Tales From The Philadelphia Phillies Dugout

Recapture all the magic of Philadelphia Phillies baseball! With 128 years of competition, they have some amazing tales to share. Westcott presents the triumphs, tragedies, and even a little trivia about the team.

Over the last half-century, the Philadelphia Phillies have experienced epic highs—World Series titles in 1980 and 2008—and frustrating lows, and Larry Shenk has been there for every minute of it. He provides a behind-the-scenes look at the personalities and events that have shaped the franchise's history. The book gives the detailed scouting reports on Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley and takes readers into the clubhouse as Steve Carlton closes in on 300 career wins. Listen in on Pete Rose's phone call with President Reagan after Rose broke the National League hits record and see Richie Ashburn's face when he heard he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Giving fans a taste of what it's like to be a part of the Phillies' storied history from a perspective unlike any other, readers will also learn about a man whose work ethic and character has made an impact on the players and staff for 50 years.

"This book takes you behind the scenes of the Phillies baseball club through the years"--

In the 120-year history of the Philadelphia Phillies there is one unavoidable description of the franchise - it was often last, but seldom dull. This is a club, after all, that once had a lefthanded catcher named Jack Clements. Bill Hulen was a shortstop. He was also lefthanded. They had a pitcher who was aptly named "Boom Boom" Beck. Third baseman Mike Schmidt once tried to disguise himself by wearing a wig onto the field. The Phillies, the oldest, continuous one-city franchise in professional sports, surely have suffered more indignities than most other teams, as detailed in the updated softcover edition of Tales from the Phillies Dugout.No club has ever finished in last place 29 times, as the Phillies have. What other team has ever lost 23 games in a row, or blew a pennant after holding a six-and-a-half game lead with 12 games left to play? What other team hit .315 for the season, but lost 102 games while finishing 40 games out of first place? Fans should look at it this way, however - the Phillies are a team that has won a World Series and no less than five National League pennants. All of these things have been accomplished since 1883, too.The Phillies might also be among the league leaders in bizarre incidents and unusual characters. Some of the personalities fans will meet in Tales from the Phillies Dugout include John Kruk, Tim McCarver, Bob Uecker, Russ Meyer, and Jay Johnstone. All played with the Phillies. So did world-famous evangelist Billy Sunday, NFL Hall of Fame coach Greasy Neale, and a guy who did some managing named Casey Stengel. Some of their experiences are told here. Many of the stories head in the direction of being humorous, a few more serious. Some are even tragic. All in all, though, the updated softcover edition of Tales from the Phillies Dugout is a book about a franchise that has overflowed with colorful characters, and the strange, the odd, and the outrageous events with which they have been connected.

So You Think You’re a Philadelphia Phillies Fan? tests and expands your knowledge of Phillies baseball. Rather than merely posing questions and providing answers, you’ll get details behind each—stories that bring to life players and coaches, games and seasons. This book is divided into multiple parts, with progressively more difficult questions in each new section. Along the way, you’ll learn more about the great Phillies players and coaches of the past and present, from Grover Alexander to Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, Jim Bunning, Dick Allen, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Garry Maddox, Jamie Moyer, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and so many more. Some of the many questions that this book answers include: Which former Phil has the highest WAR in team history? Who holds the longest hitting streak (36 games) in team history? Which pitcher holds the records for most complete games and hits allowed? In what year were the team records set for hits, total bases, and runs scored? In what year was the team record set for home runs allowed? Who was the last Phillies pitcher to win the Cy Young Award? This book makes the perfect gift for any fan of the Phils!

From the club’s inception in the late ’70s to winning the division for the first time in the ’80s, Joe Carter’s epic home run, the two World Series titles in the early ’90s, the reign of Roy Halladay, Josh Donaldson’s MVP season, and everything in between, the Blue Jays have continued to build a storied history as one of baseball’s most exciting teams. In Tales from the Toronto Blue Jays Dugout, Jim Prime captures all of the best moments in Blue Jays history, from the most thrilling to the most humorous, and so much more. Stories of players and coaches from both on and off the field can be found here, including tales of All-Stars Dave Stieb and Carlos Delgado, Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, and Roberto Alomar, and many more memorable Blue Jays, past and present. It’s all here, in the latest addition to the Tales From series, the perfect gift for any fan of the only current Major League Baseball team playing in Canada!

From when the Phillies franchise was established in 1883 and a rookie manager led the team to its first National League pennant in 1915 to the World Series titles in 1980 and 2008, Larry Shenk, a longtime Phillies executive, provides insight into a potpourri of faces, places, events, and personalities in Phillies history. He takes readers through every no-hitter thrown by a Phillies pitcher and an incredible season by a relief pitcher who became the Most Valuable Player. Read about Mike Schmidt’s most dramatic home run, the youngest pitcher to ever win a game in the big leagues, the greatest one-game performance in World Series history, the most unbreakable records in franchise history, and why the Phillies held spring training in Pennsylvania during the 1940s.

Lefty and Tim is the dual biography of Hall of Fame pitcher Steve "Lefty" Carlton and catcher Tim McCarver, detailing their relationship from 1965, when they played with the St. Louis Cardinals, through 1980, when they played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Along the way McCarver became Carlton's personal catcher, and together they became the best battery in baseball in the mid-to-late 1970s. At first glance Carlton and McCarver appear like an odd couple: McCarver was old school, Carlton new age. At the beginning of his career, McCarver believed that the catcher called the pitches, encouraged the pitcher when necessary, and schooled the pitcher when he deviated from the game plan. But Lefty, who pioneered the use of meditation and martial arts in baseball, was stubborn too. He wanted to control pitch selection. Over time, Carlton and McCarver developed a strong bond off the diamond that allowed them to understand and trust each other. In the process, Steve Carlton became one of the greatest left-handers in the history of Major League Baseball, an achievement that would not have been possible without Tim McCarver as his catcher. Not only did McCarver mentor Carlton as a young hurler with the Cardinals, but he helped resurrect Carlton's career when they were reunited in Philadelphia midseason in 1975. Carlton won his second Cy Young Award with McCarver behind the plate in 1977. Told in the historical context of the time they played the game, Lefty and Tim recounts the pair's time in the tumultuous sixties, with the racial integration of the St. Louis Cardinals and the dominance of pitching, and in the turbulent seventies, characterized by MLB's labor tensions, the arrival of free agency, and the return of the lively ball that followed the lowering of the pitcher's mound in 1969.