The latest Phillies food tie-in: Bader Tots, named after centerfielder Harrison Bader
Now on sale at Citizens Bank Park
The latest Phillies food tie-in is coming out of center field, not left field: Bader Tots — tater tots topped with American cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, Cheddar Jack cheese, sour cream, and scallions — at the P.J. Whelihan’s location in Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park.
It’s a hat-tip to centerfielder Harrison Bader, whose nickname is “Tots.” The moniker came about in 2018 while Bader was with the St. Louis Cardinals and a young fan offered him a tater tot mid-game. The moment went viral.
Bader ran with it. In 2019, Sonic Drive-In partnered with him to create Bader Tots, which were sold at some Sonic locations around St. Louis. The toppings then were chili, cheese, ranch dressing, diced onions, and jalapeños.
Kevin Tedesco, who oversees food and beverage for concessionaire Aramark at Citizens Bank Park, said talk about Tots began shortly after the Phillies acquired Bader from the Minnesota Twins on July 31.
“It was kind of a natural for us,” Tedesco said, recalling how Aramark created a Schwarburger to benefit slugger Kyle Schwarber’s Hometown Heroes charity during the 2023 postseason. (A new version was offered in 2024, but this season Aramark did a change-up, to a chicken cutlet sandwich called Kyle’s Cutlet.) Schwarber is a veteran food pitchman, boasting affiliations with Wawa and Herr’s.
Aramark approached Bader’s management, which was amenable to the suggestion. “We gave them some background on Harrison and how he’s always looking to get involved with the local community, and we thought this could be an opportunity for him to really dive headfirst into Philadelphia,” said Kyle Jacobson, senior director of marketing at Vayner Sports, which represents Bader.
Tedesco said Jessica Breslow, chief executive of P.J. Whelihan’s, got on board immediately, and after some back and forth, Bader signed off on the toppings.
Bader Tots ($12.99) will be sold through the rest of the season and the Phillies’ likely playoff run, and a cut of proceeds will go to the Cristian Rivera Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for DIPG, or Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a rare, aggressive, and typically fatal pediatric cancer in the brain stem.
This is just the latest of Aramark’s tie-ins with Phillies past and present. Bull’s BBQ is named after 1970s star Greg Luzinski. Uncle Charlie’s Steaks is a tribute to former manager Charlie Manuel. Retired first baseman Ryan Howard is an investor in Colbie’s Southern Kissed Chicken, which has a stand at the ballpark. And former second baseman Chase Utley helps promote Four Walls whiskey, a sponsor; there’s a cocktail sold at the stadium called The Man, his nickname.