Patrick and Carol Cassidy have cheered through wins, losses — and now, another playoff run. For these two, their love story started more than 50 years ago, with a little help from the Phillies and a ballpark that no longer stands.
The Cassidys walk hand in hand into every Phillies game. They’ve been season ticketholders for decades, but their connection to the team runs much deeper than fandom.
“If it weren’t for the Phils, or for my dad being the director of operations for the Phils, this would never have been,” Patrick Cassidy said.
Long before Citizens Bank Park, the Cassidys were spending their nights at Veterans Stadium. Patrick Cassidy’s father worked as the team’s director of operations, and Patrick joined him fresh out of college.
“I would do just about everything – from counting tickets to helping with giveaways,” Patrick Cassidy remembered.
That job turned out to be life-changing.
It was the early 1970s, and team owner Bill Giles was trying to bring fans back to the ballpark. His idea: the Hot Pants Patrol, a group of usherettes who greeted fans and brought fun back to the stands.
One of those usherettes was a young woman named Carol Ann Zacny.
“There were a lot of pretty girls, but she was a step above all of them,” Patrick Cassidy said. “All I could say to myself was, ‘wow.'”
Carol became one of the most recognizable faces at the Vet – even voted Miss Schmidt by 80,000 fans.
“I could not believe I’m getting paid like $9 for a game and then I’m coming to see the Phillies every night!” Carol said while laughing.
Her section? Gate B, which is where she met Patrick Cassidy.
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“He was a very nice-looking young man — blonde hair, blue eyes, tall and very handsome,” Carol said.
The two began dating, and soon their love story became as timeless as their team.
The couple married, raised three boys, and built a life filled with baseball memories. Their son Ryan now runs the local apparel company Philly Goat, where one of the designs pays tribute to his mom’s Hot Pants Patrol days.
“There’s just a special something about fans and the team,” Patrick Cassidy said. “That relationship has always been so very strong.”
Now, as grandparents, they share those stories with a new generation — tales of Gate B, the Phillies, and a love that’s lasted through every season.
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“I wish we could go back just to enjoy it all over again,” Carol Cassidy said. “When he walks into the room, my heart still skips a beat.”
“That’s your heart giving out!” Patrick Cassidy said.
The couple rarely misses a game. Every once in a while, Carol Cassidy gives up her seat so one of their sons can join dad. But for her, Patrick will always be the MVP.
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