Philadelphia Phillies

Lore & Background

The National League approved a new franchise for Philadelphia to begin play in 1883, at its annual meeting in Providence on December 7, 1882. The Phillies are the oldest, continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in American professional sports. Since their founding, the Phillies have won two World Series championships and eight National League pennants (the first of which came in 1915). The team has played 122 consecutive seasons since the first modern World Series and 142 seasons since its inaugural 1883 campaign.

The team has played at several stadiums in the city, including Recreation Park (1883–1886), the Baker Bowl (1887–1938), Shibe Park (1938–1970), Veterans Stadium (1971–2003), and now at Citizens Bank Park (2004–present). Partly because of the team's longevity, the Phillies were the first American sports franchise to amass over 10,000 losses. Yet, the Phillies are one of only ten teams to also have won over 10,000 games in their history.

Reader's Guide

Over the team's history since 1883, 33 Phillies players have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt is widely considered the franchise's greatest player of all time. The Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate is the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who play at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Double-A affiliate is the Reading Fightin Phils, who play in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Class-A affiliates are the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, who play in Lakewood Township, New Jersey; and the Clearwater Threshers, who play in Clearwater, Florida. The team's spring training facilities are at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida.