Individual milestones are a constant bragging right for the Phillies, as well as, any other organization because it showcases players’ dedication to the game and the club that they represent.
The Phillies, however, will be putting those aside right now as they set their sights on a historical mark for the organization: 10,000 total wins.
Phillies are Fightin’ For 10K
From their first franchise win against the Chicago Cubs on May 14, 1883, to their most recent win against the Nationals last night, the Phillies have been around for quite some time. In fact, they were known as the Philadelphia Quakers until the 1890 season when they would make the official name change and the rest became history.
The wins leading up to 10,000 have yielded so many memories and moments that couldn’t possibly be defined by one singular game. Cole Hamel’s no-hitter in his final game as a Phillie, Roy Halladay’s perfect game, the 1980 World Series-winning season, Mike Schmidt setting the Phillies all-time hits record, and the acquisition of Curt Schilling in 1992 are only a few that come to mind.
On the flip side of these victories, lay the brutal reality that this club already faced years ago: eclipsing 10,000 franchise losses. This milestone loss came on July 15, 2007, in a horrendous 10-2 defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
It’s one thing to drop a game but to drop a game as the spotlight matchup that week only adds more fuel to the fire in what many Philly fans labeled as the “most losing team ever.” Fortunately, time marches forward and their revival this year has many thinking about a playoff run that hasn’t been witnessed since 2012.
As of late, the Phillies have turned things around and are currently in the midst of a four-game sweep of the Washington Nationals. J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos have been struggling for some part of the season but seem to have finally hit their stride as we enter the Dog Days of Summer.
Not to mention, young stars like Bryson Stott and Darick Hall have finally been given the opportunities they deserve to showcase their skills under potential nominee for NL Manager of the Year, Rob Thomson. So yeah, I’d say the Phillies are back and better than a lot of people could have predicted.
Looking Forward
As things stand now, the Fightins currently have 9,994 franchise wins under their belt. I estimate that their next six wins come early next week or over the course of the next two weeks.
Once the Washington series wraps up, the Miami Marlins roll into town to begin a three-game set followed by a six-game road trip against the Mets and Reds. Two of those three teams are highly sweepable with the Mets being the odd man out, given they currently lead the division and have been a huge powerhouse this season.
More must-reads: