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...

I was considering what topic to write about for the blog this week.  Then it hit me.  Why not write about Roy Halladay?  The Phillies were set to retire his number this season.  Earlier in the week I saw an interview of Todd Zolecki by Tom McCarthy on YouTube where Zolecki spoke about Doc.  Doc had a very interesting career.  He had a very rocky start, and almost didn't make it.  But he worked hard, and now is a Hall of Fame pitcher.   I'm sure I could write an interesting story about him. So, I started with a Google search.  I wanted to see if I could dig up some older stories, and maybe find an interesting angle to write from.  I was surprised when the whole first page of results was about how he had drugs in his system and was engaging in dangerous trick flying when he died. Wait a minute?  Is that news?  I thought we knew this two years ago , not too long after his death. I checked the dates on all of the news repo...

Major League Baseball has been reported to be considering a unique plan to start the baseball season as early as May.  Multiple media outlets report that MLB is considering starting the major league season with all thirty teams playing in Arizona, essentially contained in an isolated bubble.  Should the plan be implemented, the league would restrict travel of all personnel from the hotel to the stadiums and back.  There would be no fans in the stands.  The players would not crowd together in the dug-out, but sit in the stands at least six feet apart when not on the field playing. Executing this plan would also require several changes to the way baseball is currently played.  There would be an electronic strike zone, for example, to eliminate the need for an umpire to peer over the shoulder of the catcher at home plate.  The automatic strike zone was tested in 2019 in the Arizona Fall League to mix reviews.  Commissioner Rob Manfred had planned on t...

As a Philadelphia Phillies fan, you know when a certain baseball player consistently plays well against your team.  It's the guy who gives you a sinking feeling in your stomach whenever he comes to the plate, or takes the mound against the Phils.  We call them “Phillies Killers.” One such Phillies Killer back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, whom I remember giving me agita, was Pirates relief pitcher, Kent Tekulve. Kent Tekulve Was a Phillies Killer To set the stage, in the five season from 1976 through 1980, the Phillies won the NL East four times.  The only year another team captured the division championship during that span was 1979, when the Pirates won the World Series. In fact, from 1976 to 1978, the Pirates finished second in the division, right on the tail of the Phillies.  During that time, their late inning relief workhorse was one Kent Tekulve. Kent Tekulve’s Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Telkuve debuted for the P...

The middle infield positions are the key to a team's defense.  With the ball coming at you fast, the second baseman mus be quick on his feet, and sure with his glove.  Of course it helps if the second baseman is talented with the bat, too.  Here are our top five picks for the best Phillies second basemen of all time. 5.            Juan Samuel Juan Samuel was fast.  In his first full season with the Phillies, 1984, he stole 72 bases.  He also batted .272, and made the All-Star team.  Over the next three seasons, he batted .264, .266 and .272 respectively, stealing 53, 42 and 35 bases.  He was an All-Star again in 1987.  In 1988, The Phillies tried to switch Sammy to the outfield, and his offensive number suffered because of it.  He hit .243 in 1988 and .246 in 51 games in 1989.  With his offensive numbers dwindling, Samuel likely brought his greatest value to the team in 1989, when the Phillies traded h...

Last year, three players, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, signed contracts worth in excess of $25 million per year to play baseball.   When baseball players sign such record breaking contracts, you often hear someone complain about our nation’s priorities, decrying that we value sports stars more than teachers. Of course, paying big money for star players is nothing new in baseball.   In 1925, Connie Mack paid $100,600 so Robert “Lefty” Grove could play for his Philadelphia Athletics.   That would be worth approximately $1.5 million in 2020.   This was the highest amount paid for a player at that time, exceeding even the $100,000 the Yankees paid the Red Sox for Babe Ruth in 1920 (estimates place the value of the Babe Ruth sale between $1.3 million and $1.5 million adjusted for inflation).   The problem, however, is that Lefty Grove received none of that money.   In 1925, Mack paid Grove a mere $6,500 (worth approximately $97,000 in 2020...

This spring, Phillies right handed pitcher Vince Velasquez finds himself in a fierce competition for the last spot in the Phillies rotation for the start of the 2020 season.  This is familiar territory for Velasquez, as he has battled, not only in spring training, but also during the season, for a spot in the Phillies rotation since joining the team in 2015.  His strong right arm, which allows his to throw fastballs upwards of 97 mph, has given him an advantage at times.  But, his inconsistency, lack of command, and high pitch count have all contributed to his inability to solidly claim a starting role coming into the 2020 spring training season. Hailing from Montclair, California, Velasquez was drafted right out of high school, where he was a star shortstop and switch hitter.  Velasquez had pitched on occasion with Garey High School in Pamona, California.  His high school career showed the Houston Astros that he was a versatile athlete, prompting the Astros...