Roy Halladay Gives Phillies Fans a Once in a Lifetime Gift

When Major League Baseball launched its 24-hour network on Jan. 1, 2009, the first broadcast was Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, what was up until last night the only postseason no-hitter in the history of baseball.

What Roy Halladay delivered to Phillies fans last night, and to all fans, was something that may never be duplicated in our lifetime; it was that rare. The no-hitter has been my Loch Ness monster since I first learned of one in 1975 as a seven-year-old, brand new baseball fan. I heard of a pitcher named Nolan Ryan tossing his second no-hitter of the season for the California Angels. This started my quest to see a no-hitter.

As a young Phillies fan, I would sit by the radio every time that Steve Carlton took the mound with hopes of hearing a gem. It wouldn’t be until 1990 that the Phillies would get their first no-hitter in my career, but I was stationed in Germany at the time and read about it in the Stars and Stripes. I relived this again in ’91 when Tommy Greene tossed a no-hitter against the Montreal Expos.

I have attended upwards of 500 MLB games in my lifetime and have been in the ballpark for some great moments. I have seen Roger Clemens go for his 300th win (he got a no decision), and Dmitri Young hit three home runs on opening day 2003 for the Tigers.

This season alone I have been in the park when Armando Galarraga took a perfect game into the sixth inning, a month after his near perfection, and saw Justin Verlander give up a hit in the first-inning only to mow down the next 21 in a row, but give up two in the ninth to finish with a three-hitter.

What Halladay delivered on Oct. 6, 2010, was worth the wait. There have been so many close calls. I have seen the last inning of countless no-hitters and a few perfect games when ESPN or MLB Network cuts to them already in progress, most memorably Jim Abbott in 1993. But the quest was to see a gem from start to finish, and somehow of all the thousands of games I have seen in my life, I could never slay that dragon until last night.

One of the oddest close calls in my life was on July 18, 1999. I was in an Atlantic City hotel room watching David Cone spin a perfect game against the Expos; simple enough. The only catch was that authorities were in the midst of a search for the plane carrying John F. Kennedy Jr., and the broadcast was interrupted multiple times, and at great length to cover that tragedy. As an American of Irish decent and a fan of the Kennedy family, I was torn because I had almost beaten my demon.

In 2000, I listened to the Baltimore Orioles‘ Mike Mussina—who I had watched pitch in high school, so I knew his dominance first hand—lose a no-hitter with two outs in the seventh against Minnesota.

Mussina also broke my heart again in 2001 as a Yankee when he took a perfect game into the ninth inning on a Sunday night against Boston. With two outs and two strikes on pinch hitter Carl Everett, I looked over at my brother-in-law and said, “You gotta bounce one up there.” My brother-in-law said, “Bounce two.” Mike didn’t listen. He delivered a fastball that Everett sent into left field for a clean single. Mussina’s shoulders slumped and the heart was ripped out of my chest.

When Justin Verlander pitched his no-hitter in 2007, I had listened to innings two through five on the radio and saw the rest on TV. Close, but not quite what I have been seeking for so many years. It was incredible; people were pouring beer on each other and yelling and cheering, but I had missed the first inning. So close.

When Halladay took the mound last night and pieced together the greatest game that I have ever had the good fortune to witness from start to finish, he gave each and every one of us a gift that we can carry with us for the rest of our lives—something that we can tell our grandchildren about. What we saw last night was something that may never happen again in our lifetime.

What Halladay gave to Phillies fans last night and to all baseball fans was something that we should be eternally grateful for. I have seen my Loch Ness monster.

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Philadelphia Phillies Prospect Jiwan James Answers Five Questions

Philadelphia Phillies prospect and Lakewood BlueClaws center fielder Jiwan James was kind enough to answer a few questions for Bleacher Report correspondent Jim Sheridan.

JS: Thanks for taking the time Jiwan, congratulations on winning both halves and the championship with Lakewood this season. Before we get to baseball, I have to ask you how do the beaches in New Jersey compare to the ones in your home state of Florida?

