Philly by the Numbers

In One Era and Out the Other

Philadelphia has always been a city passionate about its sports teams. Through highs and lows, year after year, we, the Philly faithful, cheer our teams on, regardless of how painful that may be.

Nineteen hundred and seventy two, a memorable year indeed. The Godfather dominated at the box office, Fiddler on the Roof, A Clockwork Orange, and Cabaret were among the year’s best films. All In the Family was the #1 TV show in America. Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues, Roundabout by Yes, and American Pie by Don McLean took over the radio waves.

1972, the year of the Rat, was also the year Pong, Grease, Ziggy Stardust, ABBA, and HBO’s debut. The year the Miami Dolphins went 17-0. The year Richard Nixon kept the White House by taking 49 of 50 states in the election. The year the world was introduced to the Atkins Diet. It was also the year terrorists murdered 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team at the Munich Olympics.

While we watched that tragedy unfold on our TV sets each night, Steve Carlton, in his first season with the Phillies, was quickly making everyone forget about Rick Wise. Carlton would go on to win 27 games and his first Cy Young Award in 1972. Carlton won 27 of the Phillies 59 wins. A truly remarkable feat. It was the city’s only sports bright spot that year.

While the Oakland A’s were winning the World Series, the Dolphins were perfect, the Lakers were the toast of the NBA, and the Boston Bruins were hoisting the Stanley Cup, Philadelphia sports was mired in historic futility. Sports in Philly in 1972 was the worst sports year for any North American city.

Ever.

Anywhere.

43 years later Philadelphia did it again. In 2015, Philadelphia’s winning percentage wasn’t as bad as 1972, but at .375 for its four teams, it was a very close second.

Furthermore, with the end of the Sixer’s season in May 2017, Philadelphia finished with its worst three-year run ever. The futility was staggering. Collectively, 2014-2016/17 was mind-blowingly awful. Philadelphia sports teams over those three seasons won less than four out of every ten games. Four teams, three years, 12 seasons… one playoff series and one winning season.

There are twelve cities* in the US represented by teams in MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA. Of those twelve cities, four of them saw all four teams make the playoffs over that 2014-2016/17 span. Three of the twelve cities have won championships in those three years. Two cities did it twice.

*- WASHINGTON (Nationals, Redskins, Captials, Wizards), BOSTON (Red Sox, New England Patriots, Bruins, Celtics), CHICAGO (Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Black Hawks, Bulls), LOS ANGELES (Dodgers, Angels, Rams, Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Lakers, Clippers), DALLAS (Texas Rangers, Cowboys, Stars, Mavericks), DETROIT (Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, Pistons), MIAMI (Marlins, Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Heat), NEW YORK (Mets, Yankees, Giants, Jets, Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Knicks, Brooklyn Nets), MINNEAPOLIS (Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves), DENVER (Colorado Rockies, Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Nuggets), PHOENIX (Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Coyotes, Suns), PHILADELPHIA (Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, Sixers) -Los Angeles is part of the twelve because the Rams played in LA in 2016.

But Philly has enjoyed some highs as well. Philadelphia had a nice run after the abysmal 1972 season. The Flyers would win back-to-back Stanley Cups just a few years later. The Phillies in 1980 and the Sixers in 1983 would win championships.

In fact, in 1980, all four teams competed in their league’s championship. It’s the only time it has ever happened. That we went 1-3 was a bit painful. But the Phillies parade down Broad Street was glorious. 1980 was a year of excitement and magical sports moments. The Flyers incredible 35-game unbeaten streak, Pete Rose catching the ball that popped out of Bob Boone’s glove in game six and Tug McGraw striking out Kansas City Royals Willie Wilson to win the World Series, and Wilbert Montgomery rushing for 194 yards against Dallas to lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance.

Will Philadelphia once again enjoy greatness after enduring such futility?

There is cause for optimism in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles improbable run to their Super Bowl LII championship has ignited the fire in Philly sports once again. The Flyers and Sixers followed up the Eagles championship with playoff appearances of their own. And the Phillies look to be headed down that road, as well.

For the 2017-18 season, three of the four Philly teams made the postseason. That’s three times as many as the previous 3 years combined.

Will Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins bring the Phillies back to power?

Will Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons be a championship slam-dunk?

Can Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, and Carter Hart net us a Cup and bring Lord Stanley back to Broad Street?

