From [[1919]] through [[1947]], the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A [[1962]] cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a [[French Foreign Legion]] outpost, his explanation: "I was released by the Phillies!" That year, one of the new expansion teams, the [[New York Mets]], played so poorly that they set a modern record for losses in a season (120), wresting the title of "most futile team in the Majors" away from the Phils.
From [[1919]] through [[1947]], the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A [[1962]] cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a [[French Foreign Legion]] outpost, his explanation: "I was released by the Phillies!" That year, one of the new expansion teams, the [[New York Mets]], played so poorly that they set a modern record for losses in a season (120), wresting the title of "most futile team in the Majors" away from the Phils.
During [[1962 in baseball|1962]] and [[1963 in baseball|1963]], the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the [[1964 in baseball|1964]] season, they seemed destined to make it to the [[1964 World Series|World Series]], with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman [[Richie Allen]], starters [[Jim Bunning]] (obtained from the [[Detroit Tigers]] at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and [[Chris Short]], and star right fielder [[Johnny Callison]]. ''[[TV Guide]]'' went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. However, holding a 6½-game lead on the [[Cincinnati Reds]] with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] to play the [[St. Louis Cardinals|Cardinals]] after their losing homestand. They dropped the first game of the series to [[Bob Gibson]] by a 5-1 score, losing their eighth in a row and falling to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and take over first place for good.
During [[1962 in baseball|1962]] and [[1963 in baseball|1963]], the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the [[1964 in baseball|1964]] season, they seemed destined to make it to the [[1964 World Series|World Series]], with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman [[Dick Allen]], starters [[Jim Bunning]] (obtained from the [[Detroit Tigers]] at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and [[Chris Short]], and star right fielder [[Johnny Callison]]. ''[[TV Guide]]'' went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. However, holding a 6½-game lead on the [[Cincinnati Reds]] with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] to play the [[St. Louis Cardinals|Cardinals]] after their losing homestand. They dropped the first game of the series to [[Bob Gibson]] by a 5-1 score, losing their eighth in a row and falling to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and take over first place for good.
During that losing streak, there was a reference to "ghost(?) of 1950," recalling that the [[1950 in baseball|1950]] Phillies had barely hung on to win the pennant. The 1964 Phillies managed to win their last two and held onto the hope for a tie with the Cardinals and Reds. The Cardinals had also stumbled, losing the first two in their final series with the lowly Mets. Had the Cardinals lost their final game, the resulting three-way tie would have forced an unprecedented "round-robin" playoff for first place. That failed to materialize though, as the Cardinals salvaged that last game against the Mets, to take the pennant (their first since [[1946 in baseball|1946]]) with no playoff. The legendary [[choke (sports)|choke]] would vilify manager [[Gene Mauch]] and haunt Philadelphia fans for years to come.
During that losing streak, there was a reference to "ghost(?) of 1950," recalling that the [[1950 in baseball|1950]] Phillies had barely hung on to win the pennant. The 1964 Phillies managed to win their last two and held onto the hope for a tie with the Cardinals and Reds. The Cardinals had also stumbled, losing the first two in their final series with the lowly Mets. Had the Cardinals lost their final game, the resulting three-way tie would have forced an unprecedented "round-robin" playoff for first place. That failed to materialize though, as the Cardinals salvaged that last game against the Mets, to take the pennant (their first since [[1946 in baseball|1946]]) with no playoff. The legendary [[choke (sports)|choke]] would vilify manager [[Gene Mauch]] and haunt Philadelphia fans for years to come.
Revision as of 11:19, 27 June 2007
Philadelphia Phillies "The Phightin' Phils"
[[2024 Philadelphia Phillies "The Phightin' Phils" season]]
[1] - In 1981, a mid-season players' strike split the season in two. Philadelphia, with the best record in the East Division when play was stopped, was declared the first-half division winner. The Phillies' record over the entire season was third-best in the division, two and a half games behind St. Louis and Montréal.
