Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Philadelphia, competing in the National League East division. Founded in 1883, the Phillies are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in American professional sports history. Despite this longevity, the team endured more than a century of heartbreak before winning the 1980 World Series, followed by their second championship in 2008.

The Phillies play at Citizens Bank Park in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and are beloved—and sometimes bemoaned—by generations of Philadelphia fans who have experienced both historic droughts and euphoric championships.

History

Founding and Early Years (1883-1914)

The Phillies are one of baseball's original franchises:

• 1883 — Founded as the "Quakers" (later renamed Phillies)
• 1883-1914*** — Early decades marked by mediocrity
• Played at various venues including Baker Bowl
• 1915*** — First pennant (lost World Series to Boston Red Sox)
• Early stars: Ed Delahanty, Napoleon Lajoie

The Long Drought (1915-1949)

Following 1915, the Phillies entered one of baseball's longest championship droughts:

• 35 years without a pennant
• Frequent last-place finishes
• Financial struggles
• Sold star players to survive
• Baker Bowl*** — Deteriorating home stadium
• Moved to Shibe Park (later Connie Mack Stadium) in 1938

The Whiz Kids (1950)

The 1950 Phillies shocked baseball:

• Young team*** — Average age 26, hence "Whiz Kids"
• Robin Roberts*** — 20-game winner, Hall of Famer
• Richie Ashburn*** — Center fielder, batting champion
• Jim Konstanty*** — MVP relief pitcher
• Won pennant on final day of season (Dick Sisler's home run)
• World Series*** — Swept by Yankees in 4 games
• Represented hope after decades of losing

Return to Mediocrity (1951-1975)

The Whiz Kids' success didn't sustain:

• 1951-1975: Only one winning season above .500 (1964)
• 1964 Collapse*** — One of baseball's greatest chokes
  • Led by 6.5 games with 12 to play
  • Lost 10 straight games
  • Cardinals won pennant
  • Trauma defined franchise for decades

The Schmidt-Carlton Era (1976-1988)

The Phillies assembled a powerhouse:

Building a Winner

• Mike Schmidt*** — Third baseman, greatest player in franchise history
• Steve Carlton*** — "Lefty," dominant pitcher
• Greg Luzinski***, Larry Bowa***, Bob Boone***, Garry Maddox
• Pete Rose*** — Signed as free agent (1979)
• Veterans Stadium became home (1971)

1980 World Series Championship

Philadelphia's First World Championship

• NLCS*** — Defeated Houston Astros in epic 5-game series
• World Series*** — Defeated Kansas City Royals 4-2
• Tug McGraw*** — "Ya Gotta Believe!" — closed out Game 6
• Mike Schmidt*** — World Series MVP
• Philadelphia's first major sports championship since 1967***
• City erupted in celebration after years of frustration

Continued Contention

• 1983*** — Lost World Series to Baltimore Orioles
  • "Wheeze Kids" — veteran-heavy roster
• 1987-1988*** — Decline began
• Schmidt retired 1989; Carlton released 1986

The Dark Years (1989-2000)

Another period of struggle:

• Multiple losing seasons
• Attendance declined
• 1993*** — Surprising pennant
  • Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton, John Kruk, Mitch Williams
  • "Macho Row" — rugged, bearded, beloved misfits
  • Lost World Series to Toronto Blue Jays (Joe Carter's walk-off HR)
  • Mitch Williams became tragic figure
• 1994-2000*** — Return to losing

The Utley-Howard-Hamels Dynasty (2001-2012)

Rebuilding

• 2001*** — Citizens Bank Park approved
• 2003*** — Jim Thome signed
• 2004*** — Citizens Bank Park opens
• Farm system developed core players:
  • Chase Utley*** — Second baseman, fan favorite
  • Ryan Howard*** — Power-hitting first baseman
  • Jimmy Rollins*** — Shortstop, 2007 MVP
  • Cole Hamels*** — Pitcher, homegrown ace

2008 World Series Championship

The Curse is Broken

After 28 years, Philadelphia won again:

• Regular season*** — 92-70, NL East champions
• NLDS*** — Swept Milwaukee Brewers
• NLCS*** — Defeated Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1
• World Series*** — Defeated Tampa Bay Rays 4-1
  • Rain delay*** — Game 5 suspended, resumed two days later
  • Cole Hamels*** — World Series MVP
  • Brad Lidge*** — Perfect season (48/48 saves), struck out Eric Hinske to end it
• The celebration*** — Millions at parade
• "World F***ing Champions"*** — Chase Utley at parade (FCC fine)
• Broke the "Philadelphia Curse" for all sports

Sustained Excellence

• 2009*** — Back-to-back pennants; lost World Series to Yankees
• 2010*** — NLCS loss to Giants
• 2011*** — 102 wins, best in baseball; NLDS loss to Cardinals
  • Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt — "Four Aces"
• 2012*** — Decline began

Rebuilding and Return (2013-Present)

The Rebuild

• 2013-2017*** — Stripped down roster
• Traded core players for prospects
• Multiple last-place finishes
• Built new farm system

Bryce Harper Era

• 2019*** — Signed Bryce Harper (13-year, $330 million)
• Signaled return to contention
• 2020*** — Shortened COVID season
• 2021*** — Near-miss at playoffs
• 2022*** — Wild Card to World Series
  • Beat Cardinals, Braves, Padres in playoffs
  • Lost World Series to Houston Astros 4-2
  • Harper's postseason performance legendary
• 2023-present*** — Continued contention

