Friday, April 24, 2009

In the beginning

My last post was about the troubles the Phillies are having this season. And even though the team won the World Series last year, the franchise is much better known for its losing ways than for winning.

Only a handful of teams have been around longer than Philadelphia's National League entry, which debuted back in 1883 and immediately set the bar awfully low, posting a miserable 17-81 record.

Back then, one pitcher would hurl a majority of games for a team. And the guy who drew the short straw for the Quakers ("Phillies" came a few years later) was 20-year-old John Coleman.

Opponents treated poor John like he was tossing batting practice. He managed to win a dozen games, but lost 48, surrendering 772 hits and 510 runs in the process. (Yes, you read that correctly.) And they stuck him in the outfield on the days when he wasn't pitching! It was a different game back then, but still ...

Actually, he wasn't even the worst pitcher on the team. Art Hagan, also 20, managed to give up 151 runs in just 17 games. That helps a great deal in explaining his 1-14 record.

Bob Ferguson, the team's first-ever manager, resigned from the top spot after a 4-13 start, but continued to play second base, hitting a respectable (it would seem) .258. Baseball historians tend to remember him best for his nickname, "Death to Flying Things." Sounds like a good name for a heavy-metal band ...

The Quakers fared somewhat better in 1884, when Hall of Fame manager Harry Wright came on board. Still, it took until 1915 for the franchise to win its first NL pennant and until 1980 to win its first World Series.

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