Philadelphia Phillies
The National League approved a new franchise for Philadelphia to begin play in 1883, at its annual meeting in Providence on the 7th of December 1882. Sporting goods manufacturer Al Reach and attorney John Rogers won the expansion spot to replace the Worcester baseball team that had folded in 1882. The new team immediately compiled a .173 winning percentage, which stands as the worst in franchise history. Harry Wright, the former manager of baseball's first openly professional team, was recruited in 184 to reverse the team's fortunes. In 1887, the team began to play at the newly constructed Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds, later renamed National League Park. This stadium would become known as the Baker Bowl in 1923. Despite general improvement from their dismal beginnings, they never seriously contended for the title. A balcony collapsed during a game at the Baker Bowl in 1903, killing 12 people and injuring hundreds. Rogers was forced to sell the Phillies to avoid being ruined by an avalanche of lawsuits. In 1904, the team finished with a record of 52, 100, making them the first team in franchise history to have lost 100 games. From 1918 to 1948, the Phillies had only one winning record, which came in 1932. They finished eighth (last place) a total of 17 times and seventh seven times during this period.
Things started coming together for the Phillies in 1949 when they rocketed up the standings to third place with an 81, 73 record. It was still the Phillies' first appearance in the first division in 31 years. The 1950 Phillies led the National League standings for most of the season and were dubbed the "Whiz Kids". A tailspin triggered by the loss of starting pitcher Curt Simmons to National Guard service caused the team to lose the next eight of ten games. On the last day of the season, the Phillies hung on to a one-game lead when Dick Sisler's dramatic tenth inning home run against the Brooklyn Dodgers clinched the Phillies' first pennant in 35 years. In the World Series, exhausted from their late-season plunge and victims of poor luck, the Phillies were swept by the New York Yankees in four straight games. Nonetheless, this appearance cemented the Phillies' status as the city's favorite team. Bob Carpenter Jr. immediately started signing young players and invested even more money in the farm system. This coincided with the final collapse of the Philadelphia Athletics. The team finished with a 73, 81 record in 1951 and finished nine and a half games out of first place in 1952. They managed to end up in third place in 1953 with an 83, 71 record but would fail to break .500 from 1954 to 1957.
The Phillies opened the new Veterans Stadium in 1971. The team wore new maroon uniforms to accentuate the change. Pitcher Rick Wise hurled a no-hitter and in the same game hit two home runs against the Cincinnati Reds in 1971. That same season, Harry Kalas joined the Phillies broadcasting team. In 1972, the Phillies were the worst team in baseball, but newly acquired Steve Carlton won nearly half their games (27 of 59 team wins) and was awarded his first NL Cy Young Award. With players such as Carlton, third baseman Mike Schmidt, shortstop Larry Bowa, catcher Bob Boone, and outfielder Greg Luzinski, the Phillies won three straight division titles from 1976 to 1978. However, they fell short in the NLCS against the Reds in 1976 and the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978. In 1979, the Phillies acquired Pete Rose, the spark that would put them over the top. The Phillies won the National League East in 1980, but to win the league championship, they had to defeat the Houston Astros. They fell behind 2, 1 but battled back to squeeze past the Astros on a 10th-inning game-winning hit by center fielder Garry Maddox. Facing the Kansas City Royals in the 1980 World Series, the Phillies won their first World Series championship ever in six games thanks to the timely hitting of Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose. Schmidt won the World Series Most Valuable Player award on the strength of his 8-for-21 hitting (.381 average). This final game remains "the most-watched game in World Series history" with a television audience of 54.9 million viewers.
Before the 1992 season, the organization decided to shed the maroon uniform and logo and use colors similar to those used during the days of the "Whiz Kids". The 1993 Phillies were led by stars such as Darren Daulton, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, and Curt Schilling. The team was dubbed "Macho Row" for their shaggy, unkempt, and dirty look. Their character endeared them to fans, and attendance reached a record high the following season. The team powered their way to a 97, 65 record and an NL East division title, all thanks to a big April in which the Phillies went 17, 5. They beat the Atlanta Braves in the 1993 National League Championship Series four games to two to earn the fifth NL pennant in franchise history. However, they were defeated by the defending World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 World Series. Toronto's Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run in Game 6 to clinch another Phillies' loss. The 1994, 95 Major League Baseball strike was a blow to attendance and on-field success. Several players from the 1993 team were either traded or left the team soon after. In 2001, Larry Bowa was hired as manager and led the Phillies to an 86, 76 record, their first winning season since the 1993 World Series year. On the 6th of December 2002, Jim Thome, a free agent, signed a six-year, $85 million contract with the team.
