1964 Philadelphia Phillies season
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Phillies
season was the 82nd season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in a second-place tie in the National League
with the Cincinnati Reds
, while posting a record of 92-70. The teams finished one game behind the NL and World Series
champion St. Louis Cardinals
, and just two games ahead of fourth-place San Francisco
. Gene Mauch
managed the Phillies, as they played their home games at Connie Mack Stadium.
, Jim Bunning
threw a perfect game against the Mets, the first in the National League since . For perhaps the only time in the stadium's history, the Shea
faithful found themselves rooting for the visitors, caught up in the rare achievement, and roaring for Bunning on every pitch in the ninth inning. His strikeout of John Stephenson
capped the performance.
through 1947
, the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A 1962 cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a French Foreign Legion
outpost, explaining, "I was released by the Phillies!"
During 1962
and 1963
, the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the season, they seemed destined to make it to the World Series
, with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman Dick Allen
, starters Jim Bunning
(obtained from the Detroit Tigers
at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and Chris Short
, and star right fielder Johnny Callison
. TV Guide
went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. (Through the 1968 season, both first-place teams automatically went to the World Series, the only postseason play of that time.)
The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies held a six and a half game lead in an exceptionally strong National League with 12 games to play. They then lost ten straight games (the first seven played at home) and fell into a second place tie. The skein started with Chico Ruiz stealing home, with Frank Robinson at bat, for the game's only run. Dick Allen said of the play: "The play broke our humps." The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals
after their losing home stand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson
by a 5-1 score, their eighth loss in a row, dropping them to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and assume first place for good. The "Phold," as it is known, is one of the most notable collapses in sports history.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
season was the 82nd season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in a second-place tie in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with the Cincinnati Reds
1964 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds finishing in a tie for second place in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies. Both teams finished at 92-70, one game behind the NL and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals...
, while posting a record of 92-70. The teams finished one game behind the NL and World Series
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
champion St. Louis Cardinals
1964 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 83rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 73rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished first in the National League, edging the co-runner-ups Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies by one game each on...
, and just two games ahead of fourth-place San Francisco
1964 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants were a fourth-place team, as a result of their 90-72 record, placing them three games behind the National League and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.- Offseason :...
. Gene Mauch
Gene Mauch
Gene William Mauch was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , St...
managed the Phillies, as they played their home games at Connie Mack Stadium.
Offseason
- December 5, 1963: Don DemeterDon DemeterDonald Lee "Don" Demeter is a former outfielder, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians...
and Jack Hamilton were traded by the Phillies to the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for Jim BunningJim BunningJames Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
and Gus TriandosGus TriandosGus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
.
Perfect game
On Father's DayFather's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
, Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
threw a perfect game against the Mets, the first in the National League since . For perhaps the only time in the stadium's history, the Shea
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
faithful found themselves rooting for the visitors, caught up in the rare achievement, and roaring for Bunning on every pitch in the ninth inning. His strikeout of John Stephenson
John Stephenson (baseball)
John Herman Stephenson is a retired American professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964-1973. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and California Angels. In 1964, he was the last out of Jim Bunning's perfect game...
capped the performance.
The "Phold"
From 19191919 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
through 1947
1947 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1947 Philadelphia Phillies season saw the Phillies finish in seventh place in the National League with a record of 62 wins and 92 losses.-Offseason:* Prior to 1947 season: Carl Sawatski was acquired from the Phillies by the Boston Braves....
, the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A 1962 cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
outpost, explaining, "I was released by the Phillies!"
During 1962
1962 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 80th season for the National League franchise. The Phillies finished the season in seventh place in the National League with a record of 81-80, a dramatic improvement over the 47-107 mark of the previous season...
and 1963
1963 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 81st in franchise history. The 87-75 Phillies finished the season in fourth place in the National League, 12 games behind the NL and World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :...
, the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the season, they seemed destined to make it to the World Series
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
, with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman Dick Allen
Dick Allen
Richard Anthony Allen is a former Major League Baseball player and R&B singer. He played first and third base and outfield in Major League Baseball and ranked among his sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s...
, starters Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
(obtained from the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and Chris Short
Chris Short
Christopher Joseph "Style" Short was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , and in his final year, for the Milwaukee Brewers . He was a left-handed pitcher, but batted righty. He was born in Milford, Delaware.Short was considered a top pitcher from 1964 through 1968 with...
, and star right fielder Johnny Callison
Johnny Callison
John Wesley Callison was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1960 to 1969...
. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. (Through the 1968 season, both first-place teams automatically went to the World Series, the only postseason play of that time.)
The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies held a six and a half game lead in an exceptionally strong National League with 12 games to play. They then lost ten straight games (the first seven played at home) and fell into a second place tie. The skein started with Chico Ruiz stealing home, with Frank Robinson at bat, for the game's only run. Dick Allen said of the play: "The play broke our humps." The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals
1964 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 83rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 73rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished first in the National League, edging the co-runner-ups Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies by one game each on...
after their losing home stand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
by a 5-1 score, their eighth loss in a row, dropping them to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and assume first place for good. The "Phold," as it is known, is one of the most notable collapses in sports history.