The Philadelphia Phillies (also referred to as the "Phils", the "Phightin' Phils", or simply the "Phightin's") are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Phillies have played in the National League since their inception in 1883. Since the divisional realignment of 1969, the Phillies have played in the Eastern Division of the National League.
Although the Phillies are currently the only major-league baseball franchise operating in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Athletics, now based in Oakland after residing in Kansas City from 1955-67, were the club's (generally more successful) crosstown rivals during the first half of the 20th century (1901-1954). The Phillies were the Athletics' tenant at Shibe Park (later Connie Mack Stadium) from 1938 through 1954.
The Phillies are the oldest continuous one-nickname, one-city franchise in all of American professional sports (although the team briefly used alternate nicknames in some years). The team has 31 Hall of Famers. [1]
Franchise history
Origins
Founded in 1883 as the Philadelphia Quakers to replace the disbanded Worcester Worcesters in the National League, the team's inaugural season opened on May 1, 1883, at Recreation Park. The Quakers managed to win only 17 of 98 games, with pitcher John Coleman losing 48. In 1884, future Hall of Famer Harry Wright was recruited as manager in the hope of reversing the team's fortunes. By the 1890s, the newly renamed "Phillies" (in homage to their home city) were posting consistently solid records of 70 or more wins, but none were enough to rise above mediocre standings or extend beyond mere brushes of opportunity for a championship title.
The Phillies opened a new ballpark in 1887 to much initial acclaim, a venue that eventually became known as Baker Bowl. Unfortunately, the ballpark would come to draw as much ridicule as the underperforming team itself, over its 50-some seasons as the Phillies' home.
Upon Wright's departure in 1893, the club's performance began to slip, the worst of which resulted in a 10th-place finish to the 1897 season. Highlights of the era, however, included Ed Delahanty's four home runs in a single game (1896) and an outstanding 94-58 record in 1899 (to place third, nine games out of first place). The Phillies' strong outfield during this time featured future Hall of Famers Billy Hamilton and Sam Thompson.
Early 1900s
By the turn of the century, the Phillies had not seen much of a rebound from years of low standings and sub-par records. The team continued to struggle through a series of misfortunes not only on but off the field as well. Most notably, many of the team's star players began defecting to the more popular and lucrative American League, with most landing contracts with the newly-formed, crosstown Athletics. The depleted talent left a noticeable mark on the club and in 1902, the Phillies ended their season with a 56-91 record and an incredible 46 games out of first place. Moreover, a tragic accident that killed 12 and injured hundreds after a balcony collapsed at their home stadium, Baker Bowl, led Reach and Rogers to sell the team.
In 1915, their 33rd season, the Phillies finally won their first pennant. The win was due in large part to a pitching staff led by ace Grover Cleveland Alexander, who won an impressive 31 games while pitching four one-hit games. Offensively, Gavvy Cravath (who set a modern Major League single-season home-run record with 24, which would stand for five seasons before Babe Ruth claimed it), topped the league in RBI and runs scored. This would not prove enough, however, as the Phillies ultimately lost the Series in five games to the Boston Red Sox on a Harry Hooper home run in the top of the ninth. The following year, in 1916, the Phillies battled the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) for a chance at their second straight pennant but fell back by two-and-a-half games with a 91-62 record. In 1917, Grover Cleveland won another 30 games for a third straight season but was dealt to the Chicago Cubs—just one of a number of star players to be traded by the team's seventh president, William Baker, who would become notorious for operating the Phillies on a minimal budget. The Alexander trade only marked the beginning of a decades-long slump that would plummet the team into last place more than once.
A few remarkable players nonetheless emerged during what was otherwise a bleak period for the franchise. For the batters, at least, Baker Bowl's cozy dimensions proved lucrative once the "lively ball" era began. In the 1920s, outfielder Cy Williams became the Phillies' new slugger, winning three consecutive NL Home Run Crowns. In the 1930s, a young Chuck Klein impressed all, batting alongside Lefty O'Doul and winning the NL MVP in 1932 and the NL Triple Crown a year later. (Klein was the top hitter in Phillies' history prior to the arrival of Mike Schmidt.)
