Top Tees

Our picks for the five best nonregistered Phillies tees.

by E. James Beale

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Published: Aug 5, 2009

Three, four, five years ago, proving you were a true Phillies fan was easy — you showed up to a handful of games a year, knew who the Phils' fourth outfielder was (back then it was Jason Michaels, who the aforementioned true fans will remember for punching a cop in the face), rocked your favorite player's jersey tee and called it a day. Now, in the age of the World F. Champions, my sister — not a true fan (sorry, Beale) — does all those things.

In the big picture, that's great: Baseball games are more fun in a sea of red and white, and most everyone loves camaraderie. For the hardcore fan, though, it's created a perplexing issue. How do you signal to other die-hards that you've been here since Day One when half a million other randoms are already rocking Cliff Lee's No. 31 34 on their backs? Face it, Philly, we're becoming a Pink Hat City pretty quick, and your fanhood is definitely in question.

Fortunately for you, we're Good Samaritans here at CP, and have found a way to prove your die-hardism without shelling out a couple hundred for a Sarge Matthews throwback. Without further ado, the five best nonregistered Phillies tees. And yes, we understand printing this list may well make them immediately passé.

 

What they are: Birdland Philadelphia and The Fightins Dot Com teamed up to produce hyperlocal Phillies gear for the fan whose favorite player probably isn't Chase Utley. The two we've selected celebrate the fans' signature Raul Ibanez chant and Matt Stairs' postseason heroics.

Why you want them: They have shirts celebrating everyone from Carlos Ruiz to pitching coach Rich Dubee. If you know who Green Lazor Guy is, or understand what the phrase "Watch Out Bro" means to the Phils, this is the place for you. Plus, if you're caught on camera with one, you'll probably get the added bonus of Meech himself throwing your picture up on thefightins.com.

Where to get them: birdlandphiladelphia.com

 

What it is: A thousand-word picture of a weeping Mets fan on the back and a simple slogan — "It Must be September in Queens — on the front.

Why you want it: As long as the Mets exist, they will continue to suck when it counts. Ergo this shirt will never, ever, ever get old. "As Phils fans, our devotion never wavers; whether we're losing 100 games or winning the World Series, we always show up for our team," Dan Hershberg, Philly Phaithful's president and co-founder admits. "But regardless of where we are in the standings, it's always easy to laugh at the Mets. And it's really a tremendous amount of fun."

Where to get it: phillyphaithful.com

 

What it is: Originally made as a one-time-only shirt for a Phillies/Eagles dual gameday, the Broad Street Bootlegs shirt shows Christian Cantiello's take on the throwback Phillies logo crossed with the Cunningham-era Birds logo.

Why you want it: Allows you to show you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Philly sports without being the douchebag who starts an "E-A-G-L-E-S" chant at a Phils game.

Where to get it: Order online at broadstreetbootlegs.com/the-goods/pheagles and figure it out with BSB from there.

 

1. THE CHAMP: The best Phillies T-Shirt in Philadelphia, 2one5s Destiny.

What it is: An old school Phillies "P" filled up with the names of every member of the 1980 and 2008 World Series Champions, all crossed by the word "destiny" scripted across the front.

Why you want it: The combination of the theme, the quality, the originality, the fact that it's impossible to get. This is the best Phillies shirt in Philly.

Where to get it: You can't, it's totally sold out, and per 2one5's "stay exclusive" business model, it's not coming back. But keep checking with them throughout the playoffs (store.2one5.com) — their busy schedule means no promises, but they may find time to sneak in a sequel.

 

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