Tom Garvey is a former Ridley Park native now living in Ambler, but for a time, he and the Philadelphia Phillies had the same address.

Apparently, it was very easy to hide at the former Veterans Stadium, writes Dave Uram for KYW Newsradio.

Tom Garvey, now 80, lived in a converted storage room under the 300 level of the stadium from October 1979 through the end of 1981. He’s documented his experience in his memoir, “The Secret Apartment.”

He still remembers in June 1980, stepping out of his Veterans Stadium apartment in a bathrobe and flip-flops, drinking coffee, to watch a Phillies doubleheader.

“What amazed me was people weren’t saying, ‘What the hell are you doing here in a bathrobe,’” Garvey recalled. “They wanted to know where I got a hot cup of coffee.”

Tom Garvey had overnight access to the Vet through his stadium parking lot job and was storing furniture as a favor for Philadelphia Eagles backup tight end Richard Osborne, who was let go before the 1979 season.

Those two elements led to Garvey’s comfortable apartment and total access to the stadium, including roller skating around the Vet ramps when fans weren’t there.

Read more about Tom Garvey’s unique living arrangements at the Vet at KYW Newsradio.

Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in August 2023.