JJ: Thanks. Honestly I never even went down to the beaches. On our days off I pretty much laid in bed all day and just sat at the house.

JS: Has your transition from pitcher to everyday player helped you at the plate?

JJ: Not at all, pitching and hitting are two totally different worlds. From a hitter’s standpoint I’m up there looking fastball every pitch and just trying to react to the off speed stuff. I can’t read the pitcher’s mind, so I’m not going to go up there guessing curve or slider or anything and then get blown away by a fastball. Maybe later on in my career when the scouting reports are pretty much perfect then I’ll be able to sit on something other than a fastball, but for now I’m sitting dead red.

JS: July was an incredible month for you, hitting .361 with a 24-game hitting streak mixed in. You cooled off in August and September. Did playing in 133 games this season catch up to you?

JJ: As much as I hate to make excuses for anything, I’m going to have to say yes. This was my first full season and I’ve never played that many games before. I talked to Domonic Brown about it, and he told me that’s just part of being in your first full season, and that August and September will get easier for me every year.

JS: Having guys like Domonic Brown to let you know what to expect is huge. You had a .990 fielding percentage in center field this season, and BlueClaw manager Mark Parent said that you were outstanding in the field. Has your speed and conditioning changed since you became an everyday player?

JJ: Yes, having Domonic Brown and my buddy from home Esix Snead, who helped me get through the first two months of the season when I was struggling helps out a lot. I think I’ve gotten faster since the switch. As a position player you always want to come back faster the next season than you were before, so the offseason training comes to play there. My conditioning has changed. I went from running 15-20 minutes a day to sprints and agility stuff.

JS: At what age did you become a switch hitter? Would you recommend it to youngsters just getting started?

JJ: I’ve been able to hit from both sides of the plate since I was about seven. But it was nothing I ever took serious. It was more of me being a showoff to my friends playing sandlot baseball when we were younger. Lefty became pretty much my dominant side as I got older but I’d always jump on the right side every now and then through out middle school and high school just to see that I still could do it. Now that it’s something I need, I’m trying to play catch up from the right side.

JS: Last one Jiwan, are you bulking up at all? What are you weighing in at?

JJ: I just weighed in like two days ago down here at 195. When I reported to spring training early in February I was at just over 200. So I lost a few pounds throughout the course of the season. My plan is to bulk up more and get bigger and stronger. It’s the only way your going to survive in this game. I’m looking to come back at 205 or better, so we’ll see how that goes.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Team Chemistry Sets Pace as Playoffs Draw Near

Team chemistry is a sometimes overlooked factor in sports but it’s nothing new in Philadelphia. The 1980 Cardiac Kids with an infield led by Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, and Pete Rose, and an outfield showcasing Garry Maddox, Bake McBride, and Greg Luzinski brought the Phillies their first world championship. The team chemistry in 1980 seemed almost subdued until the final out of the World Series as most of the players were older.

The 1992 Phillies that finished last in the National League East, were described by John Kruk as “24 morons and one Mormon.” The clean living Dale Murphy being the one Mormon. In 1993 the Phillies were in my opinion the original “blue collar” or “going to work” team. Mullet Row was led by Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra (a perfect fit in Philadelphia after coming over from the Mets in 1989) John Kruk, and Mickey Morandini.

I usually separate everyday players from pitchers, but in 1993 pitchers Terry Mulholland, Mitch Williams and Tyler Green seemed to fit right into the practical jokes and all-around good time that surrounded this team. Somehow this hard-partying team won 97 games and earned a trip to the World Series. When the dust settled on the ’93 season I could see most of these players regardless of their position on the field or status as a starter or backup all sitting around the bar together.

Cut to 2010, while this Phillies team displays a different type of chemistry I believe that it is the most special kind; the team unity that is displayed day in and day out is amazing.

