Philadelphia Philies

This is the most complete record book ever written about the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s the only one which includes every season and career record of every player in Phillies history, dating back to the team’s first year of play in 1883 to the present.

Unlike a typical record book which eliminates old records when new ones are created, this book never eliminates a record, but simply adds them to existing chronology lists in batting, pitching, and fielding. In this way, no players or their records will ever be forgotten and the history of the team’s records will forever be preserved.

The book offers four never-before-seen features. First there are the chronology lists which begin with the first “Record Setters” in 1883, and include every subsequent “Record Breaker,” to the present. The chronology lists also show how long each record lasted before broken and who broke whose record.

Secondly, all records are tabulated and appear at the end of each chapter on a “Record Holders List.” Did you know that Mike Schmidt has 32 club records?

Thirdly, the team’s greatest players are honored by profiling their records in a newly developed individual player’s “Record Profile.” Now, not only are we able to see how many records a player has in one glance; they all appear neatly on one page. The profile is presented in chronological order, showing how long each record lasted before broken and all of the “Record Breakers.”

The fourth never-before-seen feature are the individual player’s “Claims to Fame Profile.” This is an extension of the “Record Profiles,” but also includes every feat accomplished by a player which has made him famous such as getting 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, winning 300 games, winning awards, or getting into the Hall of Fame. Did you know that Mike Schmidt has 174 claims to fame?

CHRONOLOGY LISTS
Perhaps the best way to understand the chronology lists are by using the following example which shows and explains the evolution of the season home runs record. In the book it appears this way.

All records begin in the club’s first year of play in 1883. We find that in that year, four players led the team with just one home run. In 1884, Joe Mulvey became the first “Record Breaker” and the new home run champion by blasting five very dead balls far enough to circle the bases. A year later, Mulvey broke his own record by accomplishing this feat six times, becoming the club’s first two-time record breaker.

Mulvey’s mark would last for two years before broken by George Wood, who connected solidly 14 times. Wood’s record would also last for two years before broken by Hall of Famer Sam Thompson, who excited Phillie fans by smashing 20 balls into the bleachers. Thompson’s mark would stand for 26 years before broken by long ball-hitting Gavvy Cravath, who belted 24 round trippers. This was truly an amazing feat (as was Thompson’s) since the ball was dead.

By 1920, a new, livelier ball was introduced as the result of the excitement created by Babe Ruth and the home runs that others were hitting as well. In 1922, Cy Williams would break Cravath’s mark by smashing 26 bombs, and he would break his own record in 1923 with an incredible 41 four-baggers, thus becoming the second two-time record breaker in club history. Hall of Famer Chuck Klein would flex his muscles successfully 43 times to become the new home run champion in 1929. Klein’s feat was so great that his record would stand the test of time for an amazing 50 years before the great Mike Schmidt would pulverize 45 balls that would go the distance in 1979. The greatest home run hitter in Philly history would then go on to break his own record in 1980. His 48 rocket shots were the most ever hit by a third baseman and stands unbroken to this day.

We have now seen the entire history of the club’s season home run record. We know who the first champions were, how long each record lasted and have seen every record breaker to the present day. Records are presented simply and are easy to read. All categories in batting, pitching and fielding are done using the same format.

Thus we have the most complete record book ever written about the Philadelphia Phillies. Not one record is missing or will ever be eliminated. No players or their record will ever be forgotten. This is the truest sense of “Record Keeping.” It is a baseball treasure that Philly fans will become fanatic about, and become a collector’s item that remains in the family library forever.