Fathers at Citizens Bank Park share a magical Red October moment with their children — just like Nick Castellanos

The Phillies dugout cleared. More than 45,000 fans erupted in joy. Fireworks exploded over South Philadelphia.

But there was only one person Nick Castellanos wanted to share this moment with.

The hero of Sunday’s win against the New York Mets hit a walk-off single to tie the series 1-1, and was instantly pummeled by teammates in a celebration that carried him toward second base. But then Castellanos got loose from his teammates, and ran toward the crowd to find his son, Liam. Across the net that protects the fans sitting behind home plate, they shared a wholesome moment that oozed pure jubilation.

Phillies fans have loved the Casty father-son relationship since the outfielder joined the team in 2022. Liam was at the Bank throughout the run to the World Series that year — and at postgame celebrations, including at Xfinity Live! He joined the Phillies in spring training as a bat boy, and the elder Castellanos said that he is more comfortable at the plate when his son is in attendance.

And on Sunday night, their joint celebration became a moment most fathers could only dream of.

“As a fellow dad, how does it feel to never be able to do something as cool as Castellanos just did for Liam,” a neighbor texted this Inquirer reporter immediately after the game.

Baseball has a special role in many American father-child relationships. It’s ingrained in the cultural lore around the sport. In Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella connects to the ghost of his late father through baseball, despite their troubled relationship. The classic Harry Chapin song “Cat’s in the Cradle” includes the lyric, “My son turned 10 just the other day / He said, ‘Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play / Can you teach me to throw?’ I said, ‘Not today / I got a lot to do.’” It’s so quintessential that the very American sentence, “My dad and I never played catch,” provides vivid context for a strained relationship with just seven words.

Of course mothers also bond with their kids through sports — as evidenced from the many women with kids at the Bank over the weekend. But for some fathers, talking sports is a main avenue to connect with their children.

Nico Kuperman, of Mount Airy, went to Sunday’s game with his kids and a family friend, Jason Lerner, his one-time babysitter who got him into the Phillies.

“He’s my ‘baseball dad,’” he said.

Throughout the intense postseason game, in a seat behind left field, 7-year-old August focused on keeping score.

Anabel, whose precise age is “almost 9,” rocks a Johan Rojas jersey and shades with swagger that would make her fit right in an MLB dugout — as one would expect from a little leaguer.

“This is what brings us all together,” Nico Kuperman says. “It gives us something to talk about.”

August gets really into the stats, while Anabel is invested in the players stories and personalities. Those topics make for fun conversations with their dad.

“Sometimes for fathers its easier than talking about emotions or about friends at school,” Kuperman said.

Getting his kids excited about the Phillies also brought them into his social circle. Now when he goes to watch a game with Lerner, for example, the kids can join and get to expand their community.

“Jason taught me to keep score [as a kid]” he said. “Now he taught August.”

Baseball can be especially easy to share with kids. It has the longest regular season, and often the cheapest tickets. And the slower pace of the game gives opportunities for kids to walk around and get treats. Not to mention the Phanatic.

At the upper deck of Citizens Bank Park, Pete Salveson walked back to his seats with Colin, 7; Owen, 9; and his wife, Courtney, after getting ice cream during the game Sunday.

The family loves baseball, so when Salveson saw that the game would be in the afternoon, he knew this was his chance to take his children to experience Red October.

The ballpark also features activities for children such as a climbing wall and batting cage, he said. So as life gets busy, baseball can be a dependable communal respite.

“It’s the one thing you can count on that we all do as a family,” said Salveson, from Malvern.

» READ MORE: Roger Clemens witnesses son Kody Clemens’ first playoff hit, RBI with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park

And like so many fathers who brought their children to this game, Salveson has his own memories of bonding with his dad over baseball.

“I went to game 6 of the NLCS in 1993 with my dad,” he said. “I was 10.”

Below on the main concourse, Craig Breon’s son, Maxwell, sat on a round table watching his favorite team. Together with mom, Melanie, the family drove down to the Bank from Harrisburg.

The 7-year-old is somewhat of a good-luck charm. His first game ever was the unforgettable “bedlam at the Bank” game, in which a Bryce Harper home run sent the Phillies to the 2022 World Series.

And even though Phillies fans are known to be intense, the ballpark always felt like an appropriate environment for kids, Broen said.

“It’s an opportunity to, hopefully, create a great experience,” the father said during the fourth inning, hedging after the disappointment of Saturday night’s loss.

At the end of the night, after the Castellanos father-son duo celebrated, and the ballpark cleared out, another father searched for his daughter among the few fans who stayed.

Bryson Stott was another hero of Sunday’s game. His triple at the bottom of the eighth brought the Phillies back from behind, and if not for a Mets run in the 9th, would have been the winning play of the game.

Stott — who also celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday — signed a few baseballs for lingering kids in the stands, as he looked with his eyes for his own daughter, Braxtyn.

And with a kiss and a smile to a very, very tired baby, another dad shared a special baseball night with their child.