Ryan Howard is the key to this fine-tuned machine. On Monday night after the Phillies clinched the NL East Howard once again showed his class and leadership when he halted the post-game celebration so that veterans Roy Halladay, Mike Sweeney, and Brian Schneider could pop the corks on the first bottles of celebratory champagne. A veteran himself, Howard has had the champagne shower in past years and knows the significance, letting the three who had never been to the playoffs before savor the special moment, unity.

On April 13th, 2009 the Phillies lost a legend in the booth when the longtime voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas, passed away before the Phillies were hosted by the Washington Nationals.

The Phillies once again displayed the close knit unity that makes this group special when Shane Victorino hit a solo home run. He pointed to the broadcast booth that was missing the 39-year work horse Harry Kalas, whose picture and sport coat hung in the Phillies dugout the remainder of the season.

Before the game Howard organized a team smoke in honor of Harry the K, a longtime smoker and a few Parliament Lights were passed around the dugout. Although it may seem juvenile or politically incorrect to some, this is just another example of these men honoring those who came before them.

While attending Southwest Missouri State University Howard was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. It is this type of fraternity brother attitude that sets the Phillies apart from other teams. A foxhole mentality, when the chips are down you trust the man on your left or right; this is what we are witnessing this season.

Howard is 30 years old with seven years of major league experience but he balances that with a youthful clubhouse presence. You don’t find that quality on other teams around the league.

This family-type bond is just the kind of chemistry that can carry a team like the Phillies as far as they want to go. And in the case of the Philadelphia Phillies they want to ride this wave all the way, together.

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Placido Polanco Back Where He Belongs For Phillies

In the winter before the Phillies’ 2010 season, most of the talk revolved around Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, but one of the most exciting moves made by Ruben Amaro Jr. this off season was the acquisition of Placido Polanco.

On November 8th the Phillies declined third baseman Pedro Feliz’ 5.5 million dollar option for the 2010 season, and on December third signed free agent Polanco to a three year contract with a mutual option for the fourth year. Polanco brought with him two Gold Gloves, won in 2007 and 08, and a career fielding percentage of .990%, as well as a .303 career batting average over 13 seasons in the major leagues.

This is Polanco’s second tour of duty in Philadelphia. In July 2002 the Phillies picked up Polanco from the Cardinals as part of the Scott Rolen deal, and re-signed him in 2004 before sending him to Detroit in exchange for Ramon Martinez and Ugueth Urbina. The move proved to be an absolute steal for Detroit as Martinez has been back and forth between the minors and the bigs and Urbina is currently serving 14 years in a Venezuelan prison for two counts of attempted murder after an unfortunate machete incident.

Polanco proceeded to win two Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger award, and was MVP of the 2006 ALCS. He was also named to his first All-Star team in 2007—all in a Detroit uniform. But it was common knowledge that Polanco fell in love with the City of Brotherly Love, and was excited to return to the Phillies.

In Detroit Polanco played only one game at third base, mostly playing second in his time there, but he seems to have slipped right back into the role of an everyday third baseman, having committed only four errors this season. Superb defense is unsurprising from the veteran though—in 2007, Polanco set a major league record for second baseman, going 149 games without committing an error.

Polanco’s post season numbers are equally impressive. If the Phillies make it to the playoffs, he will bring with him a career .296 postseason batting average, which is somewhat watered down by an 0-17 slump in the 2006 World Series. He also has a .363 on base percentage in the playoffs, and will provide added experience to an already experienced infield.

All the stats, numbers and awards aside, one of the most touching things that I ever witnessed on a baseball field occurred on the night of July 9th, 2008 at Comerica Park. Placido Polanco and 99 other people received their U.S. citizenship before the game. As he stood out on the field in his uniform, the pride was evident on his face.

Philadelphia is lucky to have Placido Polanco back in the organization, and Polanco is happy to be back in Philadelphia. May it lead to many trips to the playoffs together.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Reviewing The Season With 22 Games Left

Overcoming adversity is nothing new to the Philadelphia Phillies, but how the Phillies react to these conditions is what sets them apart from other teams in the league.

