recalled to fill his spot on the 26-man roster and started Wednesday’s bullpen game. … The Abbott Elementary episode that Schwarber appeared in during Season 5 — after hitting four homers in a game — received Emmy recognition on Wednesday. Randall Einhorn was nominated for his outstanding direction for a comedy series for the episode. … Fresh off his All-Star selection, Jesús Luzardo (7-4, 3.75 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday’s series finale against Reds right-hander Brady Singer (3-8, 5.03).
