Opening day tidbits for Phillies-Reds
Some light reading while counting down until the Phillies open the 2017 season.
The big picture
This is the 135th opener for the Phillies. They are the oldest continuous franchise in sports, having never moved nor officially changed their nickname. Owner Bob Carpenter tried to bring in the "Blue Jays" as a nickname in the 1940s, but fortunately that was never officially adopted. The Phils are 60-72-2 on Opening Day.
Today's opponent
This will be the ninth time the Phillies open against the Reds and the sixth time in Cincinnati. The Reds have won the last three openers against the Phils and four of the previous six.
The Phillies opened last year with a 6-2 loss in Cincinnati after the bullpen sabotaged a fine outing by Jeremy Hellickson (6 IP, one unearned run). David Hernandez gave up three runs in the eighth inning and didn't record an out. Hernandez is now with the Gwinnett Braves, Atlanta's Triple-A club.
The Reds have lost 94 and 98 games the last two seasons, but still have Joey Votto in the middle of the lineup. Votto hit .408 after the all-star break last season. Cincy starter Scott Feldman, a free-agent signee, is making his third opening-day start with his third different team. Hellickson will start for the Phils. Votto is 0-for-9 off Hellickson with five strikeouts.
You say goodbye …
Deletions from last year's Phillies' opening-day roster (13): Starting pitcher Charlie Morton. Relief pitchers David Hernandez, Dalier Hinojosa, Brett Oberholtzer, James Russell and Daniel Stumpf. Position players Peter Bourjos, Emmanuel Burriss, Tyler Goeddel, Ryan Howard, Cedric Hunter, Darrin Ruf and Carlos Ruiz.
I say hello …
Additions to this year's opening-day roster (13): Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz. Relievers Joaquin Benoit, Adam Morgan, Pat Neshek, Edubray Ramos and Joely Rodriguez. Position players Aaron Altherr, Tommy Joseph, Howie Kendrick, Andrew Knapp, Daniel Nava, Michael Saunders and Brock Stassi.
The holdovers
Players who've been on the opening-day roster each of the last two years (12): Starting pitchers Jerad Eickhoff, Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola and Vince Velasquez. Relief pitchers Jeanmar Gomez and Hector Neris. Position players Andres Blanco, Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera and Cameron Rupp.
Go figure
They Phillies lost the season opener in eight of the 14 seasons they qualified for the postseason. They won in 1980 and lost in 2008, the two seasons they went on to win the World Series.
This is just the second time in Phillies history they are opening on the road against the same club in consecutive seasons. They began the 1989 and 1990 seasons in Wrigley against the Cubs. That 1989 game was a doozy. The Phillies, down 5-4, began the top of the ninth with three straight singles to load the bases. The next three hitters – Mike Schmidt, Chris James and some guy named Mark Ryal, all struck out swinging. Mitch Williams was the Cubs reliever. Schmidt homered in the eighth inning off Calvin Schiraldi to make it a one-run game. It was the last of his five opening day bombs, a team record.
The 1959 win over the Reds was the last time Robin Roberts started an opening day game at home for the Phils.