In 2007 they overcame a seven game deficit with 17 games to go, the first team in MLB history to do so. In 2008 it was three and a half games back with 16 to play. Both teams ended up playing in the post season, with a World Series title coming home in 2008.

This year it has been injuries instead of games in the won lost column that made things a little bit uncomfortable at times this season. In the off season leading into the 2010 campaign, the Phillies and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said goodbye to pitchers Brett Myers, Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, Lee and Martinez were added in mid season 2009 to bolster the second march to the World Series in as many years.

Also on the way out were infielders Miguel Cairo and Pedro Feliz. Some of the bigger names that were brought in were Roy Halladay, Jose Contreras, and Gold Glove winning infielder Polanco, who has said in the past how much he enjoyed his first tour of duty in Philadelphia.

He never wanted to leave, which seems to be a common feeling with players that have played in the Philadelphia organization.

The Phillies went 12-10 in April with some of the highlights being Polanco‘s grand slam on Opening Day with seven innings out of Halliday in an 11-1 win over Washington, Ryan Howard passing Greg Luzinski for fifth place on the Phillies all time home run list with his 223rd on April 7th.

 

On April 9th the Phils took sole possession of first place, and scored 41 runs in the first five games. April also saw the beginning of the calf problems that would haunt Jimmy Rollins and the Phillies for the next few months. Chase Utley homered in four consecutive games in April, and after a loss to the Giants later in the month the Phillies dropped out of first place for the first time in 135 regular season games going back to May 29, 2009.

May saw the Phillies return to the top of the division but also saw the death of a legend, on May 6th Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts passed away, Roberts was still a presence in the Phillies clubhouse among the current pitchers and a patch with his retired number would be worn for the rest of the season.

The Phillies opened interleague play in Boston and were one hit by Daiskue Matsuaka, with the only hit being a Juan Castro single. The Phillies were accused of stealing signs from the bullpen, Carlos Ruiz injured his knee, and the Phillies went 30 innings without scoring a run. None of this seemed to matter when Roy Halladay pitched only the 20th perfect game in MLB history.

And on May 30th the Phillies dropped out of first place, they also finished to month going 68 innings without a home run. Players on the disabled list in May were Lidge, Joe Blanton, Jimmy Rollins and Brian Schneider.

A 13-13 record in June seems sounds uneventful, but there were some interesting match ups and situations in June. Brad Lidge blew his first save of the season, the second round of interleague play saw a Phillies Yankees rematch with the Phillies taking the series two games to one and Jamie Moyer collected his 265th career victory.

There was also the road trip that was played at home, the Toronto Blue Jays were scheduled to host the Phillies but the series was played in Philadelphia because of a political summit that was scheduled in Toronto the same week. The Blue Jays batted last and the designated hitter rule was in effect for the first time ever in a NL ballpark during the regular season. June also saw Utley, Rollins, Polanco, Ruiz, and Chad Durbin on the DL.

July started out with Charlie Manuel serving a one game suspension following an incident with umpire C.B. Bucknor. On July 7th the Phillies were six games behind Atlanta, and took a 4 game winning streak into the All Star break. After the break the Phillies gave the almost lights out Ubaldo Jimenez his second loss of the season, in a 10-2 victory. On July 27th Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins were both injured, clearing the way for Domonic Brown’s promotion to the majors, Brown went 2-3 with two runs scored and two RBI in his debut.

Roy Oswalt was added to strengthen the rotation, in a trade that sent J.A. Happ to the Astros. July was a busy month for disabled list activities, Ryan Madsen and Ruiz were taken off the DL, Moyer and Victorino were sent to the DL. The Phillies finished the month 15-13.

August saw Ryan Howard headed to the 15 day disabled list on the 3rd of the month, with Victorino and Utley coming off the list. John Mayberry Jr. made his return to the bigs in Howards place. The Phillies also got their first look at National’s phenom Stephen Strasburg on August 21st, Srasburg left the game early and headed off to Tommy John surgery.

