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There is certainly never ever
been a better time being a Philadelphia Phillies fan.
The Phillies, of course, are the
losingest team in major league history. They are the oldest continuous,
one-name, one-city team in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.
They became a member of the National League at that time and won only two
pennants in their first 97 seasons. In between, the Phillies went on one of the
most sustained runs of futility in professional sports history: From 1918
through 1948, the Phillies had 30 losing seasons in 31 years.
Searching for some of the
greatest moments in the history of Philadelphia Phillies? Well, you are lucky. Along with
128 yeas of existence, the Philadelphia Phillies have been crafting some of the
game's most unforgettable moments since their inception in 1883.
Although times have not always
been great for the Phillies' franchise, when they have been, they've been
unforgettable. From Brad Lidge dropping to his knees to celebrate the 2008
World Series win to Tug McGraw going skyward to celebrate his club's glory, the
Phillies have tasted victory along with defeat.
It has been the struggle of this
team that have made those moments remarkable. With more than 10, 000 losses,
who can say that they've suffered more difficulty? The fans that have stuck
with this team through the thick and thin have been rewarded in recent years,
and with one of the highest payrolls and greatest ballparks in all of baseball,
the days of the "small market" Phillies are long gone.
So as the team expects for making
fresh memories in the future, let us look to the past to find out where this
franchise has come from: The top 10 greatest times in team history.
10. Phillies Acquire Steve
Carlton
When the Phillies obtained Steve
Carlton prior to the 1972 season, it became a remarkable time on a few
different fronts. First and foremost, the Phillies were moving their ace to get
him. Rick Wise had spent a couple great seasons with the Phils, including the
one that featured that memorable two home run no-hitter against the Reds, and
while Carlton's upside was tremendously higher, there was some risk involved.
With either the Cardinals or
Phillies able to agree to contracts with their respective pitchers, they
decided to swap them, and the Phillies landed Carlton, who would end up being
the greatest pitcher this team has ever experienced.
Lefty took home four Cy Young
Awards as a member of the Phils, led the team to two World Series (one win),
and was named to the All Star team seven times. It's not often you look back
and forget the day you acquired one of the greatest starting pitchers of
all-time.
9. Roy Halladay Throws Perfect
Game
When the Phillies acquired Roy
Halladay from the Blue Jays, they knew they were getting arguably one of the
best pitcher in all of baseball. There was a high expectation that he would
pitch better in the National League East than he performed in the American
League East, and whoever though that can pat themselves on the back, because
they were correct.
In May of 2010, Halladay pitched
the greatest game of his career, simply because he couldn't be any better. He
was excellent. On a hot summer's day in Florida, Halladay pitched nine perfect
innings to beat the Marlins, as the Phillies celebrated around their ace.
Not even the Philadelphia Flyers
in the Stanley Cup Finals could create a more memorable moment that this, but
was it even the most memorable Phillies' perfect game of all time?
8. Jim Bunning Tosses Perfect
Game on Fathers' Day
Several years before Roy Halladay
was great on the road, Jim Bunning had already accomplished that feat. The
Phillies were squaring off against the Mets for a Fathers' Day double-header,
and had their ace, Bunning, on the mound to get the festivities started. Like
Halladay in the future, Bunning couldn't be any more perfect on that day. He
pitched nine perfect frames against the Mets to give the Phillies their first
perfect game in the history of the franchise. The fact that the game was on
Fathers' Day makes it that much more of a great memory.
7. The Phillies Are 2008 National
League Champions
Phillies had waited for years for
a return trip to the World Series after Joe Carter left that bitter taste in
their mouths in 1993, and after beating the Milwaukee Brewers and the Dodgers,
that's exactly where they were heading.
A powerhouse offensive team led
by the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies could
do a lot of damage with some timely pitching, and they were getting that. Young
lefty Cole Hamels would get undefeated in the postseason en route to becoming
the NLCS and World Series MVP, and pitchers like Brad Lidge, Jamie Moyer, and
Brett Myers would play big roles in the Phils capturing the National League
pennant.
6. Dick Sisler's
Pennant-Clinching Home Run
As remarkable as the 1950 pennant
was for the Phillies, it almost never happened. Dick Sisler has been an
excellent player during the period of his career, but he will always be
remembered for hitting the most clutch home runs in the history of baseball.
The 1950 season had come down to
its final day, and the Whiz Kids were still not bound for the World Series. In
fact, they had another game remaining to play against the Brooklyn Dodgers, and
it was do-or-die. The Phillies started their ace, Robin Roberts, and he kept
the game close throughout, setting the stage for late-inning heroics.
