The Philadelphia Phillies might not have fans cheering them on inside Citizens Bank Park, but that didn't stop the team's supporters from catching the attention of New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Thursday.
A group of fans who gather behind the fence of Ashburn Alley, the center field concourse -- dubbed the Phandemic Krew,according to The Philadelphia Inquirer-- was blowing an air horn when Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery was making his pitches.
Boone asked the umpires about it, but since the fans were on 10th Street and not inside the stadium, the umpires had no recourse. After the Phils' broadcast mentioned Boone's visit to the umpires, the fans began chanting Boone's name, but they did stop blowing the air horn during pitches.
"The environment we're in, it's almost like a golf environment where that sudden thing can ... So I thought there was a timing element to it," Boone told reporters, according to the Inquirer. "I didn't necessarily think they would be able to do anything about it. I didn't necessarily know who or where it was coming from, but it was something I at least wanted to point out."
The Inquirer reported the Phandemic Krew hired a drumline to play during part of Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, and Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman said the fans made their presence felt Thursday. The group's name is a nod to the coronavirus pandemic that has kept fans from attending games in stadiums this season, and to Krew Harper, the son of outfielder Bryce Harper, according to the Inquirer.
"You could hear it. It was pretty loud," Tauchman said. "Philadelphia is known for having a pretty passionate fan base and those guys want to find a way to support their team even though they can't be in the stadium and that's how they chose to show their fandom tonight."
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, who had a three-run homer in a 5-4 victory, said the fans might not have provided an emotional boost, but he welcomed hearing them just the same instead of "listening to silence."
"It definitely doesn't hurt. It's nice to hear something out there and hear that support," Realmuto said. "It's better to have them out there than not."