 

Mike Sweeny who was signed on August 4th to take Howard’s spot while he recovered hit his first homer as a Phillie. The squad finished the month 18-10.

September call-ups saw the arrivals of Paul Hoover and Greg Dobbs and Nate Robertson with his 57-77 career record, as well as the recalls of Mayberry and Vance Worley. Moyer was placed on the 60 day disabled list and Ross Gload was activated off the DL. With all the injuries throughout the season the Phillies appear to be in a healthy position right now and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time.

The schedule the rest of the way out will basically let the Phillies dictate their own destiny this season. The rest of the season is played against NL East teams with three versus Atlanta at home September 20-22, and the final three games of the season in early October in Atlanta. While the race could come down to the final three games the Phillies will have an opportunity to close it out earlier.

While other teams have had injury problems this year, most notably the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox, two teams that were expected to make a run at the title this season, both are basically out of the race, while the Phillies, faced with the same situations reacted to differently and it seems to be paying off. The biggest luxury that the Phillies had was the depth of the farm system, it’s a nice problem to have when you can bring a player like Domonic Brown to the bigs and not have to make a trade that depletes the farm system.

Right now the Phillies hold the future in the palms of their hands and the future looks bright.

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Ruben Amaro Jr. Is Commited To Winning With Philadelphia Phillies

There are two schools of thought when it comes to hiring a general manager for a Major League Baseball team: Either you hire a businessman or a baseball man.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have gone the businessman route with Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein and have been successful.

On the other side of the coin there are the Chicago White Sox and general manager Kenny Williams, a former MLB player who worked his way up from scout to the top of the front office and has done a solid job in Chicago for the past 10 years.

What we have here in Philadelphia is an incredible combination of both.

Ruben Amaro Jr. is a third generation baseball man. His grandfather Santo was a feared hitter in the Mexican League for 17 years, and his father Ruben Senior was a Gold Glove shortstop for the Phillies, as well as first base coach on the 1980 World Championship squad.

Amaro Jr. has been around baseball all his life. He was a batboy for the Phillies from 1980-1983 and played eight years in the Majors. This alone is impressive, but add into the mix that Amaro went to school at Penn Charter and then on to Stanford University, where he graduated with a B.S. in Human Biology. Along the way he was a star on the 1987 NCAA College World Series championship team.

Ed Wade brought Amaro aboard in 1998 as assistant GM. He remained in this position through the three seasons that Pat Gillick led the team. As an assistant from ’98 to 2008 he was involved in a nice turnaround that had a lowlight of a 65-win season in 2005 and finished with a World Series win in 2008 under third-year general manager Gillick, who retired after the season, handing the keys over to Amaro.

This combination of a lifelong baseball man with a quality education is evident time after time in the moves that come out of this front office. Amaro goes out and gets Raul Ibanez and Chan Ho Park and re-signs Jamie Moyer.

Down the stretch in 2009 Amaro brings in Matt Stairs, who was a big contributor in the postseason, by giving up Fabio Castro to the Blue Jays. The day before the trade deadline Amaro pulls the trigger and brings in Cliff Lee by giving Cleveland three marginal players and Jason Knapp; Lee finished 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA. With a National League pennant in his first year in the big chair, Amaro was off to a good start.

The 2010 season has had some ups and downs in regards to personnel moves but seems to be fairly steady right now. Trading the rights of Cliff Lee didn’t sit well with most people, and it looks worse now that the top prospect that the Phillies got in return, Tyson Gillies (who is legally deaf), appears to have some legal problems in front of him.

That move was countered by signing Roy Halladay, with Kyle Drabek being the big name given up in the trade. Placido Polanco, a Gold Glove second baseman with the Tigers, comes back to Philadelphia, a place that he said he never wanted to leave, to play third base. Polanco was a huge sign; he is an excellent fielder and was the second best clutch hitter on the Tigers behind Miguel Cabrera.

Add Roy Oswalt, who the Phillies acquired from the Astros, and I would say that the positives outweigh the negatives in the trade category.

