Covering nearly 130 years of the team’s history, former Phillies great and current color commentator Gary Matthews recounts the greatest Phillies and their contributions to the sport of baseball. From Robin Roberts and the Whiz Kids of the 1950s to the world champion 2008 roster, this work includes a ranking of the top five Phillies at each position, rare archival photos, and detailed biographies of the franchise’s greatest players. With insights from a uniquely qualified baseball insider, this one of a kind book is the ultimate reference for any baseball fan or Phillies fanatic.
The ultimate reference book for any “Phillie phanatic,” this book provides a behind-the-scenes peek into the private world of the players, managers, broadcasters, and executives, taking readers into the clubhouse and onto the field. Author Robert Gordon takes fans inside the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies' run to the World Series, when first baseman John Kruk once told a fan, “I ain't an athlete, lady, I'm a baseball player;” back to 1980, when Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Larry Bowa delivered the team's first World Series title; and to 2008, when a new generation experienced the ecstasy of a World Series win. Written for every fan who follows the Phillies, this unique book captures the memories and great stories from more than a century of the team's history.
As Tim McCarver points out in his Foreword, Chris Wheeler is accomplished at telling stories. From his first experience behind a mike at Penn State in the 1960s to his reflections on the Phillies' ring ceremony at the Citizens Bank Park on April 8, 2009, "Wheels" can paint word pictures like few broadcasters in any sport. His View from the Booth encompasses memorable portraits of people and places you're invited to share, all the highs and lows of nearly four decades with the never-boring Philadelphia Phillies.
From when the Phillies franchise was established in 1883 and a rookie manager led the team to its first National League pennant in 1915 to the World Series titles in 1980 and 2008, Larry Shenk, a longtime Phillies executive, provides insight into a potpourri of faces, places, events, and personalities in Phillies history. He takes readers through every no-hitter thrown by a Phillies pitcher and an incredible season by a relief pitcher who became the Most Valuable Player. Read about Mike Schmidt’s most dramatic home run, the youngest pitcher to ever win a game in the big leagues, the greatest one-game performance in World Series history, the most unbreakable records in franchise history, and why the Phillies held spring training in Pennsylvania during the 1940s.
Every generation or so, a team comes along whose march toward victory is so improbable that you can't help but root them along. The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies was that kind of team; young and spirited, the Whiz Kids played a raw, emotional brand of baseball, nipping the Brooklyn Dodgers on the final day of the season to bring the National League's perennial doormat its first title in 35 years. Hall-of-Fame member Robin Roberts, the team's ace starter, peppers his recollections with snippets of oral history from his teammates to produce a book as lively as the team itself.--
Part historical catalog, part biography, and part baseball primer for beginners and experts alike, this account lists the arguably best five players at each position by one of the best players in St. Louis history—Tim McCarver. The book is ideal for any baseball fan who wants to learn more about the game and includes immortals such as Cy Young, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Curt Flood, Leo Durocher, Steve Carlton, and Mark McGwire.
From profanity-laced clubhouse tirades and outspoken opinions on the state of the game to tears at an emotional funeral for his murdered granddaughter, Dallas Green tells his story for the first time in this autobiography. In his nearly 60 years in baseball as a pitcher; manager of three franchises, including both New York squads, the Mets and Yankees; general manager; and executive, Dallas Green has never minced words or shied away from making enemies. Though many bristled at his gruff style, nobody could argue with the result of his leadership: as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, he led the team to a World Series championship in 1980 and as general manger of the Chicago Cubs, he pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the sport by dealing journeyman Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies in exchange for Larry Bowa and future Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. This larger-than-life baseball personality shares insights from the mound, the dugout, and the front office as well as anecdotes of some of the game s biggest stars and encounters with the press, player agents, and the unions. Dallas Green also shares his feelings about his granddaughter, Christina-Taylor Green, who was shot and killed by a deranged stalker in Tucson, Arizona, during an assassination attempt on the life of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Knowing that the loss of his beloved granddaughter has irrevocably changed him, Green discusses how, in the wake of her death, baseball became a coping mechanism for him."
To Philadelphia Phillies fans, he was the soundtrack of summer. To millions of football fans across America, he was the ''Voice of the NFL.'' And as open and giving as Harry Kalas was throughout his professional and personal life, there are countless layers of the man that have remained unknown . . . until now. Author Randy Miller interviewed more than 160 people-including all of Harry's surviving family, many of his close friends from childhood to present, numerous colleagues from baseball and the NFL, and even Harry's longtime personal psychologist-to craft a loving and shockingly honest portrayal of one of the most celebrated broadcasters in the history of sports. With incredible details from all phases of his life-from his upbringing in the Chicago suburbs, to his Hall of Fame broadcasting career in baseball, to his ubiquitous voiceover work with the NFL, to his personal vices for drinking and women, to his legendary friendship with Richie ''Whitey'' Ashburn, to his ongoing feud with on-air partner Chris Wheeler-Harry the K: The Remarkable Life of Harry Kalas will surprise, delight, and enlighten all fans of the man they called ''Harry the K.''
What would the ultimate Cubs lineup look like? Fans don't have to wonder any longer, Ron Santo, one of the greatest Cubs to ever play inside the Friendly Confines spells it out for fans everywhere. Santo lists the top five players at every position in the history of the franchise, with explanation for each decision along with statistics for every player and dozens of photos throughout.
