Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
Another game another win for the Phillies. They look for the sweep against the D-Backs before returning home this week for a HUGE series against the Braves.
September 2 has seen NFL history, a grand walk-off, and some Phillies milestones.
Isn’t Your Foot Cold?
On this day in 1979, the Eagles opened the season at the Vet against the Giants. Behind two Harold Carmichael touchdown catches, a Billy Campfield rushing touchdown, and a Tony Franklin field goal, the Eagles scored 23 points in the second quarter and held on to beat the Giants 23-17.
The field goal was historic. Franklin, a third-round rookie, became the first barefoot kicker in NFL history to make a field goal in a game.
Kickers had begun experimenting with going barefoot as a way to gain more control and power. While plenty of kickers gave it a try, only four full-time barefoot kickers played in NFL history—and two of them played for the Eagles: Franklin and Paul McFadden.
Franklin wasn’t just a gimmick, either. During the 1979 season, he drilled a 59-yard field goal, which at the time was the fourth-longest field goal in NFL history.
Eventually, advances in shoe technology and changes to NFL uniform rules brought an end to the barefoot-kicking era. Jeff Wilkins was the last kicker to attempt a barefoot kick in an NFL game, doing so in 2002.
Trivia – Who won the UPI NFC Rookie of the Year Award in 1984? (Answer below)
Grand Walk-Off
On this day in 1983, Joe Morgan led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run in the Phillies’ game against the Giants.
That would be the Phillies’ only run until the ninth inning, when Ozzie Virgil came to the plate as a pinch hitter for Morgan with the bases loaded and two outs.
Virgil delivered a walk-off grand slam, giving the Phillies a 5-3 victory.
It may not have looked pretty in the middle, but it was a pretty good bookend for the Phillies: Joe Morgan leading off the game with a home run, and Ozzie Virgil ending it with a grand slam.
Chase Utley’s Inning
On this day in 2010, the Phillies and Rockies played a typical Coors Field game.
Down 7-3 in the top of the seventh, the Phillies exploded for nine runs, including a Chase Utley RBI single and a grand slam. His five RBI in the inning tied a Phillies team record for RBI in a single inning.
Utley finished the game with six RBI, and the Phillies hung on to win a wild one, 12-11.
Fifth Times a Charm
On this day in 2023, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto all homered, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies lost 7-5 to the Brewers.
Turner’s home run tied a Phillies team record, joining Dick Allen, Mike Schmidt, Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley twice, Rhys Hoskins, and Odubel Herrera as the only Phillies to homer in five straight games.
Turner was joined by his teammate Kyle Schwarber earlier this year, who hit a homer in five straight games in May.
Trivia Answer – Eagles Kicker Paul McFadden won the UPI NFC Rookie of the Year award. During the season McFadden scored 116 points.
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