Last week’s trade that brought Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies from the Minnesota Twins included more than just players. The Phillies also received assistance in recreating Duran’s well-known entrance, which features dramatic lighting, video effects, and a custom music mix.
The Phillies’ game production crew had to quickly prepare for Duran’s debut at Citizens Bank Park. Mark DiNardo, director of broadcasting and video services for the Phillies, said his team began working on the graphics package within hours of the trade. He explained that they reviewed all components needed for the show and divided up tasks among their staff.
“We dissected it, looking at all the different components, talked about things like, ‘OK, what’s a good place to find the template for the fire?'” DiNardo said. “You know, we’re talking all our geeky, nerdy stuff — and then we sent everyone on their way.”
DiNardo noted that Alumni Weekend was also taking place at Citizens Bank Park during this time, requiring additional effort from the graphics department. To meet their deadline, he reached out to Sam Henschen, senior director of gameday experience with the Twins.
“I said, ‘Listen, Sam. I’m not asking you to do it for us, and I’m not asking you for your stuff, but can you at least point us in the direction of where you obtained the stuff?'” DiNardo said. “Because I know we have the people here who can assemble it, but it would just help expedite the timeline.”
Henschen connected his graphics team with Sydney Worek from the Phillies and provided an audio file of Duran’s custom-mixed song.
“I just have to commend them for building such a terrific piece of entertainment, and then for being so professional and classy to work with us,” DiNardo said. “And they did that because of their respect for Jhoan Duran and also their respect for the game of baseball.”
Despite receiving resources from Minnesota’s staff, much work remained for Philadelphia’s crew. They programmed all elements into their system and conducted several test runs before Duran’s first appearance as a Phillie.
“It wasn’t perfect,” DiNardo said of Friday’s first run, “but it was pretty damn good.”
Fans responded enthusiastically during Duran’s entrance; many used phone flashlights as videos circulated widely online.
“That’s not why we do these things — we do it for the 40,000 people here in the ballpark,” DiNardo said. “But watching it take off, it was mind-blowing for all of us.”
DiNardo described how collaboration between both teams resulted in a positive outcome.
“For me, it was a feel-good story about teamwork, execution and commitment to the game of baseball,” DiNardo said. “Our people worked together as a team and we worked together with the Twins, and the end product was something that was good not just for the Phillies, but it was good for baseball.”
He added that while there are no plans to change Duran’s entrance entirely, fans should expect some updates soon.
“We’ll add Phillies twists to it,” DiNardo said. “We’re not done with it yet by any means.”
