Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Eagles looked better overall in their second preseason game against the Patriots. The backup quarterback is still a question mark, but that was the secondary story over the weekend.
The Phillies remain scorching hot, walking off the Cardinals twice, including yesterday, when they scored six times with two outs in the ninth. The game-winner was an absolute bomb by Kyle Schwarber.
They head out west for nine games and look to make it 10 straight against the Mariners tonight.
August 24 has seen a legend honored, an institution burn down, and a marathon game.
Hard to Believe Harry
On this day in 1979, Steve Carlton did it all for the Phillies. Lefty pitched a complete game, striking out nine while helping himself at the plate. Carlton went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI as the Phillies beat the Astros 5-3 at the Vet.
But the big story happened before the game.
Phillies legend and broadcaster Richie Ashburn was honored by the team as his No. 1 was retired. Ashburn became just the second Phillie to have his number retired.
Trivia – Which players are honored with their numbers retired by the Phillies? (Answer below)
The Philadelphia Arena
On this day in 1983, the Philadelphia Arena burned to the ground in an arson fire. It took 11 alarms to finally put out the blaze.
Located at 45th and Market, the building originally opened as the Ice Palace in 1920. It became the home of Philadelphia’s first NHL team, the Quakers, and over the years became one of the city’s most important sports and entertainment venues.
Boxing legends Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sonny Liston all fought there. It was also the original Philadelphia home of the Warriors and the 76ers, and the Warriors won the 1947 BAA championship there.
The Arena also played an important role in the early days of professional wrestling, hosting some of the first television broadcasts of Vince McMahon Sr.’s promotion.
And it wasn’t just sports. Because of its proximity to WFIL, the home of American Bandstand, the Arena became a popular concert venue. The Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Doors all performed there.
By the late 1960s, the Spectrum had largely pushed the Arena out of the spotlight. Fifteen years later, the building was gone.
Today, a housing complex sits on the site at 45th and Market.
For more than 60 years, though, that corner was home to some of the biggest names and moments in Philadelphia sports and entertainment
Hit Parade
On this day in 1999, the Phillies put on an offensive show against the Padres, pounding out 22 hits in an 18-2 rout at Veterans Stadium.
Bobby Abreu hit two home runs and drove in six runs, while Rico Brogna went 4-for-5 with two RBI.
Rob Ducey led the hit parade with five hits of his own.
Twenty-two hits, 18 runs and one very long night for San Diego.
Put on Some Coffee
On this day in 2013, the Phillies and Diamondbacks played an 18-inning marathon that ended with Arizona winning 12-7.
The Phillies used 10 relief pitchers after starter Ethan Martin was chased after just two-thirds of an inning. They fell behind early but rallied for four runs in the eighth to tie the game.
The game remained tied until the top of the 18th, when the Phillies finally ran out of pitchers. Outfielder Casper Wells took the mound and gave up five runs before infielder John McDonald came in to finish the inning.
The Diamondbacks held on to win 12-7.
The game lasted 7 hours and 6 minutes, making it the longest game in Phillies history by time.
Eighteen innings. Seven hours. Eleven pitchers. Including an outfielder and an infielder on the mound.
Just another Phillies game in 2013.
Trivia Answer – The Phillies have retired Richie Ashburn, Jim Bunning, Dick Allen, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Roy Halladay, Robin Roberts, and Jackie Robinson’s numbers. They have also honored Grover Cleveland Alexander, Chuck Klein, Ed Delahanty, Billy Hamilton, and Sam Thompson with historical P logos.
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