FIM Recap

I'm still up for absolutely no reason whatsoever so I decided to recap moment 15-2 of the Famous/Infamous Moment series. Tomorrow morning I will post #1 which is pretty obvious as to what it is. Here is the list:

#15 - Steve Cartlon (1994), Mike Schmidt and Richie Ashburn (1995), and Jim Bunning (1996) get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

#14 - The 2007 run when the Phillies helped the Mets create the biggest choke in baseball.

#13 - The birth of our beloved Phillie Phanatic.

#12 - The Phillies record career loss #10,000 versus the Cardinals in 2006.

#11 - Veterans Stadium is imploded.

#10 - Ryan Howard wins the Rookie of the Year and MVP in back-to-back seasons.

#9 - The departure of Harry Kalas and Whitey Asburn.

#8 - The Phillies trade Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg for Ivan DeJesus.

#7 - The collapse in 1964.

#6 - Schmidt hits his 500th homer.

#5 - The Whiz Kids win the 1950 pennant.

#4 - Jim Bunning goes perfect in 1964.

#3 - The Phillies win their first world championship in 1980.

#2 - Joe Carter breaks our hearts.

I wonder what #1 will be.....

FIM #5: The Whiz Kids

Almost 60 years ago, we remember one of the most exciting and memorable teams in Philadelphia history: the Whiz Kids. Known for their youth and energetic play, the Whiz Kids took the Phillies all the way to the World Series, only to lose to the New York Yankees.

The Whiz Kids were comprised of a bunch of young players who were trained through their farm system. The Phillies haven't made the World Series in 35 years and had to get through the defending champions to win their first title. Unfortunately, they were swept in four games, losing the first three by a run and game 4 by a score of 5-2.

Their youth was really evadable. Their oldest starer in the field was Eddie Waitkus at 30 and the second oldest starting pitcher was Russ Meyer, 26 (the oldest was 34).

The Whiz Kids featured two future Hall of Famers in center fielder Richie Asburn and pitcher Robin Roberts. Ashburn batted .303 that year with an OBP of .372, great numbers for a lead off hitter. Roberts was their ace pitcher, going 20-11 with a 3.02 ERA. He threw 21 complete games, five of which were shut outs.

Del Ennis led the team in batting, homers, and RBI's (.311/31/126). Other power numbers came from Dick Sisler (.297/13/83), Andy Seminick (.288/24/68), and Willie Jones (.267/25/88). Granny Hamner also drove in 82 runs.

The pitching was also phenomenal. Roberts was supported by Curt Simmons (17-8; 3.40), Bob Miller (11-6; 3.57) and their closer Jim Konstanty (16-7; 2.66; 22 saves). The closer role was different back then as Konstanty racked up a ton of wins. He would actually get the start in game 1 of the World Series, going 8 innings and allowed a run on four hits. The Phils were shut out 1-0.

This team would have been exciting to watch. I love baseball like this. Guys who hit, run well, get dirty, and play the game the right way. Today you see pimped out home runs, guys coming up short on fly balls, and guys who don't run out ground balls. Baseball turned from an art form to a joke. There was no steroids and there was no media hype. It was just baseball and the fans, just winning and losing.

FIM #9: Harry and Whitey

One dazzled people with his play on the field. The other dazzled them with his amazing voice. But what made them so special was their friendship and team work in the broadcast booth years after the former retired. Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas were two of the greatest broadcasting duos in all of sports and captured so many hearts in Philadelphia. Moment #9 will be when they died at their respective ages.

Ashburn was as smooth in the box as he was in center field when he played in the 40's and 50's. When I look back at baseball history, there are a few players who I would love to have seen play. Sure I want to see Babe Ruth, Micky Mantle, Willie Mays or Joe DiMaggio but when it comes to watching a Phillie play, Ashburn is the type of player I want to see. He could hit, play defense, steal bases, and just simply hustle.

In 1963, Ashburn worked along side By Saam in the broadcast booth. In 1971, Kalas joined the duo and when Saam retired in 1976, "Harry and Whitey" would broadcast together for 21 more years. Ashburn had the honor of being inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1995 for his service to baseball on and off the field. Ashburn planned on retiring after the 1997 season but suddenly died of a heart attack after a Mets/Phillies game. In honor of Ashburn, the center field pavillion in the new Citizens Bank Park was named "Ashburn Alley."