However, as baseball historian Lee Allen noted, the Phillies were required by the rules to pitch and field as well as hit. In The National League Story (1961), Allen noted that in 1930 the entire Phillies' pitching staff "yielded a total of 1199 runs, a major-league record which is likely to outlast the redwood trees of California or the sun."
By the late 1930s, the Phillies had grown weary of constant maintenance on their ancient ballpark. Meanwhile, the Athletics were looking for some additional revenue. So in the midst of the 1938 season, the Phillies abandoned Baker Bowl and moved five blocks west to become tenants of the Athletics at the more spacious Shibe Park.
During 1944 and 1945, the team's name was unofficially changed to the "Blue Jays". The change did not catch on, especially as very little effort was made to promote it. The team briefly sported a Blue Jays patch on the sleeve of their jerseys, which still read "Phillies" across the front. The team's name was fully changed back to "Phillies" in 1946.
Although the Phillies led the league for most of the 1950 season, and were ahead by seven with 11 left to play, a late-season tailspin triggered by the loss of Simmons to National Guard service caused the team to lose the next eight of 10 games. On the closing day of the season, the Phillies were hanging by a one-game lead when Sisler's dramatic tenth-inning, three-run home run against the Dodgers clinched the Phils' first NL pennant in 35 years. The Phillies would advance to the World Series, only to be swept by the New York Yankees in four straight games. Ace reliever Jim Konstanty was used as the starter in Game 1 at Shibe Park, and suffered a 1-0 loss, which set the tone for the Series. All of the games were close, but the Phillies, exhausted from their late-season plunge, could not muster a win. An indication of how things were going for the Phils occurred in the sixth inning of Game 2 at Shibe. Ennis hit a deep fly to center, but Joe DiMaggio made a spectacular over-the-shoulder running catch, near the 400 foot marker at the base of the scoreboard in right-center. This play is far less well-known but was similar-looking to the famous Willie Mays catch in the 1954 World Series.
After the 1950 season, the Phillies would fade again, finishing last four years in a row (1958-1961). Manager Gene Mauch took over during the 1960 season, but the team's record only got worse, bottoming out at 47-107 in 1961, a season that also included a modern major league record 23-game losing streak.
However, the Whiz Kids had tipped the city's rooting interest in favor of the Phillies, and the Athletics decided to leave Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1955. They sold Shibe Park to the Phillies, who renamed it Connie Mack Stadium in honor of the long-time Athletics manager who had become known as "The Grand Old Man of Baseball".
"Phold" of 1964
From 1919 through 1947, the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A 1962 cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a French Foreign Legion outpost, his explanation: "I was released by the Phillies!" That year, one of the new expansion teams, the New York Mets, played so poorly that they set a modern record for losses in a season (120), wresting the title of "most futile team in the Majors" away from the Phils.
During 1962 and 1963, the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the 1964 season, they seemed destined to make it to the World Series, with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman Dick Allen, starters Jim Bunning (obtained from the Detroit Tigers at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and Chris Short, and star right fielder Johnny Callison. TV Guide went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. However, holding a 6½-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals after their losing homestand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson by a 5-1 score, losing their eighth in a row and falling to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and take over first place for good.
During that losing streak, there was a reference to "ghost(?) of 1950," recalling that the 1950 Phillies had barely hung on to win the pennant. The 1964 Phillies managed to win their last two and held onto the hope for a tie with the Cardinals and Reds. The Cardinals had also stumbled, losing the first two in their final series with the lowly Mets. Had the Cardinals lost their final game, the resulting three-way tie would have forced an unprecedented "round-robin" playoff for first place. That failed to materialize though, as the Cardinals salvaged that last game against the Mets, to take the pennant (their first since 1946) with no playoff. The legendary choke would vilify manager Gene Mauch and haunt Philadelphia fans for years to come.
