54 Facts About Phillies

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

Phillies have won two World Series championships, seven National League pennants (the first of which came in 1915), and made 15 playoff appearances.

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

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

Yet, due in part to their longevity, the Phillies are one of only nine teams to have won over 10, 000 games in their history.

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Nickname "Phillies" first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 3, 1883, in the paper's coverage of an exhibition game by the new National League club.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Team's competitive futility was highlighted by a record that still stands: in 1961, the 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.

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

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.

In 1972, the 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.

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

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

Thus, the Phillies became the last of the 16 teams that made up the major leagues from 1901 to 1961 to win a World Series.

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

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

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

However, the 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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On September 17, 2011, the Phillies won their fifth consecutive East Division championship, and on September 28, during the final game of the season, the team set a franchise record for victories in a season with 102 by beating the Atlanta Braves in 13 innings, denying their division rivals a potential wild card berth.

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

The Phillies announced Gabe Kapler as their new manager on October 30, 2017.

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

On October 24, 2019, the Philadelphia Phillies announced Joe Girardi as their 55th manager of the team, signing a three-year deal with the Phillies with an option for the 2023 season.

On December 11, 2020, the Phillies hired Dave Dombrowski as the President Of Baseball Operations.

Later that year, the Phillies reached the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

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

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

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.

The 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.

Phillies were an early adopter of the batting practice jersey in 1977, wearing a maroon v-necked top with the "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.

From 1970 to 1991, the 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.

The Phillies wore this jersey again for the 40th anniversary of the original game on July 27, 2019.

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

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

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

Phillies have retired eight numbers, and honored two additional players with the letter "P.

From 1978 to 2003, the Phillies inducted one former Phillie and one former member of the Philadelphia Athletics per year.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

In 2011 and 2012, the Phillies led the league in attendance with 3, 680, 718 and 3, 565, 718 fans, respectively, coming out to watch Phillies baseball.