Can Carson Wentz, Fletcher Cox, and the rest of the Eagles soar to another Super Bowl?

The future is now. Things could get very interesting very quickly.

Either way, as Philly sports fans, we will endure. We will cheer, paint our faces, redefine the term tailgating, yell, scream, ingest copious amounts of antacids, and live and die with our teams.

From the fanatical fan to the dauntless diehard and all of Philly’s faithful, this book is for you.

Philly by the Numbers is a collection of the best we have witnessed in our teams. It’s a celebration of the greatest moments, memories, and heroes of our beloved teams.

In writing this book, I had to set some guidelines. I chose to focus on the last 50 years of Philly sports as opposed to highlighting on the same page a player from the 1980’s and 1880’s. However, I also did not want to simply ignore some of our greatest just because they played in a different era. So there are some exceptions. Secondly, I kept this within the realm of our four major sports teams in the four major sports leagues. Who knows, maybe a future version will include soccer, indoor football, lacrosse, etc.

The Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Warriors (as well as the pre-Sixers Syracuse Nationals), are included in greatest moments that would be unjust to leave out.

Please visit us at Phillybythenumbers.com to post comments, criticisms, suggestions, and your favorite stories or memories.

Without further ado, I present Philly by the Numbers. Enjoy!

Michael Egenolf

April 27th, 2018

00

Bernie Parent – Blazers (1972-73) NHL Hall of Famer Bernie Parent wore 00 as a member of the WHA Philadelphia Blazers during the 1972-73 hockey season. The following season Parent led the Philadelphia Flyers to their first Stanley Cup win. While the Blazers are not one of Philly’s BIG FOUR major sports franchises, Parent brought Philly two Stanley Cups and he’s in the Hockey Hall of Fame, so his 00 as a Blazer makes the list!

Did you know…

… Omar Olivares of the Philadelphia Phillies was the first player of Philly’s BIG FOUR to wear 00. In case you are wondering who he is, he pitched 10 innings for the Phillies in 1995.

… No Flyer and no Eagle has ever worn 00. Rick White of the Phillies (2006), Eric Montross (1998), Benoit Benjamin (1998-99), Amal McCaskill (2004), and Spencer Hawes (2011-14) of the Sixers are the only other players to wear 00 in Philly major sports history.

0

Did you know… No Flyer and no Eagle has ever worn 0. Al Oliver of the Phillies (1984), Orlando Woolridge (1994), Alvin Jones (2002), Jeremy Pargo (2013), Darius Johnson-Odom (2014), Brandon Davies (2015), Isaiah Canaan (2015-16), Jerryd Bayless (2017-18) of the Sixers are the only other players to wear 0 in Philly major sports history.

Even up…

0… Number of times Wilt Chamberlain fouled out in his Hall of Fame NBA career.

0… Eagles points scored in their Lincoln Financial Field debut, a 17-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 8th, 2003.

0… Number of points the Eagles gave up in their first two championship-winning games. On December 19, 1948 in blizzard-like conditions, the Eagles defeated the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. On December 18, 1949, in a soaking downpour, the Eagles defeated the Los Angeles Rams 14-0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

1

Bernie Parent – Flyers/Goalie (1967-71, 1973-79) Widely regarded as one of the all-time best goaltenders in NHL history, Bernie Parent put together back-to-back seasons in 1973-74 and 1974-75 that earned him two Vezina Trophies (best goaltender) and two Conn Smythe Trophies (playoff MVP), and was instrumental in the Flyers winning their only two Stanley Cups to date. Parent had two stints with the orange and black, 1967-68 to 1970-71 and 1973-74 to 1978-79. An accidental high stick struck Parent’s right eye through the mask opening and ended his career. Parent was a five-time NHL All Star and was inducted into the Hockey HOF in 1984. The Flyers retired Parent’s #1 on October 11th, 1979 and inducted him into the team’s HOF in 1988.

Richie Ashburn – Phillies/CF (1948-1959) was one of the most beloved figures in Philadelphia sports history. Whitey was a career .308 hitter, a six-time NL All Star, two-time NL Batting champ, and in 1995 was inducted into Cooperstown. Ashburn joined the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1979. The Phillies retired Ashburn’s #1 and honored him by naming the entertainment area at Citizens Bank Park Ashburn Alley. Ashburn was part of the Phillies broadcast team from 1963 until his death in 1997.