Abandoning the aging Connie Mack Stadium, as they had with Baker Bowl decades previously, the Phillies opened the new Veterans Stadium in 1971, with hopes of a new beginning. In their opening season at the Vet, pitcher Rick Wise pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. That same season, Harry Kalas joined the Phillies broadcasting team. In 1972, the Phillies were the worst team in baseball, but Steve Carlton won nearly half of the games the Phillies won all season (Steve won 27 games, out of 59 Phillies wins).
The Phillies finally got it together in the mid-1970s. With players like pitcher Steve Carlton, third baseman Mike Schmidt, shortstop Larry Bowa, and outfielder Greg Luzinski, the Phillies won three straight division titles (1976-78). However, they would fall short in the NLCS, against the Reds in 1976 and the Dodgers in 1977-78. In 1979, the Phillies would acquire Pete Rose, the spark that would put them over the top.
The Phils won the NL East in 1980, but in order to win the pennant, they would have to go through the Astros. It would be a memorable NLCS, as 4 of the 5 games went into extra innings. They fell behind 2-1 in the best-of-five series but battled back. The Phillies would squeeze past Houston on a tenth inning, game winning hit by center fielder Gary Maddox and the city celebrated its first pennant in 30 years.
Philadelphia faced Kansas City in the 1980 World Series. The Phillies won the first two games at home, and the Royals evened the score in games three and four in Kansas City. With the series tied at 2 games each, Del Unser drove in Mike Schmidt with a pinch-hit triple off the Royals closer, submarine-throwing Dan Quisenberry, to tie the game. Unser scored the winning run later in the innng to give the Phils a 3-2 series lead. Schmidt's two-run single started the Phillies off when they got home for game six. A sign of things going well occurred in an oft-replayed moment. On a foul ball near the seats, Phils catcher Bob Boone bobbled the ball, but Rose was right there to catch it on the fly and get the out. Reliever Tug McGraw would strike out Willie Wilson for the series-winning out, for the Phillies first (and so far only) World Series Championship in franchise history, in their 98th year of existence. They are one of only three MLB teams with exactly one World Series championship, with the 1985 Kansas City Royals and 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks being the other two.
During the early 1980s, when baseball was becoming more drug-conscious, some Philadelphia players admitted to having used amphetamines from time to time. This led some waggish sports reporters to dub the team "The Pillies".
Following their 1983 World Series loss to the Baltimore Orioles, the team failed to post back-to-back winning seasons until 2003 and 2004, and followed it up with a third winning season in 2005 and a fourth in 2006; the 2004 team also was second in the NL East, only the third time the Phillies have finished that high since the 1994 realignment (including a joint second-place finish with the New York Mets in 1995).
Since the 1980s, team management has been consistently criticized as being cheap and uninterested in winning, an all-too familiar charge against the club throughout their history. A series of poor managers and general managers was briefly interrupted by 1993's magical run, which ended in a World Series defeat to the defending champions, the Toronto Blue Jays. Neither the Phillies nor the Jays have returned to the postseason since.
After Mike Schmidt retired in 1989, the Phillies had a decade of losing seasons, save for a World Series berth in 1993. Beloved by their fans, this team, which included such names as Darren Daulton, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, and Curt Schilling, surprised the city and the nation with their achievements. Losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, for their second consecutive World Series title, was nonetheless disappointing. The team was often described as "shaggy," "unkempt," and "dirty." The previous year, noting the presence of the clean-cut Dale Murphy, Kruk himself described the team as "24 morons and one Mormon." Their character endeared them to fans, and attendance reached a record high the following season. As a play on the legendary 1927New York Yankees' Murderers' Row, the team's dirty, mullet-wearing look was dubbed Macho Row.
1994-2005
But with that season's (1994) players' strike, most of the Phillies' fan base was greatly offended, and since then the team has had little success either on the field or at the gate—the realignment of the Atlanta Braves into the National League East in 1994 having had a negative effect on both, as the Braves won the division every year until 2006, often by lopsided margins. Despite the relative lack of success, many current baseball stars rose to prominence during this era in Phillies history, including Scott Rolen, Bobby Abreu, Randy Wolf, Placido Polanco, and perhaps most notably Schilling. In addition, the nucleus of the current Phillies club (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Brett Myers, and Cole Hamels) was developed during this era.
The opening of the new ballpark brought hope to fans, but the hope has quickly faded as the team has failed to meet expectations in the '00 decade. On October 10, 2005, general manager Ed Wade was fired after his eighth season. Soon after, the Phillies hired Pat Gillick, who, ironically, was the general manager of the 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays' Championship teams.
2006
[citation needed] Continuing what he had begun in the off-season, general manager Pat Gillick engaged in a flurry of trades in an effort to transform the character of the team and to obtain financial flexibility for what he termed "retooling." On July 26, 2006, the Phillies traded backup catcher Sal Fasano to the New York Yankees for minor league infielder Hector Made. Two days later, the Phillies traded third baseman David Bell, who was due to become a free agent during the off-season, to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitcher Wilfrido Laureano.
With the trade deadline looming, on July 30, Gillick traded all-star outfielder Bobby Abreu and pitcher Cory Lidle to the Yankees for several minor league players. As Gillick later explained, the Phillies were limited in finding a trade partner for Abreu because of a no-trade clause written into his contract, allowing him to veto any trades to small market teams. In any case, few teams could afford his expensive contract. Unloading Abreu therefore proved to be more important to the Phillies than obtaining him was for the Yankees, and as such, the Phillies were unable to demand a top prospect or a major league ready player in exchange. His on-base percentage notwithstanding, Abreu's batting average and home run numbers stood well below his career averages, thus hindering Gillick's negotiating power. Nonetheless, the Abreu trade saved the Phillies organization $15.5 million in 2007.
The Liberty Bell replica at the Citizens Bank Park rings for Phillies home runs & victories.The team responded well to the changes. All-Star second baseman Chase Utley was free to bat third, and Ryan Howard batted cleanup; more importantly, they assumed a team leadership role along with shortstop Jimmy Rollins. On August 18, Gillick acquired veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer for the starting rotation. Immediately afterwards, and following a win over the Washington Nationals on August 29, the Phillies record stood at 66-65, trailing the San Diego Padres by a mere .5 games for the lead in the wild card race. By September 24, the Phillies had captured and lost the wild card lead and were tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With identical 82-74 records, both teams went on the road for the final six games; the Phillies to Washington and Florida, the Dodgers to Colorado and San Francisco. On September 30, both the Dodgers and Padres won their respective games and as a result, the Phillies were eliminated from playoff contention while two games behind with only one left to play.
The season teased and frustrated fans yet again, adding another disappointing season in which the Phillies fought their way into contention only to fall just short of postseason play. Having been shut out of the playoffs by such a slim margin, pundits speculated that the shortcomings of the 2006 team were a reflection of Charlie Manuel's managerial ability.[citation needed] The consensus among Phillies fans seemed to suggest that Manuel should be fired to allow the team to move in a new direction.[citation needed] The Phillies front office allowed Manuel to return to manage in 2007. However, three of his coaches were fired: Gary Varsho (bench coach), Marc Bombard (first base coach) and Bill Dancy (third base coach). Just over a week after the announcement regarding Manuel's staff, it was announced that Jimy Williams would be the team's new bench coach, Art Howe would be the team's third base coach and infield instructor, and Davey Lopes would be the new first base coach. In an unorthodox maneuver, Howe was then allowed to pursue a job with the Texas Rangers, where he was hired as a bench coach. Steve Smith was hired as the Phillies' new third base coach. The special assistant to the General Manager and longtime Phillie coach, John Vukovich, suddenly passed away and unfortunately became another coach lost after the season.
There was good news following the season, for Ryan Howard was named the NL MVP, and became only the second player in major league history (along with Cal Ripken) to be named Rookie of the Year and MVP in consecutive seasons. Howard narrowly edged Albert Pujols to claim the top prize in the National League.