Kalas had to move on but could never stop grieving the death of his best friend. When he took over, he was joined by many guys including former pitcher and member of the 1993 team, Larry Anderson, Tom McCarthy, and Chris Wheeler. In 2008, Kalas was sideline for a few games due to a detached retina. Kalas was named to the baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Then on April 8, 2009, Kalas partook in the opening ceremonies in which the Phillies were handed their championship rings. It was his last home game. On April 13, he collapsed in the broadcast booth in Washington hours before the Phillies played the Nationals. He died 90 minutes later.

The city was hit so hard when Ashburn died and was hit even harder after Kalas passed. The city, not even through the 1964 collapse or Joe Carter's home run or anything the other 3 professional teams did hit the city like the deaths of our greatest voices. They were the voice of the Phillies and the voice of the city of Philadelphia. Now they're calling the Phillies games from the heavens.

FIM #15: Three Straight Years of HOFers

It was in the wake of a World Series run that ended in heart break. But fans were soon reminded of the great players that have worn the Phillies jersey in years past. 1994 was the first of three consecutive years a Phillie would get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

In 1994, Steve Carlton was inducted. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game. Carlton came over to Philadelphia in the “greatest trade in Phillies history” for Rick Wise in 1972. He continued to be the dominatne pitcher he was in St. Louis, helping the Phillies win their first World Series in 1980. Carlton won 329 games in his career with 254 complete games, 55 of those were shut outs.

In 1995, the Phillies were treated with 2 HOFers: Mike Schmidt and the late Richie Ashburn. Schmidt is considered the greatest third basemen ever. He was a Phillie his whole career and was a 9-time Gold Glover, 12-time All Star, 6-time Silver Slugger, and 1-time world champion.

Ashburn was a member of the 1950 pennant winning team nicknamed the “Whiz Kids” and became one half of the famous Harry and Whitey broadcasting team. He could hit, get on base and steal then would steal them. He is 3rd in Phillies history in runs scored. He is also a 5-time All Star. He passed away on September 9, 1997.

Lastly, in 1996, Jim Bunning was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bunning was famous for throwing the only perfect game in Phillies history in 1964, the same year they had their monumental collapse. Bunning was excellent his whole career, winning 224 games and striking out 2855 batters.

All four players have had their numbers retired by the Phillies. Surely it was a wonderful consolation prize after losing the heart breaker in 1993.

Phillies March Madness: Final Four

Here is your Philadelphia Phinal Phour

#1 Chase Utley vs #2 Curt Schilling

Why Utley: Mr. Utley was THE man for the Phillies since 2005. He has a .298 average going into the 2009 season and is one of the few guys producing offensively during the Phillies current slow start. Some of his career achievements in Philly include his grand slam in his MLB debut versus the Rockies and most recently his infamous pump fake to first - throw out at home during game 5 of the World Series which kept the game tied.

Career w/ Phillies: .298 AVG / 130 HR / 492 RBI / 60 SB

Why Schilling: He started his career in Baltimore and then was traded to Philadelphia. he quickly became their ace, most notably during the 1993 NL Pennant team. He posted great numbers throughout his career in Philly but got the 3 rings he owns somewhere else, one in 2001 with Arizona where he and Randy Johnson were one of the greatest pitching duos of all time and two in 2004 and 2007 with Boston. Sure he was successful elsewhere but he became the pitcher he was playing in Philly.

Career w/ Phillies: 16591.1 IP / 101-78 / 3.35 ERA / 1554 K

#1 Mike Schmidt vs #1 Richie Ashburn

Why Schmidt: Michael Jack Schmidt, as we affectionately remember Harry Kalas calling him that, is considered the greatest Phillie of all time and greatest third baseman in the history of baseball. He is the only Phillie on this list to play his entire career in Phillie (we hope guys like Utley, Ryam Howard, and Cole Hamels do so as well) and be great. I could go on for hours as to why the 9 time Gold Glover, 12 time All Star, 6 time Silver Slugger, and 1 time world champion is the best ever. His #20 is also retired in Philly and was inducted into the baseball Hall Of Fame in 1995. 

Career w/ Phillies: .267 AVG / 548 HR / 1,595 RBI / 174 SB

Why Ashburn: Whitey is considered more than just a player. He was also the 2nd half to the greatest broadcast team in Philadelphia history, Harry and Whitey. Ashburn was one of the greatest center fielders of all time and a member of the 1950's "Whiz Kids" team. He could hit, get on base and steal them. He is 3rd in Phillies history in runs scored. He is a 5 time All Star and has his #1 retired. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame with Schmidt in 1995

Career w/ Phillies: .311 AVG / 22 HR / 499 RBI / 199 SB