Phillies field youngest lineup in 55 years

Early Sunday morning, 70-year-old bench coach Larry Bowa affixed a lineup card to a cork board in the Phillies clubhouse, and it displayed something so rare that it has not happened in Philadelphia for 55 years.

The Phillies fielded a lineup of nine players all under the age of 27. The last time that happened? May 17, 1961 at Connie Mack Stadium.

Manager Pete Mackanin used this batting order for Sunday's series finale against Miami (age in years.days):

1. Cesar Hernandez 2B (26.118)
2. Roman Quinn LF (23.127)
3. Odubel Herrera CF (24.264)
4. Tommy Joseph 1B (25.064)
5. Maikel Franco 3B (24.023)
6. Freddy Galvis SS (26.309)
7. Jorge Alfaro C (23.099)
8. Aaron Altherr RF (25.248)
9. Alec Asher P (24.350)

In 1961, Gene Mauch's Phillies were off to an 8-20 start when he fielded a young lineup that lost, 2-1, to Cincinnati in 2 hours, 9 minutes. There were 4,641 people at Connie Mack Stadium to see this lineup:

1. Tony Taylor 2B
2. Charley Smith SS
3. Johnny Callison LF
4. Tony Gonzalez RF
5. Don Demeter CF
6. Clay Dalrymple C
7. Pancho Herrera 1B
8. Jim Woods 3B
9. John Buzhardt P

The Reds pitcher, Bob Purkey, pitched a complete game. The Inquirer story from that game, written by legendary scribe Allen Lewis, described Purkey's ease against a young lineup: "Purkey used only 89 pitches, as the Phillies consistently swung at the first delivery."