Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Phillies return to action today as they look to inch closer to the Braves. They’re taking on the Mets tonight at Citizens Bank Park. July 16 has been a vast void of sports over Philly Sports History but has seen the Sixers overpay for a free agent, Ryan Howard make history and some more All-Star Memories.
You Paid Him What?
On this day in 2003, the 76ers signed restricted free agent Kenny Thomas to a seven-year, $50 million contract. Thomas had arrived in Philadelphia in a trade the previous December and impressed the organization enough to earn the lucrative deal. While Thomas put up respectable numbers—averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds during the 2003–04 season—he never quite lived up to the contract. More importantly, the deal hamstrung the Sixers’ salary cap for years to come, contributing to the stretch of NBA purgatory the franchise endured before The Process. Thomas was traded during the 2004–05 season as part of the deal that brought Chris Webber to Philadelphia, a move that also failed. To make matters worse, because Thomas was a restricted free agent, the Sixers essentially outbid themselves to keep him. The contract is widely regarded as one of the worst free-agent signings in franchise history—the OG Tobias Harris.
The Big Piece Makes History…Again
On this day in 2009, the Phillies defeated the Marlins 4–0 thanks to the long ball. Raúl Ibañez homered twice and drove in three runs, while Ryan Howard also went deep. On the mound, Jamie Moyer was outstanding, allowing just one hit and one walk over seven scoreless innings. Howard’s home run was the 200th of his career, reaching the milestone in just 658 games. In doing so, he surpassed Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (706 games) as the fastest player in Major League history to reach 200 career home runs.
Trivia – Ryan Howard was also the fastest in MLB history to 300 homeruns. Which player now holds the record? (Answer Below)
Phillies Star Game
The 2024 MLB All-Star Game was played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Phillies were well represented, setting a franchise record with eight All-Stars: Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Jeff Hoffman, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez, Matt Strahm, Trea Turner, and Zack Wheeler. Their five pitching selections also established a Major League Baseball record for a single team.
Bohm, Harper, and Turner all earned starts for the National League and each collected a hit. Although Wheeler did not appear in the game, Hoffman, Suárez, Sánchez, and Strahm combined to pitch two scoreless innings while striking out three batters. Despite the Phillies’ strong showing, the American League claimed a 5–3 victory.
Trivia Answer – Trivia Answer – Aaron Judge now holds the record, reaching 300 home runs in just 955 games.
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