Philadelphia Baseball History

As Charlie Ferguson sat on the bench, the twenty-two year old must have had butterflies in his stomach.   He turned in a remarkable pitching performance, having gone a full nine innings for the Philadelphia Quakers, one of the nicknames that the Phillies were known by until about 1890, and not a single member of the Providence Grays had gotten a hit off of him.   Unfortunately, the Quakers’ offense was just as anemic as the Grays’ was that day.   And so, on this August 29, 1885, Charlie Ferguson would have to sit and wait, and even be ready to go out for a possible tenth inning. Charlie Ferguson's Opponents Had Been Involved in the First World Series The Quakers’ opponent was the Providence Grays, the reigning National League champions.   They had been involved in the first World Series, although, calling it that may give it a bit more of an air of formality than the series of matches really deserves.   Back in 1884, there were two separate major leagues. ...

It's a shame that nothing like YouTube was around in the 1970s.  Because if it were, I'm sure that the play I want to discuss would have gone viral.  It was that unusual, and it was that entertaining.  It happened on July 4, 1976, when I was about two weeks shy of my fifth birthday.  So I don't have any independent memory of it.  But, it gave my father and my grandfather such a kick, that they talked about it for years afterward.  And that is Tim McCarver's grand slam that wasn't. Most young baseball fans know Tim McCarver as a broadcaster.  He only retired seven years ago.  But before his TV career, McCarver was a fan favorite among the Phillies faithful.  In fact, he was the player who introduced the world to the Phillie Phanatic in 1978, on the popular local kids' TV show on Channel Six, Captain Noah and His Magical Ark. McCarver had two stints with the Phillies.  The Phillies first acquired McCarver in 1970 from the Cardinals....

In baseball history, a team's stadium can be as much of a star of the game as the best players.  Stadiums bring character to the game, invoking strong emotions and memories.  Ebbets Field, Fenway Park, the Polo Grounds, Yankees Stadium, all cathedrals where fans revere the performances of star players from their respective teams' storied past. The Phillies have had its share of memorable ballparks, contributing to the unique personality of the different eras in the team's history.  One of the most memorable venues that framed the team's triumphs and tribulations was the Baker Bowl. Known originally as the Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds, the Baker Bowl first welcomed fans in 1887.  The stadium, considered state of the art upon its completion, replaced Recreation Park as the home of the Phillies.  Recreation Park had itself earned a place in Philadelphia baseball history, having served as the home field of the Philadelphia Centennials, one of three teams tha...

Could interleague play have been meant to condition fans for an eventual major realignment? There was a time when the two major leagues were completely separate.   They had separate rules.   They hired separate umpires.   They had a separate organization structure.   American League owners met and voted on American League issues. Likewise for National League owners.   They were two completely distinct organizations whose teams only met for the annual All-Star Game and in the World Series. This is the reason why baseball has two Rookies of the Year, two Most Valuable Players and two Cy Young Award winners; one for each league. When expansion happened in 1961, it was an American League issue.   The American League owners voted on it, and two American League teams were added.   Likewise, when expansion occurred again in 1962, it was a National League issue.   National League owners voted on it, and two National League teams were added. ...

In the midst of an up and down season, the Philadelphia Phillies found themselves six games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in August of 1980.  It was a critical moment in Phillies history.  The Phillies had won the National League East Division in 1976, 1977 and 1978, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs.  Pete Rose was signed as a free agent in 1979 to help the Phillies get over the hump, and make it to the World Series.  The plan did not work in 1979, as the Phillies saw their division rivals, the Pirates, take the division, and go on to beat the Orioles in the World Series.  If this crew of talented veterans was going to win it all for the City of Philadelphia, time was running short. The Phillies roared back into contention in the months of August and September.  The charge was led by future Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt.  But te Phillies found help from an unlikely source.  September call-up, Marty Bystrom, proce...

When you think of great Philadelphia Phillies pitchers, certain names come to mind right away.   They are certainly the trio of Hall of Fame pitchers who have had their numbers retired, Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts and Jim Bunning.   I am sure some of you think of the more recent dominating Phillies arms, like Cole Hammels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.   If you reach back twenty years, you can come up with Curt Schilling and Terry Mulholland.   Still more of you can remember the likes of Jim Kaat and Chris Short. But who can remember the only relief pitcher to win the National League Most Valuable Player award?   For that, you have to reach back to the 1950 Whiz Kids, and a former Phys Ed teacher named Jim Konstanty. Hailing from Strykersville, NY, Konstanty was a sports star in his high school and with Syracuse University.   Signed by the Reds, Konstanty played three seasons with their AA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs, until he was called up...