Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
As the trade deadline approaches, rumors about who the Phillies are interested in continue to swirl as they head to Baltimore this weekend for a three-game series. July 31 has seen several Phillies legends earn Player of the Month honors, Raúl Ibañez put together a memorable day, the beginning of the end of a golden era, and an incredible debut.
Luzinski Powers the Phils
On this day in 1977, Greg Luzinski homered twice, while Mike Schmidt and Richie Hebner also went deep. The Phillies beat the Giants 5–4 at Veterans Stadium. For the month of July, The Bull hit .355 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs, earning NL Player of the Month honors.
A Rare Error
On this day in 1982, Mike Schmidt hit his 12th home run of the month on his way to being named NL Player of the Month. In the seventh inning of the Phillies’ 2–0 victory, Manny Trillo booted a ground ball. The error ended his streak of 89 consecutive games without an error, just two shy of Joe Morgan’s MLB record for second basemen. It also snapped his MLB record of 479 consecutive chances without an error.
Trivia – Who currently holds the MLB record for consecutive games without an error for a second basemen? (answer below)
What a Debut
Cliff Lee made his much-anticipated Phillies debut on this day in 2009 in San Francisco. He no-hit the Giants through five innings before finishing with a complete-game four-hitter, striking out six. He also helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Jayson Werth added a home run and three RBIs as the Phillies won 6–1. What a debut by Cliff.
Let’s Go Eat
On this day in 2011, Raúl Ibañez was a one-man wrecking crew against the Pirates, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs, including a walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th inning of the Phillies’ 6–5 victory. Newly acquired Hunter Pence scored the game-winning run as the Phillies completed the sweep. After the game, Pence was interviewed by Sarge and was asked what he was thinking as he rounded third. His response: “Good game, let’s go eat.”
The Beginning of the End
This day in 2012 marked the end of an era. Shane Victorino was traded to the Dodgers, representing the beginning of the dismantling of the 2008 World Series champions. The Phillies had already lost Jayson Werth to free agency, but Victorino was the first core player from that championship team to be traded. From there, the team was dismantled piece by piece until only Ryan Howard remained.
Trivia Answer – Placido Polanco went 186 games without committing an error from July 2, 2006 through April 5, 2008 setting the MLB record for second basemen.
Check back tomorrow for another edition of This Day in Philly Sports History
For more Philly Sports History, tune in every weekday to This Day in Philly Sports History
Stop by the improved Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame YouTube page for more Philly Sports content. Be sure to subscribe.
