The roots of the Philadelphia Phillies stretch all the way back to 1883, making them one of the oldest teams not only in baseball, but in all of pro sports in North America. Although they team has had a variety of names in its history, it shouldn’t be confused with the one-time Philadelphia Athletics, who left the city in 1955 for Kansas City and, eventually, Oakland.
Ballpark / Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
After more than 30 years at each of Veterans Stadium and Connie Mack Stadium, the Phillies made news by moving to Citizens Bank Park in 2004. Part of a community of stadiums, alongside the Eagles Lincoln Financial Field and the Flyers and 76ers Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park seats 43,651 fans. Its notable features include Ashburn Alley, numerous statues, an enormous Liberty Bell replica and a Mitchell & Ness store. You can buy a cheesesteak during your visit at McFadden’s, Campo’s or Tony Luke’s and decide which you like best.
World Series Championships
Despite more than a century in Major League Baseball, the Phillies have just a pair of World Series titles to their name. These titles came in 1980 and 2008. Other successes in the team’s history include seven National League Pennants and 11 division titles. The schedule hasn’t always been kind to the Phillies; franchise currently holds the North American sports record for the most losses, but enjoys a ravenous fan base that’s extremely passionate about Philadelphia sports.
Philadelphia Phillies Roster
Even if World Series glory has been fleeting, numerous stars have filled the Phillies roster over the years. Past greats Richie Ashburn, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Chuck Klein, Robin Roberts and Mike Schmidt all wear the Phillies cap in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Other notable Phillies stars include Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Curt Schilling, Darren Daulton, John Kruk, Juan Samuel and Mike Lieberthal. Notable broadcasters include Tim McCarver and late hall of famers Harry Kalas and By Saam.
Spring Training
The Phillies Spring Training site is Bright House Field in Clearwater, FL. The park opened in 2004 and has an official capacity of 8,500. The Phillies have a long history with Clearwater as their Spring Training home, dating back to 1947 in various ballparks. The Phillies Minor League Baseball affiliates are the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Double-A Reading Fightin Phils, Advanced-A Clearwater Threshers, Class-A Lakewood BlueClaws, Short-Season A Williamsport Crosscutters and rookie league Gulf Coast League Phillies, Venezuelan Summer League Phillies and Dominican Summer League Phillies.