A rendering of GHOST Energy Deck at Citizens Bank Park, which will replace Harry the K's. (Credit: Philadelphia Phillies)
This is my version of an op-ed.
Please understand that when I ask this question, I am genuinely being 100% sincere and 0% sarcastic: Is nothing sacred anymore?
I ask this question because the Phillies announced Thursday that Harry the K's, the concessions area underneath the left-field scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park, has been renamed the GHOST Energy Deck.
No more Harry the K's at Citizens Bank Park either.
The #Phillies announced the Ghost Energy Deck for 2026.
Harry the K's has been around since 2004.
Image via the @Phillies. pic.twitter.com/TlzRo0MUn0
Harry the K's opened in 2004, when Citizens Bank Park opened. It was, of course, named after Harry Kalas, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who served as the Phillies' play-by-play voice from 1971 until his death in 2009.
Now, over the past few years, there have been many updates to Citizens Bank Park. Most (if not all) of those updates have centered around creating more advertising opportunities within the park... and most of those updates have come at a cost to the ballpark's overall aesthetic.
First, consider the flower beds. For Citizens Bank Park's first 20 seasons, both outfield walls were lined by gorgeous flower beds. See the swing of Bryce Harper's life, which just cleared the flower beds, here.
OMG BRYCE HARPER!!! WOW!!! THE SWING OF HIS LIFE!!! pic.twitter.com/9UWmROAuNV
Then, before the 2024 season, ads for Asplundh and Independence Blue Cross were installed in front of the left field and right field flower beds, respectively. The flower beds are still there... you just can't see them anymore.
Interference or no? pic.twitter.com/LUI5vbjmik
Then there's the digitalization of numerous scoreboards throughout the park, including the right-field out-of-town scoreboard (change also made in 2024) and the backstop behind home plate (change made in 2025). The brick backstop of old is no more, replaced by ads and digital ivy. And instead of continuous updates on out-of-town games, now the right field scoreboard features rotating out-of-town scores, some statistics... and many, many ads, sandwiched between digital bricks.
Here’s a good look at the new digital out-of-town scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park. It has some scores, but not all. More room for ads, stats, Phanavision etc. pic.twitter.com/lAqFGLl6DV
Heck, even the players themselves come bearing glad tidings of IBX.
The Phillies unveiled IBX as the first ever patch partner 👀 pic.twitter.com/yzmZl601AB
To an extent, I can understand these changes. All ballparks need updates, and with the 2026 MLB All-Star Game looming, it makes sense that the Phillies want to provide the most modern experience possible.
But changing Harry the K's... that feels personal.
I want to be very clear that this story is not being written from a crotchety, get-off-my-lawn, I-can't-handle-change angle. It isn't even coming from someone who was particularly impacted by Kalas during his lifetime, because when Kalas passed away, I was a month away from graduating kindergarten. (I know, I know, I'm sorry.)
I know that somewhat disqualifies me from writing about this topic, but growing up in Philadelphia means growing up immersed in sports, and therefore immersed in sports history. I may not be able to recall Kalas calling a game, but this city imbued his legend and his importance into me. Therefore, I can't abide by this specific change to the ever-evolving landscape of Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies could afford PhanaVision's 2023 upgrade that placed it among the largest scoreboards in all of baseball. They can afford to field a top-five payroll. Forbes reported on Friday that the Phillies organization's 2026 valuation is $3.4 billion, good for seventh in MLB, with a one-year change of 10%.
But apparently a sponsorship deal with GHOST Energy is going to move the needle enough that it's worth the very public removal of Harry Kalas' name.
I just don't see how this benefits any of the involved parties. Phillies fans have grumbled in recent years about the deterioration of the ballpark experience, both in terms of blaring ads in every direction and in terms of rising prices. As the playoffs progress, Citizens Bank Park's atmosphere noticeably suffers due to true sickos getting priced out.
And as far as GHOST Energy goes... well, congrats, you have now paid for the singular honor of replacing a beloved franchise icon! When fans complain about Kalas' reduced presence at Citizens Bank Park, your name and your logo will be what they gripe at! Lucky you!
For what it's worth, Kalas' widow had had previous disputes with the Phillies over the use of his name for Harry the K's. 97.3 ESPN's Frank Klose confirmed Thursday that the name change "was not a decision by the Kalas family."
There could be no reason other than financial, then, which makes the whole thing worse. According to the Phillies' press release, GHOST Energy was co-founded by Ryan Hughes, a West Chester native and longtime Phillies fan. Surely Hughes can't be too psyched about the negative PR his product is about to get.
All this to say... when does it end? Will the old-school feel of Citizens Bank Park continually be sacrificed to the capitalistic gods? Digital upgrades are understandable, price hikes are inevitable... but this is Harry Kalas we're talking about.
I hope the brand deal was worth it to the Phillies. I don't think it will ever be worth it to the generations of Philadelphians for whom Harry Kalas and the Phillies will always be inextricably intertwined.
