Women of the Phillies’ Hot Pants Patrol, who spent about a decade working for the local MLB team as an “elite corps” of usherettes, built bonds that still thrive to this day, writes Alex Coffey for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Hot Pants Patrol debuted in 1971 as a marketing gimmick conceived by Bill Giles, the Phillies’ then-vice president of business operations, who was looking to draw more fans to the bleachers.
The women wore maroon zip-up polyester jumpsuits, nylon tights underneath, and boots with 2½-inch heels, regardless of the weather. Some traveled for promotions and charity events, others handed out giveaways, and some delivered two-minute pitches for specialty items from the broadcast booth.
Recently, 27 former members of the Phillies’ Hot Pants Patrol, who managed to turn a one-time gimmick into a lasting sisterhood, gathered in South Philadelphia.
Now in their 60s and 70s, the women include former doctors, teachers, journalists, and business owners.
Though they faced rampant sexism during their time with the Hot Pants Patrol, the women said they have no regrets.
Mae Shoemaker, who was part of the squad in the late 1970s, described it as “the best summer job you could ever imagine.”
Read more about Phillies’ Hot Pants Patrol and the strong bond they built in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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