James Franklin: Phillies THON Night First Pitch ‘A Huge Thrill’

Professional baseball teams holding THON fundraisers has become a tradition in recent years.

They typically dedicate a section or two in the ballpark to the Penn State student-run charity and donate ticket sales to the Four Diamonds Fund.

This Thursday, the Phillies will hold their annual THON Night at Citizens Bank Park, and they’re taking the fundraiser to the next level with a special guest.

Head football coach James Franklin will take the mound before the game to throw out the first pitch. Having grown up a short drive away from the ballpark, Franklin is excited to earn the first pitch honor from his favorite team.

“Having grown up 25 minutes from the Phillies ballpark, I am a lifelong fan and to have the opportunity to take the mound at Citizens Bank Park is a huge thrill for me,” Franklin says.

The fact that Franklin gets to throw out the first pitch on THON Night is just icing on the cake for the Nittany Lions coach.

“It is even cooler to throw out the first pitch on THON night. THON is one of the many things that makes Penn State such a special place,” he says. “Our interactions with the THON families is something that we look forward to every year. We couldn’t be more proud of the work that the students do to raise millions and millions of dollars for the Four Diamonds Fund each year.”

This isn’t Franklin’s first time heading to the mound for an opening pitch. In April, the head coach stepped onto the diamond at Yankee Stadium, firing a strike to catcher Brian McCann and living up to a promise that he would throw the ball as hard as he could. 

Tickets for THON Night are available through the Phillies website, with all proceeds going to THON. Seats are available in section 104 in the outfield for $38 and pavilion tickets in section 202 run $30. There are also THON seats available in section 302 for $20. The Phillies take on the Braves at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday night, with Cole Hamels set to face Atlanta pitcher Shelby Miller in the division battle.