5 Reasons Why 1993 Philadelphia Phillies Remain Most Popular Team In Philadelphia Sports History
5 reasons why 1993 Phillies are city's most popular team
If all a team and a fan base have is hope, then the Philadelphia Phillies served up a healthy helping of it as the pregame meal before Sunday night’s nationally-televised game with the Atlanta Braves.
The 2013 Phillies are not going to the playoffs and looked bad in getting swept by the Braves, but at least the fans had the story of the 1993 Phillies, arguably Philadelphia’s most beloved team in any sport, to talk about on Sunday night. This is a team that went from worst (a last-place finish in 1992) to a first-place finish in 1993 behind a cast of characters so wild and wacky that caused NBC analyst Bob Costas to say, “Baseball hasn't seen a group like this since the St. Louis Gashouse Gang of the 1920s.” The fact that they lost the World Series in six games is almost irrelevant now because of how popular that group of guys was with the fans.
While the 1980 and 2008 versions of the team won it all, this team gave Philadelphia fans hope. They gave hope to fans of all downtrodden teams everywhere. In fact, their unofficial team fight song that year was Harry Kalas’ rendition of “High Hopes” that was sung both after the NL East-clinching celebration and the NL pennant-winning celebration that year. It is still played at the ballpark during every Phillies game to this day. It all started then.
Hope is the story of the 1993 Phillies, who have been honored all weekend with ceremonies as part of the club’s Alumni Week. Interestingly enough, the 1993 club pretty much went wire-to-wire to win the pennant and was the first Phillies team in history to lead the division on the first of the month in May, June, July, August and September.
Here are five reasons why this group is the most popular team in Philadelphia history:
5. No Prima Donnas (or Jimmys)
They were just 25 unselfish guys who never complained or refused to be traded because “I want to set some records here” as Jimmy Rollins said last week, explaining his reasoning for exercising his no-trade clause. Also, after getting beaten in three of four games in a series earlier this year, Rollins said: "I'm not disappointed." That comment would not have played well in the 1993 clubhouse.
4. Lenny Dykstra set the table
Dykstra was the only player who was so popular in two towns, Philadelphia and New York, that he had two beloved nicknames. For the New York Mets, he was known as “Nails” and in Philadelphia, he was known as “The Dude.” Dykstra has fallen on hard times since, but that should not take anything away from his 1993 season: he led the league in runs, hits, bases-on balls and at-bats, and was runner-up to Barry Bonds in voting for the Most Valuable Player in the National League. In the World Series, Dykstra batted .348 and hit four home runs, including two in a 15-14 Phillies loss in Game 4. Through no fault of Dykstra, the Phillies ultimately lost the series in six games.
3. Darren Daulton handled pitchers and clubhouse
Unquestionably the leader of the team, the catcher is now battling brain cancer. He has been in Philadelphia all weekend. Daulton was a no-nonsense kind of guy who kept the locker room in line and was affectionately called “Dutch” by the Philadelphia fans. He was the leader of Macho Row and pitchers like Curt Schilling (pictured above) credited him for the way he handled the staff. He remained a star in town long after his playing days were over, hosting a sports talk radio show.
2. Wild, Wacky Throwbacks
This was a blue-collar team in a blue-collar town who would not stand for long losing streaks like the current team has been tolerating. They got in a lot of fights on the field and ended a doubleheader at 4:47 a.m. with a win on a hit by a relief pitcher, Mitch Williams. “We weren’t the type of guys who you wanted to date your daughter, but we were the kind of guys you’d want to have a beer with,” Williams said. “We were the perfect team for this town.” Beloved broadcaster Harry Kalas summed it up perfectly on the last pitch of NL East-clinching win at Pittsburgh, “this wild, wonderful, wacky bunch of throwbacks have just won the National League East.”
1. Worst-to-first
In 1992, the Phillies finished in last place. In 1993, they were picked to finish last again, but won 97 regular-season games, the NL East title and topped that with a World Series appearance. In left fielder Pete Incaviglia, Daulton, Dykstra, third baseman Dave Hollins, shortstop Kevin Stocker and first baseman John Kruk (pictured above), the Phillies got career-best years out of a crew of misfits. “We were 24 morons and a Mormon,” Kruk said, referring to right fielder Jim Eisenreich. They proved that there is always hope to go worst-to-first, and bottled that hope for all future teams.
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