How to Get a Home Run Ball Autographed at Citizens Bank Park

One of the biggest thrills of attending a Major League Baseball game is catching a foul ball or a home run ball off the bat of your favorite slugger.Catching a home run ball is sure to satisfy any baseball enthusiast, but fans of the Philadelphia Phillies have the chance to get their home run ball autographed by the hitter. Here's how to get a home run ball autographed at Citizens Bank Park.

Things You'll Need

• Tickets to game
• Baseball glove

Instructions

1. The first step is getting tickets to the game. The Phillies play 81 home games each regular season at Citizens Bank Park in downtown Philadelphia, and the park seats 43,500. Tickets are available through the Phillies' website at phillies.com. Tickets are also available through secondary sources such as eBay or Stubhub.

2. While tickets may be readily available, all seats are not created equal. Only a fraction of the tickets are in home run territory. Field Level seats (Sections 101-107 and 140-148), Pavilion Club Level (Sections 201-205), Scoreboard Porch (Sections 241-245) and Pavilion Deck (Sections 301-305) are the only areas where you can catch a home run ball.

3. Once at the game you need to catch or retrieve a home run ball. This is where luck comes in. On average slightly more than two home runs are hit per game in the major leagues so it's quite a feat to haul in a home run ball. A baseball glove can come in handy to haul in the elusive souvenir.

4. If you are lucky enough to catch a home run ball off the bat of any Phillies player, the team has a program called PECO Hometown Homers, and your souvenir autographed by the player who hit it. Simply find any team employee, who will escort you to Guest Services to complete an application. After your ball is autographed it will be mailed back to you to proudly display.

Tips & Warnings

• The Phillies will mail your autographed baseball back to you within a few weeks. The length of time depends on the availability of the player and the team's upcoming schedule.

• If your primary objective is to catch a home run ball, try to get tickets when the Phillies play a team that allows a lot of roundtrippers. Also it's better if the opposing pitcher gives up a lot of flyballs instead of a pitcher that yields a lot of groundballs.

• Weather also matters. The ball tends to carry better during warm, humid summer days thus increasing your odds of catching a home run.