num_pages: 147
description: The year was 1883. The National League was only six-years-old. Its New England franchise, the Worcester Ruby Red Legs, had failed. So league president A.G. Mills decided to form a new franchise in Philadelphia. When that 1883 squad finished with a 17-81 record no one expected that these new Philadelphia Phillies would flourish throughout the next century and beyond. History indeed has proved Mills’s gamble a winner – the Phillies are the longest-standing professional team with the same name in any American sport. Legends of the Philadelphia Phillies takes an in-depth look at 31 of the legends that have shaped the Phillies’ identity over the last half-century. Each chapter profiles a different beloved Phillie personality. Most were cheered. Some were booed – Philadelphia is the city that loves you back, just in strange ways. Each legend colored the latter half of the 20th century. Most are still alive. Richie Ashburn, Tug McGraw, Del Ennis, and Jim Konstanty are the sole exceptions. Each profile is peppered with quotes culled from interviews with ex-Phils, current Phils, and front-office personnel, among others. Legends of the Philadelphia Phillies profiles Mitch Williams, Darren Daulton, Dave Hollins, Jim Eisenreich, Pete Incaviglia, and Milt Thompson from 1993’s "Beards, Bellies, and Biceps" National League champions, as well as Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Tug McGraw from the 1980 World Series champions. Their predecessors are also there, from Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn to former All-Stars like Johnny Callison and Del Ennis. No Phillies book would be complete without those off-field folks who have defined the Phillies experience, such as team president Bill Giles, announcer Harry Kalas, and Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic. Each of the legends played their own unique role in shaping the lore of one of sports’ greatest franchises, a franchise that began humbly as an extension of a small league more than 120 years ago.
language: English
title: Legends of the Philadelphia Phillies
titlecomplete: Legends of the Philadelphia Phillies
ratings_count: 3
publisher: Sports Publishing LLC