Let's Road Trip Brewers 2025: Trip #6 - Cheesesteaks and Chili

Philadelphia Phillies - May 30-Jun. 1
Citizens Bank Park - Capacity 42,901
2024 Attendance: 3,363,712 (Averaged 41,527, 2nd out of 15 NL parks and 3rd overall)

At the moment of their June 2024 trip to Philadelphia, the Brewers were 36-23, but the Phillies were five games stronger in the standings. By the end of the three games, the Brewers were 36-26, and the Phillies had a broom in their hands. The Brewers managed only two runs, which becomes even more frustrating to Brewer Fanatics when you realize the Phanatics only scored seven runs. The Brewers lost 3-1, 2-1, and 2-0.  Milwaukee has been road-tripping to Citizens Bank Park since 2004, and in the 71 total games there (counting the 2008 NLDS), the Brewers have only won 31 and have lost 40. This illustrates how difficult this annual road trip has been, but Brewers fans should take heart in the fact that since 2018, Milwaukee has actually won four of the six series overall. So, there is a light in the darkness.

I was surprised to discover that the Phillies have lost more games than any other American sports franchise. I only seem to remember the captivating squads of the 1990s, and the World Series-attending teams of recent history. However, the giant former home of the Phillies, Veterans Stadium, often saw nothing but epic disappointment. At 67,000, Veterans Stadium had the capacity for greatness, and the vibe of concrete sterility. In 2004, the team began a new chapter with the more intimate and contemporary Citizens Bank Park.

The seating at Citizens Bank is described as “sitting over the field,” and the unique wind tunnel alleyways and small left- and right-field corners set the stage for home runs and excitement. Opposing fans can get up close and personal with the visitor’s bullpen in left-center field, or just hang out and listen to the Phillies fans give them grief. Of all of the stadiums that I researched, this one seems to be the least hospitable to away team jerseys, and presence in general. Attendees beware!

The ballpark also seems to be set up for prime standing-room-only options, and its main food vendors exist in the open outfield concourse. There’s a kid’s Wiffle Ball field beyond right field, and a Wall of Fame in left. And of course, keep your head on a swivel, unless you want to get accosted by the Phillie Phanatic.

Philadelphia itself oozes history and abounds in tourist destinations. The start of American democracy and government; the pursuit of freedom and liberty; and the origins of the great cheesesteak all find their home here. You can pretend you are Rocky as you run the steps of the Museum of Art, or just sit there and watch other people exhaust themselves trying. Don't wear yourself out, however, because you still need to travel 573 back west to Cincinnati, to take on the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds – June 2-4
Great American Ballpark - Capacity 43,500
2024 Attendance: 2,024,178 (Averaged 24,989 - ranked 12th out of 15 NL teams, 21st overall MLB)
The Brewers made two trips to Cincinnati in 2024, and they wish that they could have made a hundred of them. (Maybe your cardiologist would disagree, but Wisconsinites and their cardiologists aren't mean to see eye-to-eye, anyway.) Milwaukee took two of three in April, and three of four in August for a 5-2 record overall at Great American Ballpark. It's just that some of them were stressful. 

Overall, the Brewers are 95-92 in Cincinnati since 2003, and that kind of success will need to continue if they are to continue to stay atop the division standings. There really isn't any rhyme or reason to their success, they just have it. So the odds are currently in the favor of Brewers fans, if they want to make the road trip to see their team on the shores of the Ohio River.

Home to baseball’s oldest franchise (er, kind of), Great American Ball Park didn't open until the team had been kicking for a good 125 years. With a list of legendary players behind it, the team boasts a history of success, and has a Hall of Fame of its own to prove it. Like many teams, however, that history seems to stop in the 1990s. Cincinnati has only reached the playoffs five times in the last 30 seasons, and if you don't count the COVID season of 2020, they haven't been there since 2013. Great American offers contemporary fans a baseball-specific venue, as opposed to the hideous multi-use Riverfront Stadium, with waterfront views and quirky vibes. The higher up you sit, the better the view of both game and landscape. With wide concourses, sparse crowds and five levels of seating, finding a place to enjoy the game shouldn’t be an issue.

When in town, cultural highlights include the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Art Museum. Findlay Market’s beer gardens open on gameday, and riverboat cruises offer a unique way to spend the time between games.

Following this week-long road trip, the Brewers return to Milwaukee for a marathon home stand featuring 10 games against three colossal squads: San Diego, the team from suburban Cobb County in Georgia, and St. Louis. With that gauntlet of competition waiting at the end of this lengthy road trip, do you think the Brewers will be able to make a move against the Phillies and Reds? Or will they come back with full bellies and broken spirits?