The Phillies have been plagued by injuries this season and have done an incredible job fighting though it. Amaro’s decision to bring Domonic Brown to the majors was probably not going to happen until the September call-ups, but it appears to have been the right move.

The Detroit Tigers have been in the same situation this season as far as injuries go and haven’t reacted the same as the Phillies; they are in third place, 10 games back. Good teams react differently than great teams, and the Phillies are a great team right now.

Amaro made an excellent move this week, bringing aboard Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter as a minor league pitching consultant. While this move might fly under the radar of most people, it shows a huge commitment to the future of the ball club. Here you have a man with a 2.83 career ERA working with young talent.

It’s moves like this that separate the better teams in the league from the rest of the pack. This was a move made by the ballplayer Amaro. The contracts and numbers are where the Stanford grad Amaro shines.

The Phillies are in a unique position right now. They are being led by a man that sees both sides of the fence. The future should be very bright with Ruben Amaro Jr., with his vast knowledge of baseball and his knowledge in general, leading the team.

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Ruben Amaro Jr. Is Commited To Winning In Philadelphia

       There are two schools of thought when it comes to hiring a General Manager for a Major League Baseball team, either you hire a business man or a baseball man. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have gone the business man rout with Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein and have been successful. On the other side of the coin there are the Chicago White Sox and General Manager Kenny Williams, a former MLB player who worked his way up from scout to the top of the front office, who has done a solid job in Chicago for the past ten years.

       What we have here in Philadelphia is an incredible combination of both. Ruben Amaro Jr is a third generation baseball man, his grandfather Santo was a feared hitter in the Maexican League for 17 years, and his father Ruben senior was a gold glove shortstop for the Phillies as well as first base coach on the 1980 World Championship squad.

       Amaro Jr has been around baseball all his life, he was a bat boy for the Phillies from 1980-1983, and played eight years in the Majors. This alone is impressive but add into the mix that Amaro went to school at Penn Charter then on to Stanford University where he graduated with a B.S. in Human Biology. Along the way he was a star on the 1987 NCAA College World Series Championship team.

       Ed Wade brought Amaro aboard in 1998 as assistant GM, he remained in this position through the three seasons that Pat Gillick led the team. As an assistant from ’98 to 2008 he was involved in a nice turnaround that had a low light of a 65 win season in 2005 and finished with a World Series win in 2008 under third year General Manager Gillick who retired after the season handing the keys over to Amaro.

       This combination of a life long baseball man with a quality education is evident time after time in the moves that come out of this front office. He goes out and gets Raul Ibanez and Chan Ho Park, and resigns Jamie Moyer.  Down the stretch in 2009 Amaro brings in Matt Stairs who was a big contributor in the post season, by giving up Fabio Castro to the Blue Jays. The day before the trade deadline Amaro pulls the trigger and brings in Cliff Lee by giving Cleveland three marginal players and and JC Knapp, Lee finished 5-0 with a 0.68 era. With a National League Pennant in his first year in the big chair Amaro was off to a good start.

       The 2010 season has had some ups and downs in regards to personnel moves but seems to be fairly steady right now. Trading the rights of Cliff Lee didn’t sit well with most people, and it looks worse now that the top prospect that the Phillies got in return, Tyson Gillies (who is legally deaf) appears to have some legal problems in front of him. That move was countered by signing Roy Halliday with Kyle Drabek being the big name given up in the trade. Placido Polanco a gold glove second baseman with the Tigers comes back to Philadelphia, a place that he said he never wanted to leave, to play third base. Polanco was a huge sign, he is an excellent fielder and was the second  best clutch hitter on the Tigers behind Miguel Cabrera. Add Roy Oswalt, who the Phillies acquired from the Astros and I would say that the positives outweigh the negatives in the trade category.

