5:24 p.m., Nov. 10, 2008----Being a Philadelphia Phillies ball girl is a special honor in any year, but being a Philadelphia Phillies ball girl in 2008, when the Phillies finally broke through and captured their first World Series championship in 28 years, is a whole different ball game, and the University of Delaware's own Gina Papili almost missed out on all the fun.

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Papili, a junior in the College of Health Sciences from Newark, Del., who one day hopes to be a nurse, said, “I heard about the opportunity at the last minute through my mom and I sent my resume in on the last day they were accepting applications.”

That resume was good enough to earn Papili, along with about 100 other young women, a call back to try out at Citizens Bank Park. After the tryout, Papili was invited back for a sit down interview and later received a phone call from her future manager, Michele DeVicaris, informing her that she had been chosen to be a Phillies ball girl for the 2008 season.

At the time, Papili had no idea how much the job would affect her life. “I have gained so much insight personally through the experience of being a ball girl,” she said.

Papili is quick to point out, however, that the insight she has gained, “has everything to do with how well the team has played this season.”

Papili had many duties as a ball girl, one of which included fielding foul balls, which she said can be tricky because “it gets intense out there. If a ball is hit down the line, before I can field it I have to make sure it is a foul ball. If I get in the way of a fair ball then I am in big trouble.”

The job was especially intense when Papili had the honor of being a ball girl for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series when the Phillies hosted Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Papili was ecstatic that she got to be seated in left field for the game not only because she got the “best seat in the entire stadium to watch the game,” but also because of the fans.

“The fans really make the game more enjoyable. If you think about it, you wouldn't normally go to a Phillies game by yourself, you would bring a friend,” she said. “Well, the fans end up being that friend for the game. They are so supportive of us and it makes being on the field that much better.”

The responsibilities are not restricted to the field. One of Papili's favorite parts about the job is playing softball games to raise money for local charities. Papili also had to be at the ballpark for every game of the World Series to mingle with the crowd during a pre-game party known as “Octoberphest.”

One of Papili's lasting memories of the World Series was getting to stand with the Phillie Phanatic behind home plate for the National Anthem before a home game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Phillies defeated Tampa Bay four games to one to win the second world championship in the history of the franchise. Dallas Green, a standout athlete at the University in the 1950s and later a Major League pitcher, was the manager for the Phillies team that won the first, in 1980 over the Kansas City Royals. The owner of that team was R.R.M. (Ruly) Carpenter III, a member of the University's Board of Trustees.

Article by Adam Thomas
Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies