1978 Philadelphia Phillies season
Encyclopedia
The 1978 Philadelphia Phillies
season was the 96th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their third straight National League East
title with a record of 90-72, a game and a half over the Pittsburgh Pirates
, as the Phillies defeated the Pirates in Pittsburgh on the next to last day of the season. For the third consecutive season, the Phillies came up short in the NLCS
, as the Los Angeles Dodgers
defeated them, three games to one, like they did the previous season
. The Phils were managed by Danny Ozark, as they played their home games at Veterans Stadium
.
debuted on April 25, 1978 at The Vet when the Phils played the Chicago Cubs
. Since then, he was given the title "baseball's best mascot" by sports analyst Tim McCarver
, who was the person who formally introduced the Phanatic on the "Captain Noah and His Magical Ark
" show on WPVI-TV as he did promotional work for the team as a side from being the "designated catcher" for Steve Carlton
, as well as ESPN
's Chris Berman. The Phanatic was originally portrayed by Dave Raymond, who was working originally as an intern in the team's front office, for fifteen years, from 1978 to 1993. Raymond's father is retired college football hall of fame coach Harold "Tubby" Raymond at the University of Delaware
. The elder Raymond was once quoted "I used to be known as the head football coach of the Fighting Blue Hens but now I will forever be known as the father of a green transvestite!" Also, the Phanatic was voted 'best mascot ever' by Sports Illustrated for Kids
and Sports Illustrated
.
win the Series, 3 games to 1, over the Phillies.
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 96th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their third straight National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title with a record of 90-72, a game and a half over the Pittsburgh Pirates
1978 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* December 8, 1977: Al Oliver and Nelson Norman were traded by the Pirates to the Texas Rangers as part of a four-team trade. Bert Blyleven was traded by the Rangers to the Pirates, and John Milner was traded by the New York Mets to the Pirates...
, as the Phillies defeated the Pirates in Pittsburgh on the next to last day of the season. For the third consecutive season, the Phillies came up short in the NLCS
1978 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1978 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBecause of having to start an NL East-clinching game a few days earlier, Phillies ace Steve Carlton wasn't available for the start of the series, leaving the task to Larry Christenson...
, as the Los Angeles Dodgers
1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1978 season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second straight National League pennant and losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series again...
defeated them, three games to one, like they did the previous season
1977 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Phillies took the opening game of the series, winning their first postseason game since Game 1 of the 1915 World Series...
. The Phils were managed by Danny Ozark, as they played their home games at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
.
Offseason
- March 7, 1978: George Bell was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies.
- March 24, 1978: Fred AndrewsFred Andrews (baseball)Fred Andrews is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, 1976 and 1977, for the Philadelphia Phillies, primarily as a second baseman.-Sources:...
was 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 Bud HarrelsonBud HarrelsonDerrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from to . After retiring, he served as a coach for the World Champion Mets, and as manager of the Mets in 1990 and 1991...
.
Notable transactions
- April 23, 1978: Julio FrancoJulio FrancoJulio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent. - June 14, 1978: Bobby BrownBobby Brown (outfielder)Rogers Lee "Bobby" Brown , is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield in the major leagues from -. Brown played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres In 502 games, Brown accumulated 313 hits, 26 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .245 batting...
and Jay JohnstoneJay JohnstoneJohn William Johnstone Jr. is an American former professional baseball player, active from 1966 to 1985 for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs...
were traded by the Phillies to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Rawly EastwickRawly EastwickRawlins Jackson "Rawly" Eastwick is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1975 to 1981.-Career:...
. - June 30, 1978: Carmen CastilloCarmen CastilloMonte Carmelo Castillo is a former right-handed outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent. - September 2, 1978: Dan WarthenDan WarthenDaniel Dean Warthen is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones Daniel Dean Warthen (born December 1, 1952, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current coach for the Brooklyn...
was traded by the Phillies to the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for Dan LarsonDan LarsonDaniel James Larson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Larson pitched in all or part of seven seasons from and .Larson was drafted in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, but never played in the majors for them. Instead, he was sent to the...
. - September 14, 1978: Horacio PiñaHoracio PiñaHoracio Piña García [pee'-nyah] is a former relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between and . Piña also played professionally in Mexico for several years...
was purchased by the Phillies from the Rieleros de Aguascalientes.
Draft picks
- June 6, 1978: 1978 Major League Baseball Draft1978 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :In 1978, four players made the jump from amateur baseball to the major leagues, including Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner, who was selected number one overall by the Atlanta...
- Ed Hearn was drafted by the Phillies in the 4th round.
- Ryne SandbergRyne SandbergRyne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
was drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round. Player signed June 15, 1978. - Rick LeachRick Leach----Rick Leach is a former professional tennis player and a coach from the United States. A doubles specialist, he won 5 Grand Slam men's doubles titles , and 4 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles . Leach reached the World No...
was drafted by the Phillies in the 24th round, but did not sign.
Phillie Phanatic
The Phillie PhanaticPhillie Phanatic
The Phillie Phanatic, is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green creature that somewhat resembles a bird from the rear view with a cylindrical beak containing a extendable tongue.-Creation:...
debuted on April 25, 1978 at The Vet when the Phils played the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Since then, he was given the title "baseball's best mascot" by sports analyst Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
, who was the person who formally introduced the Phanatic on the "Captain Noah and His Magical Ark
Captain Noah and His Magical Ark
Captain Noah and His Magical Ark was a television program for children and was generally broadcast around the Philadelphia area. The series aired from 1967 to 1994. It was film and produced at the WPVI-TV, Channel 6 studios in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Captain Noah and His Magical Ark, was...
" show on WPVI-TV as he did promotional work for the team as a side from being the "designated catcher" for Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
, as well as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chris Berman. The Phanatic was originally portrayed by Dave Raymond, who was working originally as an intern in the team's front office, for fifteen years, from 1978 to 1993. Raymond's father is retired college football hall of fame coach Harold "Tubby" Raymond at the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
. The elder Raymond was once quoted "I used to be known as the head football coach of the Fighting Blue Hens but now I will forever be known as the father of a green transvestite!" Also, the Phanatic was voted 'best mascot ever' by Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sports Illustrated Kids is a monthly spin-off of the weekly U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated. SI Kids was launched in January 1989 and includes sports coverage with less vocabulary and emphasis on humor...
and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
.
Roster
| 1978 Philadelphia Phillies | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 132 | 435 | 123 | .283 | 12 | 62 | |
| 1B | 137 | 435 | 123 | .283 | 17 | 71 | |
| 2B | 108 | 351 | 77 | .219 | 0 | 25 | |
| 3B | 145 | 513 | 129 | .251 | 21 | 78 | |
| SS | 156 | 654 | 192 | .294 | 3 | 43 | |
| LF | 155 | 540 | 143 | .265 | 35 | 101 | |
| CF | 155 | 598 | 172 | .288 | 11 | 68 | |
| RF | 122 | 472 | 127 | .269 | 10 | 49 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 146 | 36 | .247 | 1 | 14 | |
| 53 | 108 | 17 | .157 | 3 | 10 | |
| 71 | 103 | 22 | .214 | 0 | 9 | |
| 35 | 56 | 10 | .179 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | .250 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 0 | 2 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 247.1 | 16 | 13 | 2.84 | 161 | |
| 33 | 228 | 13 | 14 | 3.24 | 131 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 2.24 | 85 | |
| 58 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2.33 | 60 | |
| 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.02 | 14 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 |
1978 National League Championship Series
The Los Angeles Dodgers1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1978 season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second straight National League pennant and losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series again...
win the Series, 3 games to 1, over the Phillies.
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles - 9, Philadelphia - 5 | October 4 | Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
63,460 |
| 2 | Los Angeles - 4, Philadelphia - 0 | October 5 | Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
60,642 |
| 3 | Philadelphia - 9, Los Angeles - 4 | October 6 | Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962... |
55,043 |
| 4 | Philadelphia - 3, Los Angeles - 4 | October 7 | Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962... |
55,124 |