Following the end of the 2006 season, the Phillies announced that they intend to move the team's AAA affiliate to Allentown, Pennsylvania beginning in April 2008, where they will assume a new name, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and play in a newly-constructed Allentown stadium, Coca-Cola Park. Allentown is a core Phillies fan base area and the anticipated move has been greeted very positively in the Allentown and Lehigh Valley areas.
The Phillies made their first big acquisition of the 2006 off-season on Dec. 6 by acquiring pitcher Freddy Garcia from the Chicago White Sox for minor league pitchers Gavin Floyd (AAA in 2006) and Gio Gonzalez (AA in 2006). Wes Helms was also acquired as a free agent, having played for the Florida Marlins in the 2006 season during which he hit .329 and had 10 home runs in 240 at bats. He was expected to start at 3rd base, but is able to fill in at 1st if necessary. The other off-season acquisitions included: Adam Eaton (RHP), free agent with the Padres in 2006; Jayson Werth (OF), free agent, with the Dodgers in 2006; Rod Barajas (C), free agent, with the Rangers in 2006; Greg Dobbs (INF/OF), free agent with the Mariners in 2006 who was drafted by Gillick while he was GM of the Mariners; and through rule 5 draft, Alfredo Simon (RHP), James Warden (RHP), and Ryan Budde (C).
The Phillies also had several players depart in the 2006 off-season. Mike Lieberthal (C), Randy Wolf (LHP), David Dellucci (OF), Aaron Fultz (RHP), Arthur Rhodes (LHP), and Jose Hernandez (INF) all left as free agents. As mentioned above, Floyd (RHP) and Gonzales (LHP) were traded, and Julio Santana (RHP) was released. Mike Lieberthal left after 13 seasons in Philadelphia, the last 10 of which he was the opening day starting catcher. He and Wolf are going to compete in the 2007 season with the Dodgers.
2007
The Phillies began the 2007 season with a home-opening 5-3 loss on April 2 to the Atlanta Braves after 10 innings. After the first fifteen games the Phillies limped to a 4-11 record, but then found a five game winning streak to put them back into contention in the National League East. After 40 games, the Phillies finally reached the .500 mark at, 20-20, and have reached what is thus far the high point of their season by sweeping the Braves, coming in at 26-24. On June 13th the Phillies finally caught the Atlanta Braves in the National League East for the second place slot, tying them with a 35-31 record, trailing the leading New York Mets by only 2 games, after having trailed by 13 games the previous month. The Phillies currently lead Major League Baseball in come-from-behind wins after the fifth inning - 19, the majority of their wins, have been in games that they were behind after the fifth inning.
During the off-season, All-Star second baseman Chase Utley signed a 7-year, $85 million contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2013. [2]
Also signed to a long term contract was starting pitcher Brett Myers. He was signed to a three-year, $25.75 million deal which bought out his remaining two-years of arbitration and one year of free agency. [3] In addition, the Phillies renewed the contract of first baseman Ryan Howard to a deal of one year, $900,000. The most ever offered to a player not eligible for salary arbitration. [4]
On April 18, Brett Myers was moved to the bullpen and Jon Lieber replaced him in the starting rotation. This move is highly controversial, considering that Myers was the Phillies' opening day starter, although he gave his consent to the move. However, Lieber has been a consistent starter since the move and Myers has helped solidify the inconsistent bullpen.
The current team colors, uniform, and logo date to 1992. The main team colors are red and white, with blue serving as a prominent accent. The team name is written in red with a blue star serving as the dot over the "i"s, and blue piping is often found in Phillies branded apparel and materials. The team's home uniform is white with red pinstripes, lettering and numbering. The road uniform is traditional grey with red lettering/numbering. Both bear the script-lettered "Phillies" logo, with the aforementioned star dotting the "i"s across the chest, and the player name and number on the back. Hats are red with a single stylized "P", though for interleague play the cap sports a blue visor with a blue star in the middle of the letter "P".
