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Philly Phillies fans are going crazy as the team is headed to the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Our very own Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League Title after finishing off the Los Angeles Dodgers with a series score of 4-1.  The final game is sure to be a memorable one for fans recalling Cole Hamels smooth pitching, Jimmy Rollins first-inning home run and Shane Victorino making outstanding catches in the out field.

As the city celebrates, there is no excuse for not finding a way to join in the fun.  Here are some suggestions and ideas to help our Phillies fans engage in the playoff spirit.

The best way (and probably most expensive one) to get in on the playoff fun is to attend a World Series game at Citizens Bank Park.  Although standing room tickets usually go for about $14, some fans are paying up to $600 for a chance to stand to see the home team make some home runs! There is plenty to do at the ballpark for fans of all ages – run the bases, play ball park pinball, and try pitch ‘em and tip ‘em in the unique Citizens Bank interactive game area located at the stadium entrance.  Before you partake in the festivities, take a stroll to Ashburn Alley where fans can watch batting practice (with Cole Hamels!) 2 ½ hours prior to game time.  Most importantly, come pumped for the game!

If you want to be real close to the action but just can’t get a ticket, McFadden’s is the place to be.  With 33 HiDef plasma televisions and two giant projector screens, this bar has become the premiere sports destination in Philly.  It makes for the perfect venue to meet pre-game, post-game, or watch the game.  McFadden’s full menu and great draft and bottled beer selections contain something to suit every taste.

There are plenty of ways for the Phillies littlest fans to get in on the spirit too.  First, those littlest will need a friend first! This will mean building a Phanatic friend.  Fans, young and old, can pick out a miniature Phillie Phanatic, stuff it and dress it in one of the Phanatic’s outfits.  This exclusive Citizens Bank Ballpark feature is managed by Build-a-Bear Workshop and is located on the main concourse near Section B5.  With their new (customized!) phanatic friends, children under 8 can head over to the Phanatic Fun Zone where they can climb, explore, play games and have the slide of their life as they venture through the largest play area in Major League Baseball.  After that, head over to the Phanatic Shoe Slide behind Section 317 on the terrace level.

If you are looking to gather with some friends to watch the game but don’t want to have to clean up after, check out these two great Philly sports bars.

Chickies and Petes, well-known in Philadelphia and now parts of South Jersey, is one of, if not the best, locations to watch a big game at in Philly.  In spite of the notion that many patrons are there “just because it’s Chickies” it is hard to ignore these attractive features…

Those crab fries have just the right amount of old-bay seasoning to leave your mouth watering the next day…

Plenty of big-screen televisions…

It’s truly a “Philly Institution” from its very beginning…

The sandwiches on the menu are perfect for game-watching – not too fancy but enough to satisfy your game-time hunger…

Reasonable prices (we won’t approach the Chickies prices at Citizens Bank Ballpark or the Lincoln Financial Stadium since they are not the same…)

For the next big game you should definitely check out Chickies and Petes – after all, ESPN named it the third best sports bar in the country! There is sure to be a convenient location for you, South Philly, Northeast Philly (two locations) or South Jersey (two locations).

Or try the Field House, located in Convention Center near City Hall.  Although this bar is somewhat new and doesn’t have quite the “following” as Chickies does, it will get there one day soon.  This is the only sports bar in Philly to my knowledge that has televisions on every booth table.  Can’t beat it! Saturday afternoons are made easy here for those die-hard college football fans that just have to see two games at once. It’s possible at the Field House with the ability to have one game on the big screen and another game on your table.  Seating is not an issue here.  The menu is great for sports fans. The “Field of Fries” menu includes The Vet, Shibe Park, Camden Yards, and Brew City Fries.

Should the Phillies win the World Series, be sure to join other enthusiastic fans in celebrating this momentous occasion at one of our city’s biggest intersections. These include Frankford and Cottman Avenues in the Northeast section of the City or Broad and Snyder in South Philadelphia.  Here you will find the die-hard fans honking, hollering, hooting, and of course, many news helicopters. Don’t miss a chance to be on television!  And be sure to stay tuned for the announcement about the celebratory parade down Broad Street – we have waited 25 years for this kind of festival party!

One last thing, if you are looking to “Philly-ize” everything around you because you are just SOO EXCITED about this World Series, try these fun things:

-          Download Phillies wallpaper from their Web site for your computer

-          Shop Phillies clothes (Modell’s, vendors, Foreman Mills)

-          Join the Phillies Fan Club

-          Decorate your house and car

-          Dress your kids in Phillies gear and take pictures

-          Pull out next year’s schedule and plan your games to attend

-          Read “Phillie Phanatic Happiest Memories” to your little friends

-          Write your game thoughts on fan blogs

-          Tailgate (even if you don’t have a ticket)

-          Make signs and stand on your corner asking Phillies fans to beep (only in Philly is this acceptable of course)

-          Buy 2008 Phillies Yearbook and plan how you could try to get some autographs

-          Pull out some baseball trading cards and organize with Phillies players first

-          Dance on your kitchen table the way the Phanatic dances top of the bull pen (only when you are home alone of course!)

-          Stand in line a few hours for an autograph of one of the players on the National League Pennant-Winning Team at one of the local stores hosting a meet and greet

LET’S GO PHILS!!!!!

Karen Toner for ExplorerPod.com ( Karen lives in Philadelphia and is a huge Phillies fan)