Join the Phillies for the first Strike Out the Stigma panel discussion of the 2024 season at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, April 17 at 5 p.m. when the Phillies host the Colorado Rockies.
You are invited to join for a conversation centered around this month’s topic: Mental Health in the Baseball Community.
Tickets for this event are available in select seating locations for the first 130 fans.
At checkout, a $4 per ticket Group Fundraiser Rebate fee will be applied to your order, and those proceeds will benefit Project HOME.
Project HOME is a non-profit who specializes in offering permanent, subsidized housing for individuals and families who have been homeless.
To order tickets (subject to availability), click on the "Buy Now" button below.
Check-in begins at 4:35 p.m. The panel portion of the program will start promptly at 5 p.m. and continues until 6 p.m.
To obtain access to the event, Theme Night ticket(s) must be purchased directly from the link above. Third-party purchases will not include access to the event, and this is not a ballpark-wide promotion.
John S. Midleton has been a limited partner of the Phillies ownership group since 1994. His family owns a 48 percent stake in the franchise. Middleton was designated the team's control person and managing partner in November 2016. In those roles, he is responsible for the overall operation of the club and its compliance with the MLB rules. In 2021, Middleton became one of the eight members of Major League Baseball’s Executive Council. He also serves as chairman of MLB's Ownership Committee.
Middleton's primary focus for the organization is to set the franchise on course to contend for world championships and to preserve the club’s reputation as a world-class organization both on and off the field. John and his wife Leigh have been honored with the prestigious Philadelphia Award and have received additional recognition for their efforts to end chronic homelessness in Philadelphia through the work of Project HOME, on whose board of directors Leigh has long served. The Middletons also support education and workforce development through programmatic initiatives undertaken by the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, Drexel University, Philadelphia Youth Network and Philadelphia Academies. In 2022, Middleton was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and Honoree of the Year by Valley Youth House.
As one of the Philadelphia region's most prominent leaders, Middleton has been included on the Philadelphia Business Journal's "Power List" since 2016.
Born in Havertown, Pa., Middleton graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1977 with a B.S. degree in economics and from Harvard Business School in 1979 where he earned his MBA.
Jayson Stark is the 2024 sports writing inductee in the National Sports Media Association’s Hall of Fame for sports writing and sportscasting. In 2019, he was honored in Cooperstown as the winner of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award. Jayson has covered baseball for The Athletic since 2018. Before that, he was a baseball writer for ESPN.com for 17 years and for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. He has appeared on TV for MLB Network for the last six seasons. He is also the author of three books on baseball, has won an Emmy, has been inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame and is a two-time winner of the Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year award. In 2017, Topps issued an actual Jayson Stark baseball card.
Dr. Deanna Nobleza is Director of Mental Health for the Philadelphia Phillies. In this role, she oversees the implementation of mental health services and programming for players, coaches, and staff. Dr. Nobleza completed her medical degree and combined residency in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She was the first staff psychiatrist at Princeton University where she worked with Division I athletes. Prior to joining the Phillies, Dr. Nobleza served as assistant provost and student counseling director at Thomas Jefferson University and helped develop the COVID-19 behavioral health response for the Jefferson Enterprise.
As Phillies Ambassador, Scott is involved in various aspects of the club, including fan engagement and Phillies Charities, Inc. He also can be found at the podium, hosting news conferences and other special events for the organization.
In 2016, Scott was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, which honors the lifetime sports contributions of Pennsylvanians. Scott is also a proud member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.
Prior to joining the Phillies in 2005, Scott was an anchor and sportscaster at WPVI-6ABC in Philadelphia for over 24 years.
Dr. James is the founder and CEO of George Talks, LLC, a communication and consulting company. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist, executive coach, corporate & media consultant, relationship & parenting expert, and mental health ambassador. In addition, he is an Assistant Professor for the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Thomas Jefferson University. He has spoken and consulted with multiple businesses, media production companies, organizations, universities, and places of faith.
Dr. James has been a recurring expert guest on radio, television, podcasts, and online programs including The TODAY Show (12+ appearances), CBS Mornings, CNBC, Nickelodeon, NBC News Daily, NBC News Now, Home & Family (Hallmark), Good Day LA, Good Day Philadelphia, iHeartradio, and many others. He is the host of LEAPCAST podcast where he speaks with Leaders, Entertainers, Athletes & Performers. He works extensively with professional athletes, entertainers, adult men and women, executives, couples, and young adult men on various issues, including adulting, career, anxiety, work-life balance, love life, leadership, parenting, depression, and communication.
Dr. James has done extensive consulting work (including script & project review, facilitation of difficult conversations, content & resource development, advice on mental health, relationships, parenting, family, race/culture, and the intersection of these topics) with companies including Paramount Global (Nickelodeon/Nick Jr), Google, Wavelength Productions, and others.
Dr. James attended Villanova University as a Presidential Scholar where he met his wife, Candace. They are parents to their creative & inspiring children, Nalani, and Alexander.