In 2004, the Phillies moved to their new home, Citizens Bank Park, across the street from Veterans Stadium. Charlie Manuel took over the club's reins from Bowa after the 2004 season. After the franchise lost its 10,000th game in 2007, its core of young players responded by winning the National League East division title. Chase Utley and Brad Lidge represented the team at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. They won the NLDS three games to one against the Milwaukee Brewers and defeated the Dodgers in Los Angeles 4, 1. As the National League champions, the Phillies advanced to the 2008 World Series to play the Tampa Bay Rays, winning the series 4 games to 1. Game 5 began on Monday, October 27, and was suspended after the top of the 6th inning with the score tied 2, 2. The game resumed Wednesday, October 29, with the Phillies winning the game 4, 3 and capturing their second world series in franchise history. Cole Hamels won the Most Valuable Player Award for both the NLCS and the World Series. In July, they signed three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martínez and acquired 2008 American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee before the trade deadline. On the 30th of September 2009, they clinched a third consecutive National League East Division title.
The team has played at several stadiums in the city, including Recreation Park (1883, 1886), the Baker Bowl (187, 1938), Shibe Park (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953) (1938, 1970), Veterans Stadium (1971, 2003), and now at Citizens Bank Park (2004, present). The stadium was built in South Philadelphia, making it the first time the team was not located in North Philadelphia. The current team colors, uniform, and logo date back 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. Prior to 2024, the Phillies were one of two MLB teams to use chain stitching in their chest emblems. In 2008, the Phillies introduced an alternate, cream-colored uniform during home day games, a tribute to their 125th anniversary. The uniforms are similar to those worn from 1946 through 1949, featuring red lettering bordered with blue piping and lacking pinstripes. In 2016, the Phillies added a red alternate uniform, similar to their spring training uniforms, to be used for mid-week afternoon games. It was unofficially retired following the 2017 season.
The Phillies had several notable rivalries through history as they often clashed frequently against the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the New York Mets during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and the 2000s. Against the Dodgers and the Braves, those matchups have happened in the postseason, the Dodgers five times in the NLCS, the Braves twice in the NLDS and once in the NLCS. The fierceness of their matchups against the Mets are due to the geographic New York-Philadelphia rivalry. Games between the two teams at Citi Field and Citizens Bank Park are often very intense, hard-hitting affairs. The Phillies' 2007 Eastern Division Title was won on the last day of the season as the Mets lost a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining. The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Phillies started when the Pittsburgh Pirates entered National League play in their fifth season of 1887. During the period of two-division play (1969, 1993), the two National League East division rivals won the two highest numbers of division championships. Together, the teams' 15 championships accounted for more than half of the 25 NL East championships during that span.
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Common questions
When did the Philadelphia Phillies begin play?
The Philadelphia Phillies began play in 1883 after the National League approved a new franchise for the city at its annual meeting on the 7th of December 1882. Al Reach and John Rogers won the expansion spot to replace the Worcester baseball team that had folded in 1882.
What happened during the 1903 game at the Baker Bowl involving the Philadelphia Phillies?
A balcony collapsed during a game at the Baker Bowl in 1903, killing 12 people and injuring hundreds. This tragedy forced owner John Rogers to sell the Philadelphia Phillies to avoid being ruined by an avalanche of lawsuits.
How many World Series championships has the Philadelphia Phillies won?
The Philadelphia Phillies have won two World Series championships in their history. They captured their first title in six games against the Kansas City Royals in 1980 and their second title in five games against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008.
Where does the Philadelphia Phillies play their home games today?
The Philadelphia Phillies currently play at Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004 across from Veterans Stadium. The stadium is located in South Philadelphia, marking the first time the team was not based in North Philadelphia.
Who were the key players on the 1950 Whiz Kids Philadelphia Phillies team?
Dick Sisler hit a dramatic tenth-inning home run to clinch the 1950 pennant for the Philadelphia Phillies after Curt Simmons left for National Guard service. Bob Carpenter Jr. invested heavily in the farm system following this success while the team finished with an 81-73 record in 1949 and led the league standings for most of 1950.