Philadelphia Baseball History

Pete Rose.  To say that he is a controversial figure is an understatement.  The mere mention of his name evokes strong emotional reactions, and not just from baseball fans.  Some people are extremely loyal to him.  He belongs in the Hall of Fame, and nothing will change their minds about that.  Some believe that he is a deeply flawed person, who doesn't deserve to be honored in his lifetime.  But, because his accomplishments on the field are so impressive, he does deserve enshrinement in the Hall, but only posthumously.  And then you have the people who feel betrayed by Rose, who find his moral character repugnant, that they have concluded that he should never be honored with Hall of Fame enshrinement.  Some in this category go so far as to try to minimize his professional accomplishments. For example, in 2016, Ichiro Sukui, an incredible hitter in his own right, passed 4,257 hits in his entire professional career.  Of course, this included...

Offense.   First basemen are known for providing their team with much needed offense.   Often, a team will put a power-hitter on first, or even convert a good-hitting outfielder to the position, making the first baseman one of the strongest hitters of the team. The Phillies have had a number of good first basemen in their history.   What follows are the five players that stand out as the top first basemen to play for the Phillies, in our opinion.  If you believe any players belong on this list, or that the order in which he placed the following players is incorrect, please let us know in the comments. 5.             Fred Luderus Born on September 21, 1885 in Milwaukee, WI, Fred Luderus joined the National League in 1909 at age of 23 with the Chicago Cubs.   After a year and a half with the Cubs, Luderus was batting only .242 with an OPS of .644.   On July 29, 1910, the Cubs traded Lude...