From 1970 to 1991, the Phillies sported colors, uniforms, and a logo that were noticeably different from what had come before, or since, but that were widely embraced by even traditionally minded fans. A darker red/burgundy was adopted as the main team color, with a classic pinstripe style for home game uniforms. Blue was almost entirely dropped as part of the team's official color scheme, except in one unique area; a pale blue (as opposed to traditional grey) was used as the base-color for away game uniforms. Yet the most important aspect of the 1970 uniform change was the adoption of one of the more distinctive logos in sports; a Phillies "P" that, thanks to its unique shape and 'baseball stitching' center swirl, is still instantly recognizable and admired, long after its regular use has ended. It was while wearing this uniform/logo/color motif that the club achieved its most enduring success, including a World Series title in 1980. Its continued popularity with fans is evident, as even today Phillies home games can contain anywhere from a quarter to a third of the crowd sporting caps, shirts, and/or jackets emblazoned with the iconic "P" and burgundy color scheme. Occasionally the team plays in 'throwback uniforms' that resemble the style.
In a brief episode in 1979, the Phillies front office modified this popular Phillies uniform motif into an all-burgundy version with white trimmings, to be worn for Saturday games. They were called "Saturday Night Specials". The immediate reaction of the media, fans, and players alike was negative, with many describing the despised uniforms as pajama-like. As such, the idea was hastily abandoned. [5]
Another uniform controversy occurred in 1994. That year, the Phillies introduced blue caps on Opening Day which were to be worn for home day games only. The blue caps were very unpopular with the players, who considered them bad luck after two losses. The caps were dumped from being used on the field within a month.
Presently, during spring training (except for the 1992 to 1996 seasons, when they were still wearing leftover 70-91 inspired gear) the Phillies wear solid red practice jerseys with pinstriped pants for Grapefruit League home games, and solid blue batting practice jerseys with grey pants for away games. The Phillies are the only major professional sports team in Philadelphia that does not have a so-called third or "Sunday jersey" for regular season play; the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, and Philadelphia 76ers all currently have alternative jerseys/uniforms for home game play.
Phillies fans have earned a reputation over the years for their generally rowdy behavior. In the 1960s, radio announcers for visiting teams would regularly find themselves reporting on the countless fights that would break out in the stands at Connie Mack Stadium. Later, at Veterans Stadium, the infamous 700 Level developed a reputation for its "hostile taunting, fighting, public urination and general strangeness." [6]
In some instances, their reputation precedes them, perpetuating legendary tales of the ones who booed a man dressed as Santa Claus and pelted him with snowballs which occurred at an Eagles game, or the time when former first baseman Dick Allen was booed so much that he scrawled the word "Boo!" in large letters with his spikes at first base.
One memorable incident of "phanatic" harassment occurred in 1999, when J.D. Drew—who had been the Phillies' No. 1 overall draft pick in 1997 but had refused to sign in a well-publicized contract squabble—faced a barrage of boos during his first appearance in Philadelphia as a Cardinal. The game was subsequently halted for ten minutes during the eighth inning after two fans began throwing large batteries and other miscellaneous debris targeted at Drew in center field. Showing that Phillies fans rarely forgive or forget, Drew was booed everytime he entered the Phillies' stadium. Further more, every homerun he hit was thrown back at him. The particularly harsh reception was compared to Game 3 of the 1977 NL Championship series when Dodgers pitcher Burt Hooton was driven out by the second inning when he became wild and was unable to throw a strike the more the crowd rattled him. [7] Many sports writers have noted the passionate presence of Phillies fans, including Allen Barra, who wrote: "The biggest roar I ever heard out of Philadelphia fans was in 1980 when Tug McGraw, in the victory parade after the World Series, told New York fans they could 'take this championship and shove it.' The main point of winning the Phillies' only World Series trophy seemed to be as leverage for sticking it to New York." [8]
Most recently, in January 2005, an irate Phillies fan was convicted of 79 charges related to fraud, identity theft, and computer hacking. According to the F.B.I., the fan hacked into computers in seven states, collected e-mail addresses and fired off rants that were supposedly sent from local sportswriters. In court, the fan’s lawyer said his client was obsessive, perhaps even psychotic, but not an intentional lawbreaker. He meant only to say that the Phillies stunk. [9]
Phan Phavorites
Many Phillies players who played in Veterans Stadium before its destruction and now at Citizens Bank Park have had a fan group named "Phan Phavorites". While many role players have had groups, few have stood out for more then a short period.
