25 Biggest ‘Underdogs’ in Philadelphia Phillies History
April 20, 2012 by Greg Pinto
Filed under Fan News
Being a professional athlete isn’t easy.
Even those that fans and pundits tend to dub the “worst” of them are playing a professional sport, baseball in this case, for a reason. You have to have a natural talent, an incredible work ethic, and all of the right “tools,” and it often seems as though the greatest of them have the perfect balance of all of those things.
But not all professional athletes make it look easy. There is a certain group of players that tend to lean a little closer to the “incredible work ethic” category and borrow from new one—”luck.” The odds are stacked against them and when they make it to the show, it is the type of guy that forced you to think, “Man, you can’t help but feel happy for him.”
We call those guys the “underdogs.”
They don’t always put up the most eye-popping numbers, and they certainly aren’t the flashiest. These are the types of players that usually get the somewhat off-putting terms—”gritty” and “grinder,” for example.
But what would the sport be without them? The fans love to get behind an underdog and they make a great story. Here are some of the most recognizable “underdogs” in Philadelphia Phillies‘ history.
*Note: All statistics are numbers acquired during the player’s tenure with the Phillies, unless otherwise stated.
For news, rumors, analysis and game recaps during spring training, check out Greg’s blog: The Phillies Phactor!