This article is part of Minor League Baseball's ‘Celebrating Our Heroes’ content series, presented by T-Mobile.
To connect with the local military community, the Reading Fightin Phils called upon some names worth knowing.
Aidan Miller and José Rodríguez are certainly well-known names. Not only are they two of the Phillies’ top prospects, they’re also the regular double-play duo for Philadelphia’s Double-A affiliate.
But during the club’s July 3 game against Somerset at FirstEnergy Stadium, Miller and Rodriguez took the field in star-spangled Fightins jerseys, adorned across the back with names that were not their own.
Miller’s jersey featured his usual No. 10 but displayed the name “HOUCK.” Same for Rodriguez and his No. 12, but “KURTZ” appeared in red letters above the number. And as it turns out, those were also names worth knowing.
Those names belonged to Francis Houck and Robert Yocom Kurtz, two late service members who were nominated by their families to be honored by the club during its military appreciation celebration. This tribute extended to the rest of the players and coaches, who also wore the names of veterans or local military support groups on their jerseys.
After the game, a 2-1 victory against Somerset, there was an on-field ceremony where those who wore these personalized jerseys took them directly off their backs to present to the family members of those they represented.
“It means a lot for the players to meet those families and feel how that actually impacts a family,” said Anthony Pignetti, the Fightin Phils’ executive director of business development. “When you actually see it, and you’re wearing the name on your back of someone that was really affected or gave their life to service, it means a lot to the players.”
The Fightins’ celebration on July 3 was this year’s marquee event in the club’s military appreciation efforts, which have long been part of its history.
First built in 1951, FirstEnergy Stadium was originally named Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium in recognition of military veterans. In 1999, a “giant dog tags” monument was installed in front of the stadium, and they’ve dedicated an empty seat at the ballpark to Prisoners of War and Missing in Action since 2016. The club offers military discounts on game tickets and the flags of each military branch still fly above the grandstand.
The Fightins also began a ceremonial flag honoree program in 2014. Before each home game, a service member is recognized as the flag is raised beside the dog tag monument.
While Miller and Rodriguez are certainly names worth knowing, it was ceremonial flag honorees Frank Stellar and Russell Sattazahn who stole the show on July 3.
Stellar, 100, and Sattazahn, 99, are World War II veterans from nearby Pennsylvania that were met with an ovation from the crowd as they were introduced before throwing out ceremonial first pitches.
“I don’t usually get excited too quick, but I did for [the first pitch] because I never did that before,” said Stellar, who was originally enlisted as a cook in the U.S. Army Air Corps before being selected for an infantry division following the Battle of the Bulge.
Sattazahn, who lost part of his right arm while fighting for the U.S. Army in Germany in 1945, said, “Everybody was so nice to me, calling me a hero. And I really feel honored for that.”
The club also welcomed the leadership of the Battle of the Bulge Association, who set up information tables on the concourse in the ballpark. The organization was originally formed in 1981 and has since worked to preserve the memory of those who fought in the U.S. Army's largest and longest battle of World War II.
According to the group, an estimated 12 million Americans served during World War II, but only about 300,000 are alive today.
“[The organization] helps us keep the memory alive,” said Steve Landry, a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. and the Battle of the Bulge Association president and CEO. “It’s great that baseball recognizes the service of the veterans … and we hope to keep spreading the word.”