The Beginning - The original National League featured a Philadelphia Phillies franchise which folded after one year. The current franchise debuted in 1883 as the Philadelphia Quakers. The team became the Phillies in 1890.

The Dark Times for Liberty Between 1934 and 1948, neither of the Philadelphia franchises finished higher than 4th place in their respective leagues, and neither had a winning season between '34 and '46.

Best Trade in Team History - In 1972, the Phillies sent Rick Wise to the Cardinals in exchange for Steve Carlton. Carlton would go on to win the Cy Young and Triple Crown in his first season as a Phillie, and he would win three more Cy Youngs with the Phils.

Worst Trade in Team History - In 1982, the Phillies acquired Ivan DeJesus from the Cubs in exchange for veteran Larry Bowa and a prospect named Ryne Sandberg.

All Philadelphia Phillies Stories

2009 Phillies Team Preview
There is only reason to think that this team can't repeat their World Series win: because teams don't repeat World Series wins. Otherwise, this year's sqaud only looks better than the 2008 World Series winners.

2008 Phillies Team Preview
A quiet offseason should have involved a blockbuster deal involving Jim Thome.

Should Jimmy Rollins Win the NL MVP?
Great counting stats; ho-hum rate stats.

2007 Phillies Team Preview
The 2007 Phillies should be able to compete for the division title and probably lock down the wild card.

2006 Phillies Team Preview
Offense? Check. Defense? Check. Pitching? Uh-oh. Must've slipped their minds... again.

2005 Phillies Team Preview
A quiet offseason should have involved a blockbuster deal involving Jim Thome.

Splitsville: 2005 Batters 1/9/06
Brewers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Rangers, and Mets fans: see how a careful analysis of split statistics elucidates your team's offseason moves.

2005 Team Notes 12/7/05
Keith digs through stats to clarify what the loss of Billy Wagner will mean for the club.

Asher's 2005 Year In Review 11/10/05
Asher's accolades go to Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, but he leads off with a little known fact about Bobby Abreu's 2005 season.

Scouting Report: Phillies 1B Ryan Howard 3/28/05
"That awesome-hitting first baseman on the Phillies" is a phrase someone might use to try to describe Jim Thome. By next season, it will be one of the ways people describe uber-slugger Ryan Howard.

2005 Phillies Team Preview
No team in the NL East had an offseason as quiet as the Philadelphia Phillies did. Here is a position-by-position account of the Phamiliar Phillies.

Pitchers That Make You Go ‘Hmm . . . ’
We all know that 1987 was a hitters paradise, but giving the NL Cy Young to Steve Bedrosian? C'mon.

Grover Cleveland Alexander vs. Lefty Grove
A statistical comparison of two of the greatest pitchers of all time.

Philadelphia Phillies Archive