       The Phillies have been plagued with injuries this season and have done an incredible job fighting though it, Amaro’s decision to bring Domonic Brown to the majors was proboly not going to happen until the September call ups, but it appears to have been the right move. The Detroit Tigers have been in the same situation this season as far as injuries go and haven’t reacted the same as the Phillies and are in 3rd place 10 games back. Good teams react differently than great teams and the Phillies are a great team right now.

       Amaro made an excellent move this week bringing aboard Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter as a minor league pitching consultant. While this move might fly under the radar of most people, it shows a huge commitment to the future of the ball club. Here you have a man with a 2.83 career era working with young talent. It’s moves like this that separate the better teams in the league from the rest of the pack. This was a move made by the ballplayer Amaro. The contracts and numbers are where the Stanford grad Amaro shines.

       The Phillies are in a unique position right now, they are being led by a man that sees both sides of the fence. The future should be very bright with Ruben Amaro Jr, with his vast knowledge of baseball and his knowledge in general, leading the team.

 

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Phans Need To Savor the Philadelphia Phillies

The window of opportunity doesn’t stay open for very long in Major League Baseball. This is why Phillies fans need to enjoy this run while it lasts.

I was fortunate enough to be at game six of the 1980 World Series, as a naive 12-year-old, and I honestly thought that it was going to be like that every year.

Playoffs, World Series championships, victory parades, and taking a day off from school to go to a game or a parade—never did I imagine that it would be 27 years before the city would get to enjoy that feeling again.

The Phillies finished first in the East from 1976 to 1978, losing in the first round all three years, to the Reds in ’76, and twice to the Dodgers. Attendance averaged about 2.6 million over those years. Then came 1979 and a fourth place finish in the East, but amazingly, had an attendance of 2,775,011, the highest total until 1993.

Yes, the Phillies averaged more than 2000 more a game in 1979 as a fourth place team than in the first World Championship year in 1980.

What makes this current run so interesting is all the similarities to quality teams the Phillies fielded from 1976 to 1983.

Home Grown Talent

Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, Lonnie Smith, and Bob Boone all came up through the Phillies farm system, as well as pitchers Larry Christenson and Dick Ruthven. This was also true in the ’93 season, with Mickey Morandini, Kevin Stocker, and Tyler Green.

Today we have Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, and now Domonic Brown as the core and future of the team.

Most successful teams have a strong farm system, and have the ability to make wise moves to fill in the missing pieces. Even General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is somewhat of a home grown product.

His father Ruben Sr. was first base coach on the 1980 team, and Ruben Jr. started out as a bat boy before eventually going to Stanford and getting drafted by the California Angels. The level of homegrown talent cannot be overlooked, with Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player trophies on the shelf.

Sticking Around

Ryan Howard is locked up through 2016 with an option for 2017, Roy Halliday is signed through 2013 with a 2014 option, and Utley is with the club until at least 2013. But the core of the team has been with Philadelphia for their entire careers, which is a testament to the ball club and to the city of Philadelphia itself.

People stay here because its a great team to play for and its a great city, simple as that. When Pete Rose came to the Phillies in 1979, he was coming to a proven winner, and he fell in love with the city. It didn’t hurt that he was best friends with Larry Bowa.

Filling in the Pieces

While the 1980 Phillies added Pete Rose in ’79 and the ’93 Phillies added Curt Schilling in 1992, those moves were nothing compared to what has happened in the front office over the past few years.

Cliff Lee comes and then is not re-signed, Pedro Martinez is signed and shows flashes of his old self, then disappears and is not on a roster in 2010. Roy Halliday is signed with an extension and Roy Oswalt is brought in, but one of the moves that made a difference was picking up Placido Polanco.

I had the opportunity to watch him every night when he was with the Tigers, and he was total money at second base, and maybe the second clutch hitter on the team behind Miguel Cabrera.

The message to today’s fans is to enjoy this prosperity while it lasts. I went from being a 12-year-old who thought that celebrations would be a yearly occurrence, to a guy in his 30s sitting in the Philadium asking himself if the Phillies will ever be good again. Well, the Phillies are good again, actually, they are really, really good.

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