A Member of the Phillies Hot Pants Patrol at Veterans Stadium Tells All
"It was an incredibly sexist thing, but it worked for me," recalls Arlene Nisson Lassin.
Phillies Hot Pants Patrol member Arlene Nisson Lassin modeling a giveaway hat in 1978, back when she worked at Veterans Stadium / Photographs courtesy of Arlene Nisson Lassin
As part of our remembrance of the good, the bad and the ugly that was Veterans Stadium, which we imploded 20 years ago this month, we just had to learn more about the Phillies Hot Pants Patrol. Read our complete coverage of Veterans Stadium lore here.
These days, Arlene Nisson Lassin is a 68-year-old grandmother in Texas. But in the late ’70s and early ’80s, she was a member of the Phillies’ Hot Pants Patrol at Veterans Stadium. Here, she talks Playboy magazine, Mike Schmidt, and what it was like wearing patent leather boots in the July heat.
Explain exactly what you did as a member of the Hot Pants Patrol.
We’d hang out in the boxes with businessmen and sometimes act as usherettes to help people find their seats, and we’d serve food in the field boxes, all while wearing our red hot pants and white patent leather boots. When the team would do promotions where you could meet a player, we’d be there, too, smiling as wide as could be. We were eye candy.
Dare I ask what the audition process was like?
I went through a three-stage interview process, my final meeting being with Bill Giles, who eventually became team president. They all certainly looked you up and down to make sure you had the right figure. You also had to have poise and a nice smile and a certain kind of presence. Plus, you had to be a huge Phillies fan.
Did it pay well?
I don’t remember what the Phillies paid, but it was decent. The real money came from all the tips. Guys would regularly tip me $5, and it wasn’t unusual for me to get a $50 tip from the field boxes or luxury suites. That was huge in 1979. I paid my way through Temple undergrad and graduate school with those tips.
Were you ever harassed or mistreated?
We walked a very fine line. We were there to be sexy. There were some guys who would take a few too many pictures from every angle, and some guys would get drunk and act rude, but we had very, very good security. Looking back, I never felt demeaned or abused, and I’m quite the feminist.
Is it safe for me to assume that players did their best to get with members of the patrol?
Oh, you bet! [laughs] But I’m not naming names. There were some girls who were really into that. But most of us had significant others and took no interest.
What did your significant other think of all this hot-pants business?
Well, I met my boyfriend while I was in my hot pants: He was a hot-dog vendor at Veterans Stadium, and he wanted a hot-pants girl! You could say it worked out, since we’re married to this day.
Arlene Nisson Lassin with Mike Schmidt at a charity fund-raiser in 1980.
Did any players stick out to you as stand-up guys, no bit of sleaze to them?
Absolutely. Tug McGraw and Mike Schmidt. They were dolls. Just perfect gentlemen. They were completely respectful and so, so friendly.
Were there ever any big scandals?
Oh yeah! Playboy ran this feature in ’79 claiming there was a secret room where visiting players “met” girls. It was just an ugly rumor, but there was a lot of backlash to it, and the Phillies made our outfits a little less sexy. We were soon allowed to wear sneakers, which was a good thing, because patent leather boots aren’t very comfortable outdoors in July.
Any regrets?
No, none. I mean, it was an incredibly sexist thing, but it worked for me. I’ve told all my kids the war stories. They’ve seen all the pictures. My daughter, who is really feminist, told me, “That sounds like the coolest possible way to work your way through school.” And it was.
Published as “Hot Pants Girl” in the March 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
