Phillies in the 1980s: From top to bottom
It's retro night at the ballpark tonight and the Phillies are saluting the 1980s. As you pull out the cardboard for some breakdancing (while the spouse makes an appointment with the chiropractor), here's a quick look at how the Phillies fared during that decade:
It's retro night at the ballpark tonight and the Phillies are saluting the 1980s.
As you pull out the cardboard for some breakdancing (while the spouse makes an appointment with the chiropractor), here's a quick look at how the Phillies fared during that decade:
1980
The Phillies captured their only championship of the decade - and century, for that matter - after winning the division on the final weekend, beating the Astros in a memorable National League Championship Series and dusting off the Royals in six. If Mike Schmidt jumping joyously onto the pile after the final pitch wasn't the lasting image, then police horses and dogs behind home plate in the ninth inning was.
Top player: Schmidt led the majors with 48 homers and knocked in 121 runs to become the first Phillies MVP since Jim Konstanty of the 1950 Whiz Kids. Steve Carlton was the NL Cy Young winner.
1981
A players strike split the season in two with the Phillies winning the NL East division title in the first half. Bill Giles bought the club from the Carpenter family following the season for $30 million.
Top player: Schmidt won his second MVP with 31 homers and a .316 batting average in 102 games.
1982
The Phillies led the division by three games in early August before being overtaken by the Cardinals. Manager Pat Corrales was criticized for dropping Dick Ruthven out of the rotation after the Phils acquired John Denny and the Phils top hitters swooned in September.
Top player: Carlton won his fourth and final Cy Young after going 23-11 with a 3.10 ERA and league-bests of 19 complete games and six shutouts.
1983
The Phillies relied so heavily on aging veterans that they were famously dubbed the Wheeze Kids by Daily News sports writer Stan Hochman. They fired Corrales in midseason and Paul Owens managed them into the World Series. It was the last flicker of the most successful era of Phillies baseball before this current run.
Top player: Denny went 19-6 with a 2.37 ERA to win the Cy Young.
1984
The Phillies traded Willie Hernandez to the Tigers in the preseason. Hernandez went on to win the AL MVP. The Phils went 81-81 and - how's this for playing out the string? - finished by losing their last last nine.
Top player: Schmidt had 36 homers and 106 RBI and Juan Samuel had 72 steals to finish a distant second to Dwight Gooden in NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
1985
Though they never really contended, the Phillies did set a team record for runs when they beat the Mets, 26-7, on June 11. Von Hayes, leading off, homered twice in the nine-run first inning.
Top player: Glenn Wilson had a career-high 102 RBI.
1986
Nobody was beating the Mets in '86, but the Phils did their fans proud by sweeping New York in September when the bitter rivals had a chance to clinch the division at Veterans Stadium. The Mets eventually won the division by 21 1/2 games and won the World Series.
Top player: Schmidt won his third and final MVP by leading the league with 37 homers and 119 RBI.
1987
Fiery manager Lee Elia, an Olney High alum who was hired in June, had this to say when the Phillies limped home to a fourth-place finish: "I can guarantee you this won't happen again as long as I'm the manager here . . . We have too many individuals doing things that help the individual, but they don't help the team that much . . . Starting next spring, from Day 1, I plan on changing a lot of attitudes on how this game should be played. Taking over in midseason, I didn't want to say too much, but I was watching and I didn't miss a thing."
Top player: Schmidt had 35 homers and 113 RBI. A special mention must go out to starter Joe Cowley, who went 0-4 in five games, posted a 15.43 ERA and gave up a preposterous 21 hits and 17 walks in 11 2/3 innings.
1988
The Phils were even worse. They went 60-92 before Elia was fired toward the end of the season. Their eventual .404 winning percentage was the worst of the decade.
Top player: You're kidding, right? OK, here goes. Kevin Gross led the pitchers with a 12-14 record. Catcher Lance Parrish, in his second and final underwhelming season in Philly, had 15 homers and hit .215.
1989
It was another losing season when Schmidt, 39, tearfully called it a career in late May. Fans gave the third baseman a fine tribute by still voting him onto the All-Star team. Schmidt declined to play but was announced with the NL roster. Within a few weeks, Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk and Terry Mulholland all were acquired by the Phillies. The three would be cornerstones of the 1993 team, which provided the highlight of the following decade.
Top player: Kruk hit .331 in 81 games for the Phils.