“We talking about practice!” That line was famously uttered by Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson in May 2002. More than two decades later, we’re still talking about practice — especially after more Phillies fans turned out for Wednesday night’s intrasquad game than Cleveland Guardians fans have drawn for the first two games of their Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers.
The Phillies announced that 31,343 people attended their intrasquad scrimmage as the team prepares to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.
The Phillies and the Phillies thank you! pic.twitter.com/65ZxYcMVD5
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) October 1, 2025
Philadelphia Practice Attendance Embarrasses Cleveland’s Postseason Turnout
That’s more than the Guardians faithful who have supported their team through two postseason games. Game 1 on Tuesday afternoon attracted 26,186 paid customers, while 26,669 came out for Game 2 on Wednesday. At capacity, Progressive Field holds 34,830 people — making it the smallest MLB stadium by total capacity.
To be fair, both games began at 1 p.m. ET, but not selling out playoff games while a practice outdrew you? That’s a rough look for Cleveland fans.
There were more fans at a Phillies intrasquad exhibition game than there were at the first two Guardians postseason games https://t.co/XHxAvm2apO
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) October 2, 2025
And what’s more, it’s been a drama-filled series. The matchup is knotted at 1-1, with the do-or-die Game 3 set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. The winner faces the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS.
It’s nearly a miracle the Guardians even reached this point. They were miles away from a postseason berth at the beginning of September, given just a 0.2 percent chance to overtake the Tigers and win the American League Central. But after a scorching 20-7 run last month, that’s exactly what they did, becoming back-to-back division champions.
Guardians fans need to pack Progressive Field for Game 3 because having fewer people than a Phillies practice is genuinely embarrassing.
The Phillies finished fourth in attendance in 2025 with 3,375,477 fans, while the Guardians ranked 21st at 2,051,360.