Opening Day lineup
| Number | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Tony Taylor Tony Taylor Antonio Nemesio Taylor is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1958 through , Taylor played for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers... |
Second base |
| 6 | Johnny Callison Johnny Callison John Wesley Callison was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1960 to 1969... |
Right field |
| 15 | Dick Allen Dick Allen Richard Anthony Allen is a former Major League Baseball player and R&B singer. He played first and third base and outfield in Major League Baseball and ranked among his sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s... |
Third base |
| 5 | Roy Sievers Roy Sievers Roy Edward Sievers is a former first baseman/left fielder in Major League Baseball. From through , Sievers played for the St. Louis Browns , the original Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , and finally the new Senators... |
First base |
| 25 | Tony González | Center field |
| 10 | Danny Cater Danny Cater Danny Anderson Cater is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies at the age of 18 on June 8,... |
Left field |
| 11 | Clay Dalrymple Clay Dalrymple Clayton Errol Dalrymple was a professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles . Dalrymple was known for his strong throwing arm and solid defensive skills... |
Catcher |
| 7 | Bobby Wine Bobby Wine Robert Paul Wine Sr. is a former shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. An excellent fielder who struggled as a batsman, Wine spent 12 seasons in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos... |
Shortstop |
| 23 | Dennis Bennett Dennis Bennett (baseball) Dennis John Bennett is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Red Sox , New York Mets and California Angels... |
Pitcher |
Notable transactions
- April 6, 1964: Darrell SutherlandDarrell SutherlandDarrell Wayne Sutherland is a former right-handed major league baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians from 1964 to 1966 and in 1968....
was selected off waivers from the Phillies by the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
as a first-year waiver pick. - June 19, 1964: Joe Lis was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies.
- August 7, 1964: Wayne GrahamWayne GrahamWayne Leon Graham is a former major-league baseball player and the college baseball coach of the Rice Owls baseball team in Houston, Texas.-Playing career:...
, Gary KrollGary KrollGary Melvin Kroll is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for four seasons. The , righthander played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964, the New York Mets from 1964 to 1965, the Houston Astros in 1966, and the Cleveland Indians in 1969...
, and cash were traded by the Phillies to the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for Frank Thomas.
Roster
| 1964 Philadelphia Phillies | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted In; SB = Stolen bases| Pos | Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 127 | 382 | 36 | 91 | .238 | 6 | 46 | 0 | |
| 1B | 125 | 303 | 38 | 71 | .234 | 6 | 25 | 1 | |
| 2B | 154 | 570 | 62 | 143 | .251 | 4 | 46 | 13 | |
| 3B | 162 | 632 | 125 | 201 | .318 | 29 | 91 | 3 | |
| SS | 126 | 283 | 28 | 60 | .212 | 4 | 34 | 1 | |
| LF | 129 | 339 | 37 | 95 | .280 | 13 | 58 | 0 | |
| CF | 131 | 421 | 55 | 117 | .278 | 4 | 40 | 0 | |
| RF | 162 | 654 | 101 | 179 | .274 | 31 | 104 | 6 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted In; SB = Stolen bases| Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 340 | 58 | 99 | .291 | 2 | 31 | 1 | |
| 129 | 299 | 31 | 79 | .264 | 4 | 34 | 1 | |
| 73 | 188 | 17 | 47 | .250 | 8 | 33 | 0 | |
| 60 | 152 | 13 | 45 | .294 | 7 | 26 | 0 | |
| 39 | 143 | 20 | 42 | .294 | 7 | 26 | 0 | |
| 49 | 120 | 7 | 22 | .183 | 4 | 16 | 0 | |
| 18 | 48 | 1 | 10 | .208 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 284 | 19 | 8 | 2.63 | 219 | |
| 42 | 221 | 17 | 9 | 2.20 | 181 | |
| 41 | 208 | 12 | 14 | 3.68 | 125 | |
| 34 | 157 | 12 | 9 | 4.53 | 80 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 135 | 8 | 7 | 4.13 | 96 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 6 | 9 | 21 | 3.12 | 96 | |
| 22 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5.07 | 51 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 5 | |
Awards and honors
1964 Major League Baseball All-Star Game1964 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1964 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 35th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 7, 1964 at Shea Stadium in New York City, New York, home of the New...
- Jim BunningJim BunningJames Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
- Johnny CallisonJohnny CallisonJohn Wesley Callison was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1960 to 1969...
- Chris ShortChris ShortChristopher Joseph "Style" Short was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , and in his final year, for the Milwaukee Brewers . He was a left-handed pitcher, but batted righty. He was born in Milford, Delaware.Short was considered a top pitcher from 1964 through 1968 with...