Championships

World Series Titles

Year	Opponent	Series	MVP
1980	Kansas City Royals	4-2	Mike Schmidt
2008	Tampa Bay Rays	4-1	Cole Hamels

National League Pennants

1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008, 2009, 2022

World Series Losses

• 1915 — Lost to Boston Red Sox
• 1950 — Swept by New York Yankees
• 1983 — Lost to Baltimore Orioles
• 1993 — Lost to Toronto Blue Jays (Joe Carter walk-off)
• 2009 — Lost to New York Yankees
• 2022 — Lost to Houston Astros

Legendary Players

Hall of Famers

Player	Position	Years	Notable
Mike Schmidt	3B	1972-1989	Greatest Phillie ever, 548 HR, 3x MVP
Steve Carlton	P	1972-1986	"Lefty," 4 Cy Young Awards, 329 wins
Robin Roberts	P	1948-1961	Whiz Kids ace, 286 career wins
Richie Ashburn	CF	1948-1959	2x batting champion, beloved broadcaster
Jim Bunning	P	1964-1967, 1970-1971	Perfect game (1964)
Pete Rose	1B/OF	1979-1983	Hit king, 1980 championship
Joe Morgan	2B	1983	End of career, 1983 pennant
Roy Halladay	P	2010-2013	No-hitter in playoffs (2010)

Phillies Legends (Not Yet HOF)

• Chase Utley*** — "The Man," beloved second baseman
• Jimmy Rollins*** — 2007 MVP, shortstop
• Ryan Howard*** — 2006 MVP, 58 home runs
• Cole Hamels*** — 2008 World Series MVP
• Brad Lidge*** — Perfect 2008 season
• Darren Daulton*** — 1993 leader
• John Kruk*** — Fan favorite, 1993
• Lenny Dykstra*** — "Nails," 1993 NLCS MVP
• Bryce Harper*** — Current superstar

Iconic Moments

Greatest Moments

• 1950 Pennant*** — Dick Sisler's 10th-inning HR on final day
• 1980 World Series Win*** — Tug McGraw strikes out Willie Wilson
• 2008 World Series Win*** — Brad Lidge's final strikeout
• 2008 Parade*** — Chase Utley's "World F***ing Champions"
• Roy Halladay's Playoff No-Hitter (2010)*** — Second postseason no-no ever
• Halladay's Perfect Game (2010)*** — Earlier that season
• Bryce Harper's NLCS HR (2022)*** — Sent Phillies to World Series

Infamous Moments

• 1964 Collapse*** — Blew 6.5 game lead with 12 to play
• 1993 World Series*** — Joe Carter's walk-off crushes city
• 1977 Black Friday*** — Traded away future stars
• Ryan Howard's Achilles (2011)*** — Injury symbolized end of era
• 2022 World Series Loss*** — Another near-miss

The Phillie Phanatic

The Greatest Mascot in Sports

The Phillie Phanatic is widely considered the best mascot in professional sports:

• Debuted*** — 1978
• Creator*** — Harrison/Erickson (Muppet designers)
• Large, furry, green creature
• Rides ATV around stadium
• Antagonizes opposing players and umpires
• Dances on dugout
• Belly bumps and hugs fans
• Imitated widely, never duplicated
• Beloved by children and adults alike

Phanatic History

• Original design created by Jim Henson associate
• Named via fan contest
• Has traveled nationally for appearances
• Copyright dispute in 2019-2020 led to slight redesign
• Remains cultural icon of Philadelphia sports

Veterans Stadium

The Phillies played at Veterans Stadium from 1971-2003:

• Multi-purpose concrete stadium
• Shared with Eagles
• The 700 Level*** — Infamous rowdy upper deck
• Astroturf*** — Hard surface affected play
• Eagles Court*** — Stadium had holding cell for arrests
• Imploded 2004 after Citizens Bank Park opened
• Remembered with mixture of nostalgia and relief

Citizens Bank Park

The Phillies moved to Citizens Bank Park in 2004:

• Baseball-only stadium
• Retro design with modern amenities
• Ashburn Alley*** — Food and entertainment area
• The Yard*** — Interactive kids' area
• Liberty Bell*** — Lights up after home runs
• Great sightlines for baseball
• Improved fan experience over Veterans Stadium

Rivalries

New York Mets

• Division rival since 1969
• Geographic proximity
• Both fanbases passionate
• 2007 Mets collapse helped Phillies

Atlanta Braves

• Dominant 1990s Braves blocked Phillies
• Intense 2022-2023 playoff battles
• New rivalry emerging

Historical: Pittsburgh Pirates

• Pennsylvania rivalry
• More relevant in earlier eras

Broadcasting

Legendary Broadcasters

• Harry Kalas*** (1971-2009) — "High Hopes," Hall of Fame voice
  • "That ball is outta here!" home run call
  • Died in broadcast booth (2009)
  • Statue at Citizens Bank Park
• Richie Ashburn*** (1963-1997) — Former player, beloved color man
• Chris Wheeler*** — Long-time analyst
• Scott Franzke*** & Larry Andersen*** — Current radio team
• Tom McCarthy*** — Current TV voice

See Also

• Citizens Bank Park
• South Philadelphia Sports Complex
• Philadelphia Sports Culture
• Veterans Stadium
• Phillie Phanatic

External Links

• Official Website
• Baseball Reference - Phillies