Numerous attempts have been made to change the team's name from the Phillies—the longest, continuous name in American professional sports history. In the 1910s, reporters tried to revive the original "Quakers" or "Live Wires." In 1944, owner Robert Carpenter Jr. held a contest to rename the team won by Elizabeth Crooks, whose entry was "The Blue Jays." Although the Blue Jays served as the unofficial team name from 1944-45, it was abandoned by 1946. [15]
During the team's tenure at Baker Bowl during the 1920s, an outfield wall advertisement stated, "All the Phillies use Lifebuoy". A graffiti artist sneaked into Baker Bowl and wrote on that ad, "And they still stink!" (Lifebuoy being a brand of deodorant soap). Variations of the joke were also employed by detractors of other losing teams.
Of the sixteen original American and National League teams (i.e, those in existence prior to the 1961-1962 expansion of the two leagues), the Phillies were the last team to win their first World Series, with their 1980 defeat of the favored Kansas City Royals in six games being their only World Series championship.
In April 2008, the Phillies intend to move their Triple A affiliate, the Ottawa Lynx, to nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania, where the team will play in a newly-constructed 7,000-capacity stadium, Coca-Cola Park. The planned move has been greeted enthusiastically because it will bring the Phillies' AAA affiliate closer to the team's Philadelphia fan base while also moving the team into a new stadium. The team will be rechristened as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, a spoonerized name on "pig iron", which was part of the region's steel industry.
One baseball trivia book pointed out that in 1915 and 1950, the years in which the Phils won their first two pennants, fillies were the winners in the Kentucky Derby. The book's writer commented, "Why Phillies Root for Fillies!"
42 Jackie Robinson, retired throughout all Major League Baseball
Grover Cleveland Alexander, P, 1911-17 & 1930 (On the retired numbers wall at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies use a "P" logo because he played before the team started wearing uniform numbers in 1932.)
Chuck Klein, RF, 1928-33, 1936-39, 1940-44; Coach, 1942-45 (Klein wore several numbers with Phillies when they introduced numbers in 1932. He wore the number 3 more than the others. He is still acknowledged with a "P" like Alexander.)
Ashburn also served as a broadcaster for the Phillies from 1963 until 1997.
Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
From 1978 to 2003, the Phillies inducted one former Phillie and one former member of the Philadelphia Athletics per year. Since 2004 they have inducted one Phillie annually. Players must be retired and must have played at least four years with the Phillies or A's.
As of 2007, the Phillies' flagshipradio station is WPHT, 1210 AM. Its television stations are Comcast SportsNet and WPSG channel 57, now known as "The CW Philly" with two games (the season opener and the July 4 game at Houston) telecast on KYW-TV (CBS 3) and some early season games telecast on CN8 when there are conflicts on CSN with 76ers and Flyers games. CSN produces the games shown on the above-mentioned stations.
In 2007, Harry Kalas will call play-by-play in innings 1-3 and 7-9 on TV and the fourth inning on the radio. Scott Franzke will provide play-by-play on the radio (except for the fourth), with Larry Andersen as the color man. Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews both provide color commentary on TV, with Wheeler calling play-by-play in innings 4-6.
^Longman, Jere (2006). If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?. Harpercollins. ISBN9780060843731. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^Orondenker (editor), Richard (1996). 'Life and Death through the Years with the Phillies, the Phillies Reader. Temple University Press. ISBN15663950389781566395038.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check |isbn= value: length (help)
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