46 Facts About Philadelphia Phillies

1.

Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia.

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2.

Philadelphia Phillies have won two World Series championships, seven National League pennants, and made 15 playoff appearances.

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3.

Since the first modern World Series was played in 1903, the Philadelphia Phillies have played 119 consecutive seasons and 139 seasons since the team's 1883 establishment.

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4.

Since the start of the Divisional Era in 1969 the Philadelphia Phillies have emerged as one of MLB's most successful teams, winning 14 division titles, seven National League pennants, and two World Series championships.

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5.

Philadelphia Phillies won their first pennant in 1915 thanks to the pitching of Grover Cleveland Alexander and the batting prowess of Gavvy Cravath, who set the major-league single-season record for home runs with 24.

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6.

The Philadelphia Phillies went up against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, opening the series at home with a victory.

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7.

The Philadelphia Phillies struggled against a strong Red Sox pitching lineup and surrendered the next four games, losing the series four games to one.

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8.

Philadelphia Phillies left half his estate to his wife and the other half to longtime team secretary Mae Mallen.

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9.

Philadelphia Phillies was forced to trade what little talent the team had to make ends meet, and often had to use some creative financial methods to field a team at all.

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10.

The Philadelphia Phillies tried to move to Shibe Park on a permanent basis as tenants of the A's.

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11.

Philadelphia Phillies finally relented in 1938, and only then because the city threatened to condemn the dilapidated park.

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12.

Philadelphia Phillies immediately started signing young players and invested even more money in the farm system, and the Phillies quickly developed a solid core of young players that included future Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts.

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13.

Philadelphia Phillies had been an "A's town" for most of the first half of the 20th century.

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14.

In contrast, the Philadelphia Phillies Athletics finished last in 1950, and longtime manager Connie Mack retired.

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15.

Team's competitive futility was highlighted by a record that still stands: in 1961, the Philadelphia Phillies lost 23 games in a row, the worst losing streak in the majors since 1900 Things started to turn around for the team in 1962 when the team finished above.

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16.

However, the Philadelphia Phillies lost 10 games in a row and finished one game out of first, losing the pennant to the St Louis Cardinals.

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17.

Philadelphia Phillies never wanted to buy Connie Mack Stadium in the first place, and was now convinced there was no way he could make money playing there.

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18.

The stadium was built in South Philadelphia Phillies, making it the first time the team was not located in North Philadelphia Phillies.

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19.

In 1972, the Philadelphia Phillies were the worst team in baseball, but newly acquired Steve Carlton won nearly half their games and was awarded his first NL Cy Young Award and won it again in 1977.

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20.

In 1979, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Pete Rose, the spark that would put them over the top.

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21.

Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East in 1980, but to win the league championship, they had to defeat the Houston Astros.

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22.

Philadelphia Phillies returned to the playoffs in 1981, which were split in half due to a players' strike.

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23.

Philadelphia Phillies had reached the majors by 1996 and was named National League Rookie of the Year in 1997.

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24.

In 2004, the Philadelphia Phillies moved to their new home, Citizens Bank Park, across the street from Veterans Stadium.

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25.

However, the Philadelphia Phillies were unable to repeat the 2008 World Series victory; they were defeated in the 2009 series by the New York Yankees, four games to two.

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26.

Yet the Philadelphia Phillies lost in the NLDS to the St Louis Cardinals—the team that won the National League Wild Card as a result of the Philadelphia Phillies beating the Braves.

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27.

Philadelphia Phillies finished third in the National League Cy Young race, behind the Nationals' Max Scherzer and the winner, the Mets' Jacob DeGrom.

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28.

In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies introduced an alternate, cream-colored uniform during home day games—a tribute to their 125th anniversary.

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29.

In 2016, the Philadelphia Phillies added a red alternate uniform, similar to their spring training uniforms, to be used for mid-week afternoon games.

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30.

Philadelphia Phillies are one of four teams in Major League Baseball that do not display the name of their city, state, or region on their road jerseys, joining the Los Angeles Angels, St Louis Cardinals, and the Tampa Bay Rays.

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31.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the only team that displays the player's number on one sleeve except on the alternate jersey, in addition to the usual placement on the back of the jersey.

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32.

Philadelphia Phillies were an early adopter of the batting practice jersey in 1977, wearing a maroon v-necked top with the "Philadelphia Phillies" script name across the chest, as well as the player name and number on the back and a player number on the left sleeve, all in white.

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33.

From 1970 to 1991, the Philadelphia Phillies sported colors, uniforms, and a logo that were noticeably different from what had come before, or since, but that were widely embraced by even traditionally minded fans.

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34.

Rivalry between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies has been said to be among the "hottest" rivalries in the National League.

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35.

The Mets won the division in 2006 and contended in 2007 and 2008, while the Philadelphia Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011.

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36.

Six Philadelphia Phillies have won Most Valuable Player Awards during their career with the team.

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37.

In 1983, rather than inducting a player into the Wall of Fame, the Philadelphia Phillies selected their Centennial Team, commemorating the best players of the first 100 years in franchise history.

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38.

In 2011, the Philadelphia Phillies unveiled a statue of Harry Kalas at Citizens Bank Park.

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39.

Since 1984, the Philadelphia Phillies have supported research related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with the "Philadelphia Phillies Phestival".

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40.

The ALS Association of Philadelphia is the Phillies' primary charity, and the hospitals they support include Pennsylvania Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and Hahnemann University Hospital.

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41.

Philadelphia Phillies have a reading incentive program called Phanatic About Reading, which is designed to encourage students from kindergarten to eighth grade to read for a minimum of 15 minutes a night.

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42.

Philadelphia Phillies Phundamentals is another educational program, offered through after-school and summer camps, that is designed to make learning fun and support academic skills by using baseball.

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43.

Philadelphia Phillies' fans have earned a reputation over the years for their occasional unruly behavior.

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44.

Philadelphia Phillies fans are famously known for their reputation for being the "Meanest Fans in America".

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45.

Philadelphia Phillies' fans are known for harsh criticism of their own stars such the 1964 Rookie of the Year Richie Allen and Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt.

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46.

Philadelphia Phillies fans were angered over this disrespect and hurled debris, including two D batteries, at Drew during an August 1999 game.

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