After her grandma died, Kerri Lubinsky honored their shared love of the Phillies by bringing Phanatic style to all she does

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Bryce Harper is often seen paying homage to the Phillie Phanatic, but 43-year-old Kerri Lubinsky of Pottsville, Schuylkill County, is giving the Phillies slugger a good run for being the Philadelphia mascot’s No. 1 fan.

“I'm just a huge fanatic of the Phanatic,” said Lubinsky, principal at John S. Clark Elementary School in Pottsville.

Lubinsky became a Phillies fan as a kid, spending time with her grandparents, who were married for 60 years. Her grandfather would listen to the soothing calls of Harry Kalas, while her grandmother, Helen Eagan, would take Lubinsky to games at Veterans Stadium.

Eagan is the one who got Lubinsky interested in the Phanatic. When at The Vet — a gigantic concrete cookie-shaped stadium — they would try to spot the Phanatic, which was no easy task. He’s a big guy, but the Vet was a big place. It was Lubinsky’s and her grandmother’s mission to take a photo with him and meet him.

Before that mission was accomplished, Eagan passed away in 2017 in her 90s. It was difficult at first for Lubinsky to go to games without her grandmother. Eagan took Lubinsky to her first Phillies game at the Vet, and Lubinsky took Eagan to her last game at Citizens Bank Park before her passing.

Then, as a tribute to her grandmother, Lubinsky decided to go all out, as she puts it — to bling out Phanatic style. Whereas her grandmother was reserved in her demeanor, dressing conservatively in white dress pants and a sweater, Lubinsky has embraced a more outgoing fanaticism of the Phillie Phanatic — with a repurposed Viking beer helmet, which became a customized Phanatic hat, in addition to furry Phanatic gloves and boots, which she occasionally pairs with a green Phanatic t-shirt and jacket.

Then, in 2021, Lubinsky's dream came true, when she finally got to meet the Phanatic. In fact, she met him many times that season. She also met Oscar Alvarado, one of the founders of the Phandemic Krew — a passionate Phillies fan group started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fans weren’t allowed in the ballpark because of public health restrictions.

She started watching games with them up in Section 301. And in 2022, she was invited to managing partner and CEO John Middleton’s suite with the rest of the Krew.

“John said, ‘Boy, you really like the Phanatic, don’t you?’” Lubinsky recalls.

However, with all due respect to the top executive in Phillies management, that moment probably didn’t equate to what happened about a month later during Game 5 of the National League Championship series.

Lubinsky’s outfit scored her a dance with the Phanatic on Phanavision during that clincher.

“It was my Cinderella moment, and he was my prince,” she said, “and I'll have that for the rest of my life.”

Not too long after Lubinsky’s dance, Harper hit his epic home run to send the 2022 Phils to the World Series. Throughout his five seasons so far in Philadelphia, Harper has often worn Phanatic-related stuff — including cleats, gloves, headbands and even the lining of his jacket.

Lubinsky respects it, but she knows she takes her appreciation for the big green guy to another level.

“I love Bryce and how he honors the Phanatic, but I just take it with me every single day, everywhere I go. It is part of my leadership style,” she says.

Lubinsky has been an educator for over 20 years. She's been principal at Clark Elementary since last year. Bev Dillow — a second grade teacher who has spent 30 years at that school, working for many administrators — says what Lubinsky has done over the past year with her fun personality completely changed the morale of their building. Whether it’s Phillies cheers or a conga dance, Dillow says the kids love it.

“She wants everybody to love school in a fun way, and she always puts the Phillie Phanatic in there,” said Dillow.

Lubinsky’s office is decked out with Phanatic stuff. The hallways are decorated. There’s an inflatable Phanatic holding a book. The Phanatic himself — along with his best friend Tom Burgoyne — have been champions for children’s literature with the Phanatic About Reading Program.

When Burgoyne found Lubinsky during the 2022 NLCS last year and asked her to dance with the Phanatic, she told him how she read his leadership book, “Pheel The Love,” and how she embodies the Phanatic’s leadership style every day.

“I have a hallway outside my office and it's called the Phanatic Hallway,” Lubinskyk said, “because we're always fanatic about something … So in the beginning of the school year, we're fanatic about back to school. We're fanatic about reading. We're fanatic about the season, the holiday. We're fanatic about everything.”

Dillow said Lubinsky turned her into a Phillies fan, which was excellent timing. She arrived right before the Phillies ended a decade-long postseason drought that turned into an improbable run for the 2022 National League Championship. And now, they’re about to play in their second consecutive postseason. Lubinsky thinks the Phils are going to get the job done this time and go all the way.

“She brought the excitement of the Phillies to our school — that, even if you're not a Phillies fan, it's contagious,” said Dillow.

Lubinsky’s fandom is a testament to how she inspires kids and leads her school. It's a testament to the relationship with her late grandmother, who sparked her love of the Phillie Phanatic. That’s a bond that will never be broken.

What does Lubinsky believe her grandmother would think about the way she has honored the Phanatic and the experience she had in the championship series clincher last year.

“Oh, she would be my biggest fan. I'm getting all emotional now. I just think she would be so proud. So proud,” said Lubinsky, beginning to choke up a little bit.

“And maybe slightly embarrassed.”