Backup players

At a Phillies home game in 1998, a member of the team had a chance to be a hero – and he wasn’t even behind the plate.

Dave Holland watched the path of a foul ball as it sailed straight toward an 11-year-old boy sitting in the stands at Veterans Stadium. The boy – his broken arm in a cast – couldn’t do much about it, but Holland intercepted the ball and handed it to the young fan.

"Of course Mom and Dad were just thrilled," said Holland, manager of the Phanstormers, a group of Phillies entertainers. "It was one of those Kodak moments. It’s kind of one of those things where we’re touching lives."

While they don’t promise a foul ball every time, Phanstormers do whatever they can to provide an interactive family-friendly experience at home games, according to Holland, 36, and his 30-year-old wife Jill, also a Phanstormer.

The couple, from the 200 block of McClellan Street, are among 30 ballpark entertainers who lead the crowd in cheers and perform for Phillies fans.

You’ll recognize them by their official uniform: a throwback Phillies powder-blue jersey with a burgundy "P," a baseball cap of the same color, khaki shorts and white sneakers.

Phanstormers fan out in small groups all over Citizens Bank Park to interact with folks pre-game and between innings. Juggling, making balloon animals, stilt-walking and playing the harmonica are among their mixed bag of tricks.

"The little kids get such a kick out of it. When you bring them up to do something or you have a little prize for them, their faces light up and they’re so delighted to be part of the act," said Jill, who specializes in balloon animals and juggling.

For the 2005 Phillies season, which starts Monday, she’ll also be one of two unicyclists.

Fans also can purchase a Phanstormer birthday package, complete with confetti. But it might not be a treat for a birthday boy or girl who is easily embarrassed, as a Phanstormer takes the field, announces the occasion and then leads a chorus of thousands in singing "Happy Birthday."

"Whether it’s win or lose for the Phillies, the whole idea of the group is to put smiles on people’s faces and to interact with the fans," Dave Holland said.

Phillies management introduced the Phanstormers in 1995 as a way to attract fans back to the ballpark after the 1994 baseball strike and to reward loyal supporters.

"They came up with the idea of the Phanstormers as a group of actors, entertainers and energetic people that could go out there and face-to-face mix it up with the fans," said Holland.

MANY OF THE Phanstormers, including the Hollands, have acting backgrounds and perform elsewhere during the offseason.

Jill recently wrapped up a gig at the National Women’s Museum in Washington, D.C., where she portrayed 19th-century French painter Berthe Morisot.

And this summer, she’ll be swashbuckling in a comedy sword-fighting show at a Cape May, N.J., hotel.

Born and raised in New Castle, Del., Jill earned a degree in musical theater from the University of the Arts. Interactive theater has always been one of her favorite mediums, she said.

Dave also holds a college degree, but his is in business management from York College of Pennsylvania.

Bitten by the acting bug, Dave moved to Philadelphia in 1996 after being awarded the Haas Fellowship at the Walnut Street Theatre. In 1997, he answered an ad seeking Phanstormers. After two years performing with the group, he became manager.

From 1997-2000, he also worked for Historic Philadelphia Inc., portraying colonial-era characters who interact with tourists at the various historic sites in town.

The Hollands met in 1999 when Jill (maiden name Clopper) auditioned to be a Phanstormer. "I was so nervous because I was auditioning for Dave Holland," she said, with emphasis on the name. "I thought he was just killingly funny. I really wanted to impress him."

It’s safe to say she did – both professionally and personally.

As the Phanstormers’ manager, Dave said he looks for people who are outgoing, energetic, fun and able to work well with kids. Jill totally fit the bill, he said.

After the 1999 Phillies season, Jill moved to Los Angeles, where her brother lived, to pursue acting.

She and Dave kept in touch and, a year later, Dave told her he was also moving to L.A. to look for acting jobs.

Romance blossomed between the two and they soon moved in together. The couple tied the knot in November 2003 and moved back to Philadelphia two months later because they missed loved ones and the city.

"Los Angeles has nothing on Philadelphia," Jill said.

In 2004, Jill returned to being a Phanstormer and she’s gearing up for her third season.

Dave said his work gives him the opportunity to rub shoulders with fellow South Philadelphians who are baseball fans or stadium workers.

"I love South Philly. I’ve lived in the area a while," he said. "We love the people and the neighborhood."

For the Hollands, who get to work and play together, nothing beats being a Phanstormer.

"This is the only job I’ve had that I never have left in a bad mood. Very few people can say that about their job," Jill said.

Her husband feels the same way.

"What I’m doing right now is the best of both worlds," Dave said. "I get to manage a program that I believe in and love and also perform and use my theater background."