Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
Rough outing from Andrew Painter, who was optioned to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs after the game. Another Phillies legend had struggles early in his career, was sent back to the minors and became a multi-time Cy Young winner…Roy Halladay. They open up a big weekend series against the Mets. June 18 has seen some Phillies milestones, an award-winning day for the Flyers and the end of a curse.
Roberts Debuts
Future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts made his debut on this day in 1948. Roberts was solid in the outing, going eight innings and giving up two runs. Unfortunately the Phillies failed to score as the Pirates won it 2-0 at Shibe Park. Roberts went on to be one of the best pitchers in Phillies history and has his #36 retired at Citizens Bank Park.
The Champs Get Their Flowers
The NHL gave out its annual awards on this day in 1975. The two-time Stanley Cup champion Flyers fared well. Bobby Clarke won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the MVP and Bernie Parent won his second straight Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie.
Trivia – How many Hart Trophies have the Flyers won in their history? (Answer Below)
Dear John
The Phillies fired manager John Felske on this day in 1987 after starting the season 29-32. He was replaced by Philly Native and Phillies bench coach Lee Elia. Elia guided the Phillies to a 51-50 record and was named the permanent manager for 1988. The Phillies struggled in 1988, and Elia was fired that September.
Planting the Seeds
The Phillies were active in the trade market on this day in 1989. They made two separate trades to acquire a couple of players who would be foundational pieces of the 1993 NL Champions. First they sent former Cy Young winner Steve Bedrosian and a player to be named later to the Giants for Terry Mulholland, Dennis Cook, and Charlie Hayes. In a second trade they sent Juan Samuel to the Mets for Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, and a player to be named later. Mulholland would be one of the horses of the 93 rotation while Lenny Dykstra served as the spark plug at the top of the order.
Daulton Makes History
The Phillies lost to the Red Sox 4-2, their 5th straight loss during Interleague play in Boston. Darren Daulton hit a 2-run homerun accounting for the Phillies only runs. Daulton was the Phillies designated hitter that day, making him the first Phillies DH to hit a homerun. That includes the 1980 World Series which was played under American League rules.
It’s All Over
John Joyce and Dan Ginion could be solely responsible for saving Philly Sports. The forward-thinking iron workers attached a small William Penn figurine on the final beam of the Comcast Center before it was raised. There was gentlemen’s agreement that no structure in Philly would higher than William Penn on City Hall. That was broken with the construction of Liberty Place, causing William Penn to curse the city’s sports teams. Don’t believe in the Curse of Billy Penn? Look at the heartbreak and performance of the teams after Liberty Place was completed. After Joyce and Ginion put William Penn back atop the city in 2007, the Phillies chased down the Mets to win the NL East and won the World Series the following year. Coincidence? After the Comcast Technology Center (2nd Comcast Building) was completed and another William Penn was put on top, the Eagles won the Super Bowl…
Trivia Answer – The Flyers have won four Hart Trophies. Bobby Clarke won it in 1973, 1975, and 1976. Eric Lindros won it in 1995.
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