With the season on the line (the
Phillies and Dodgers would have had to play a three game playoff series should
the Phils have lost this game), Sisler mashed an opposite field, three-run home
run to down the Dodgers, and the Phillies were going to the World Series!
5. Phils Capture Their First
Pennant
By 1915, the Phillies had battled
through years of mediocrity and through the regular season, had positioned
themselves for a chance to win the National League pennant. With the powerful
Gavvy Cravath anchoring the offense and the unstoppable force that was Pete
Alexander on the mound, they had a serious chance to do more than just win the
pennant, that they did, but also capture the World Series trophy.
Ultimately, that never happened.
The Phils squared off with the Boston Red Sox in the World Series in 1915, but
there was not much offensive support to speak of. The Phillies won the first
game of the series, started by Alexander, but dropped the next four, and their
chance at a title for a long, long time.
4. Roy Halladay's Postseason
No-Hitter
The Phillies acquired Roy
Halladay for one reason-to win the World Series.
After showing up in the World
Series in two straight seasons, that is a lofty expectation for a man who has
never pitched in the postseason, but Halladay assured the Phillies that he was
ready, and he would get the opportunity to show the world just how long he'd
been waiting to pitch in the postseason when the Phillies hosted the Reds for
Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS.
He had his greatest
"stuff" from inning one. Outside of a measly walk, not a single
member of the Reds' club could reach base against Halladay that day, as he
tossed his second no-hitter of the season, this one in the postseason-just the
second time in the history of baseball that a pitcher was able to accomplish
the feat, with Halladay getting the first to do so since Don Larsen's perfect
game in the World Series.
3. Perseverance: Phillies Capture
1980 NL Pennant
After being denied their
possibility at a World Series title in each of the three seasons from 1976-78
and missing the postseason entirely in 1979, the Phillies were hungrier than
ever before for their shot at glory when the 1980 season began, and their play
proved that.
Behind their ace and one of the
greatest pitchers ever, Steve Carlton, who would go on to win 24 games and a Cy
Young Award during the regular season, their slugging third baseman and
arguably the best third baseman of all time, Mike Schmidt, baseball's eventual
hit-king, Pete Rose, and a number of other players who contributed to the
cause, the Phillies won 91 games throughout the regular season.
They squared off against the
Astros throughout the NLCS, and finally, were going back to the World Series
after the most entertaining postseason series ever. Now, merely the Kansas City
Royals stood between the Phillies and baseball immortality.
2. World Champions!
The Phillies' 2008 postseason
to-do list consisted of the following three tasks: defeat the Brewers, defeat
the Dodgers, and finally, defeat the Rays.
The first two goals had been
checked off quite simply, as either the Brewers or the Dodgers stood much of an
opportunity against the Phillies. Behind an unstoppable Cole Hamels and one of
the league's most potent offenses, the only team left standing against the
Phils was the American League's Cinderella team.
The Phillies kicked the series
off on the right foot by winning the first game, but ultimately, split the
series with the Rays. Now, they headed back to Philadelphia, where the club
could win the World Series at home, in front of fans that had waited nearly
three decades to witness another World Series title.
They did just that.
Along with Eric Hinske in the
batter's box and two outs in Game 5, Brad Lidge needed to throw one more slider
to stay perfect for the 2008 season and bring the trophy back to the City of
Brotherly Love, and he did it. As Harry Kalas would say, "The Philadelphia
Phillies are 2008, World Champions of baseball!”
1. Finally!
Nearly a century in the game and,
in 1980, the Phillies' franchise still did not have a World Series title. They
had come closer a couple of times, but were unable to bring the trophy home.
The 1980 World Series just had a different kind of feel to it. The way the
Phillies were able to rally against Nolan Ryan and down the Astros, in their
own ballpark-that wasn't supposed to happen.
The Phillies weren't supposed to
win the World Series. It just wasn't in the cards.
Now that they had gotten there,
however, they were the authors of their own fate. Just a couple more starts
from Steve Carlton and a few more saves from Tug McGraw. Just a little more sparks
from Pete Rose, and a little more power from Mike Schmidt. That's all that
stood between the Phillies and baseball greatness.
The Royals stood no chance.
Even after they evened the series
at two games apiece, there was no give-in from the Phillies. The hardship they
had endured to get to this series was too much to let it slip by now, and in
two more games, they were World Champions. Finally.
Gary Deng
put it best by saying simply this, "Ya gotta believe!"
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