Philadelphia Phillies

The oldest continuous one-name, one-city franchise in Major League Baseball.

The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citizens Bank Park, located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.

Quick Facts

League affiliation: National League
Division history: NL East (since 1969)

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 Major League Baseball and one of the most storied teams in MLB. 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.

As of the end of the 2025 season, the Phillies have played 21,810 games. The resignation of the Worcester and Troy franchises from the National League after the 1882 season created openings in the eight-team circuit for two new franchises, which were granted to New York and Philadelphia. The team has played at several stadiums in the city, including Recreation Park (1883–1886), the Baker Bowl (1887–1938), Shibe Park (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953) (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. A plurality of those losses came in a 31-year period from 1918 to 1948 in which they managed only one winning season. Yet, the Phillies are one of only ten teams (the ninth team to reach the mark) to also have won over 10,000 games in their history. With their first championship in 1980, the Phillies were the last of the 16 pre-expansion teams to win a World Series.

Since the start of the Divisional Era in 1969, however, the Phillies have emerged as one of MLB's most successful teams, making 16 playoff appearances and winning 13 division titles (including five consecutive divisional titles between 2007 and 2011), six National League pennants, and two World Series championships. 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.

Reader's Guide

History: Philadelphia Phillies (1883–1889). In 1883, sporting goods manufacturer Al Reach and attorney John Rogers won an expansion National League franchise for Philadelphia, one of what is now known as the 'Classic Eight' of the National League. They were awarded a spot in the league to replace the Worcester baseball team, a franchise that had folded in 1882. The new team was nicknamed the 'Phillies' from the start, and immediately compiled a .173 winning percentage, which stands as the worst in franchise history.

Although many sources (including the Phillies themselves) claim that Reach and Rogers bought the Brown Stockings and moved them to Philadelphia, all available evidence suggests this is not the case. Significantly, no players from Worcester ended up with the 1883 Quakers. In 1884, Harry Wright was recruited as a manager. In 1887, the team began to play at the newly constructed Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds, later renamed National League Park.

The stadium would become known as the Baker Bowl in 1923. Despite a general improvement from their dismal beginnings, they never seriously contended for the title. Becoming the Phillies (1890–1917): The nickname 'Phillies' first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 3, 1883, in the paper's coverage of an exhibition game by the new National League club and was the team's accepted nickname from the start. This name is one of the longest continually used nicknames in professional sports by a team in the same city.

The franchise's standout players in the era were Billy Hamilton, Sam Thompson, and Ed Delahanty, who in 1896 tied the major-league record with four home runs in a single game. Due to growing disagreements about the direction of the team, Reach sold his interest to Rogers in 1899. With the birth of the more lucrative American League (AL) in 1901, the Phillies saw many of their better players defect to the upstart, including a number of players who ended up playing for their crosstown rivals, the Athletics, owned by former Phillies minority owner Benjamin Shibe.

While their former teammates would thrive (the AL's first five batting champions were former Phillies), the remaining squad fared dismally, finishing 46 games out of first place in 1902—the first of three straight years finishing either seventh or eighth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Philadelphia Phillies in this context?

They are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia that serves as the primary historical rival for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both franchises compete within the National League structure.

What is this rivalry officially called?

This matchup is widely known as the Keystone Series because both teams represent Pennsylvania cities. It highlights a historic cross-state competition between two neighboring states.

When did the Phillies and Pirates begin competing?

The rivalry commenced in 1887 when the Pirates entered National League play four years after the Phillies were founded. This early start established one of the league's longest-standing competitive relationships.

How are the teams divided within the league today?

Since 1969, the Phillies have played in the NL East division while the Pirates compete in the NL Central. Despite different divisions, they remain National League members who face each other regularly.