Phillies red amid a sea of Astros orange: Hundreds of Phils fans swarm Houston

HOUSTON — Jack Forman saw the first game of the 1950 World Series up close, as a boy of 9. Jim Konstanty pitched that day, at the old Shibe Park, but the Phils lost, 1-0.

Still, “it was the absolute thrill of my life,” Forman said. “And I never believed I would ever get to see another World Series.”

Seventy-two years later, Forman traveled from his home in Collegeville to Houston to make a dream come true. Forman and Ellen, his wife, watched every game this season, and, at points, Jack Forman had his doubts about the Phillies’ chances.

“I was screaming and yelling, saying they didn’t have any heart, but they turned it around,” said Forman, part of a group of about 40 Phillies fans who made the trek with the tour group Philly Sports Trips. “And here we are.”

Hundreds of Phillies fans found themselves in enemy territory Friday for Game 1 of the World Series, a small but vocal contingent of Harper jerseys in a sea of Astros orange Altuves.

Eric Messersmith, a Phils die-hard from Drums, Pa., came to Houston by accident. That is, he bought two tickets to Game 1 of the World Series thinking he was buying tickets to a game in Philadelphia.

Once he realized they were Houston tickets, Messersmith did the math and figured he would make it work. He and his wife, Leeann, came to Texas with the kind of boundless energy that made even Astros fans smile.

“Let’s go Phils!” Messersmith shouted to a passerby outside Minute Maid Park. The journey was meaningful in more ways than one. Messersmith carried with him a Phillies rally towel that belonged to Kristopher Moules, like Messersmith a Luzerne County corrections officer. Moules died in the line of duty in 2016.

Moules was a Phillies fan, too, and it only felt right to bring a part of him to the World Series, Messersmith said.

“My boy would have been here,” said Messersmith, clutching the towel. “So I’m going to leave this here.”

Kerry and Joe Marker of Broomall cashed in their hotel and airline points, took their 7-year-old twins out of school, and made a family vacation of the World Series.

“The ticket prices in Philly were crazy,” said Kerry Marker.

They were a little worried about how a family of Phillies fans would be received in Houston.

“You just expect the worst, coming from Philly,” Kerry Marker said.

“But everyone has been great,” said Joe Marker.

Twins Lily and Nora said they got serious street cred at school for missing class to go the World Series, and they were optimistic about the Phillies’ chances.

“Schwarber’s going to hit a home run,” said Lily.

“And Harper,” said Nora.

Jamie Pagliei attracted attention with his face painted white with red stripes and sections of blue, his hair shaved into a mohawk and colored blue. Pagliei, of Ridley, goes by “Philly Sports Guy” and delighted in posing for pictures with Astros fans who looked frankly confused by his enthusiasm.

“It’s a nice town,” Pagliei said of Houston, “but the electricity is not as strong as it is in Philadelphia.”

Mark Compton grew up in North Philadelphia as a major Phillies fan, loving Greg Luzinski, Garry Maddox, and Bob Boone. He took his fandom to Bowie, Md., and decided to join the Philly Sports Trips group in Houston to see his first World Series game.

Compton brought his niece, Tammie Silva, along with him. Silva, who said she’s a “Yankees fan by birth, a Phillies fan by marriage and love,” said she had no choice but to join the Phillies faithful. “We all had to be Phillies fans or get kicked out of the family.”

The two were thrilled to see the Phillies in the Series. And they were confident, too.

“I always believe the Phillies are going to win,” Compton said.