The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the founding members of Major League Baseball (MLB). And they hold a special record: the Phillies are the team that has competed in U.S. sports for the longest time in one city under the same name.
Initial dry spell
Founded in 1883, the team was involved in the creation of Major League Baseball 18 years later. Their name became the official team name in a gradual process. As with so many teams, a newspaper had significant influence in the process. The name was first mentioned in the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. The team adopted it because of its comprehensibility and connection to the city. If you only look at the team's history, the Phillies are probably one of the most important teams. In terms of success, that's not quite true. Up until 1976, they only made the playoffs twice. However, this also has to do with the fact that the World Series was decided between the two best teams up to and including 1968. A postseason with several teams did not yet exist. In the World Series years of 1915 and 1950, they lost and picked up only one win in both participations.
The breakthrough
The Phillies had to wait a long time for their big triumph. It wasn't until 1980 that they ascended the MLB throne. Powered by legends Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, they advanced to the World Series thanks to a 3-2 series win over the Houston Astros. In Game 1, the Phillies got carried away with a daring play. Rookie Bob Walk was given the honorable task of pitching the first game. The last time a similar situation occurred was in 1952, but the move paid off. The Phillies won the game. An 8-7 in Game 5 sealed the World Series victory on Oct. 12, 1980. In doing so, the Phillies removed the ignominy of being the only charter member without a national title.
Memorable victory
While the Philadelphia Phillies were unable to follow up on that success directly, they did not have to wait as long for their next success as they did for their first title. In 2008, they again reached the World Series - albeit surprisingly - and prevailed in five games against the Tampa Bay Rays. The final game in particular went down in history. It was interrupted due to weather and could not be decided until two days later. All of Philadelphia was in a celebratory mood. For the Phillies it was the second title win, for the city of Philadelphia the first since 1983.
Ashburn Alley
In 2004, Citizens Bank Park opened after three years of construction. Like all of the city's stadiums, it is located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex area and seats about 42,000 spectators. A big feature of the ball park is Ashburn Alley. This promenade is located behind the center outfield and can be seen from every seat. The Alley was named after Phillies legend Richie Ashburn. Phillies fans already wanted to name the ball park after him. It was agreed that it would be the promenade. It not only connects the stands, but is also the site of a Richie Ashburn statue. As is customary in sports, the Phillies' ball park is also decorated with the team's two logos. Red and blue dominate as team colors, along with the Phillies lettering and the bell, the city's landmark. The official on field caps feature the curved P as well as the bell. It is a popular logo among fans. On the jerseys, the Phillies lettering shines in red. In the long history of the franchise, the Phillies have already developed some promising young talent into seasoned MLB players. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Reading Fightin Phils, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and the Clearwater Threshers ensure that new talent will continue to make the leap to MLB in the future.