Did you know…

… Truth is stranger than fiction – On August 17, 1957 as the Phillies were hosting the Giants, Rich Ashburn fouled off a pitch that landed in the stands breaking the nose of a woman spectator. The woman, Alice Roth, wife of Philadelphia Bulletin Sports Editor Earl Roth, was hit again by a Rich Ashburn foul ball on the very next pitch as she was being carried off on a stretcher.

… Eagles Super Bowl XV barefoot kicker Tony Franklin kicked a 59-yard FG in Dallas on November 12th, 1979. At the time, it was 4th longest in NFL history.

… Sixers Michael Carter-Williams won the NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2013. He also had an NBA rookie-debut record 9 steals in his first game in the NBA.

… Sixers Samuel Dalembert doesn’t use milk with his cereal. He uses orange juice.

2

Mark Howe – Flyers/D (1982-1992) Son of hockey legend Gordie Howe, Mark was a four-time NHL All Star, a four-time Barry Ashbee Award winner, a three-time Norris Trophy finalist, and an Olympic Silver Medalist with USA Hockey at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo Japan. Howe had his #2 retired by the Flyers and was inducted into the Flyers HOF in 2001, the US Hockey HOF in 2003 and the Hockey HOF in 2011.

David Akers – Eagles/K (1999-2010) David Akers was simply the greatest placekicker in Eagles history. Akers, a six-time Pro Bowler holds the NFL record for points in a season with 166. He also holds the NFL record for most field goals in a season, with 44. Akers holds 6 other NFL records. Akers played more games in an Eagles uniform than any other player in team history (188). Akers was a member of the Eagles Super Bowl XXXIX team. Akers hit an NFL-record 17 FGs of 40 yards or longer and led the league with a 40.8 yard FG average during the Eagles 2004 march to the Super Bowl. Akers was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2017, the first kicker so honored.

Moses Malone – Sixers/C (1982-1986) Moses Malone was a dominant NBA rebounder earning him the nickname Chairman of the Boards. He was the NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP in 1983 helping the Sixers capture their 3rd NBA Title in franchise history. The twelve-time NBA All Star was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Bob Dailey – Flyers/D (1976-77 to 1981-82) Bob the Count Dailey was a two-time NHL All Star and two-time Barry Ashbee Award winner. For the first half of his NHL career, the Count at 6’5 was the NHL’s tallest player. Dailey scored a career-high 21 goals during the 1977-78 season, his first full season with the Flyers. Dailey played on the Flyers record-breaking 35-game unbeaten team, and scored 17 postseason points during the Flyers 1980 Stanley Cup Finals run. Dailey fractured his ankle in a collision with Buffalo Sabres Tony McKegney battling for an icing call on November 1st, 1981 in a Flyers 6-2 loss. The injury effectively ended the Count’s" career at age 28. Bob Dailey passed away in 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

Ed Van Impe – Flyers/D (1967-68 to 1975-76). Ed Van Impe was the second captain in Flyers team history, wearing the C from 1968-1972. Van Impe was Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) runner-up (Bobby Orr) the year before the Flyers selected him from the Chicago Black Hawks in the NHL Expansion Draft. Van Impe played on both Flyers Stanley Cup championship teams. The gritty Van Impe once took a puck in the mouth, lost 6 teeth, and took 50 stitches to his lips and tongue… then finished the game. Van Impe is famous for his crushing check on Soviet Red Army winger Valeri Kharlamov during Super Series ’76 that led to the Soviets leaving the ice in protest. The three-time NHL All Star was inducted into the Flyers HOF in 1993.

Did you know…

… Flyers defenseman Mark Howe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 joining his legendary father Gordie Howe. They were just the 4th father-son duo enshrined as players in NHL history (Bobby and Brett Hull, Lynn and Lester Patrick, and Earl and Oliver Seibert).

Even up…

2… Stanley Cups won by the Flyers in team history. The 1st in 1973-74 defeating the Boston Bruins 4 games to 2, and repeating as champs in 1974-75 defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4 games to 2.

2… World Series Championships for the Phillies in team history. The 1st in 1980 defeating the Kansas City Royals 4 games to 2, and the 2nd in 2008 defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1. The 2008 Series vs Tampa Bay featured the only game in World Series history completed two days after it began.

2… The Flyers have had two 100-point scorers in the same season twice in team history, 1972-73 (Bobby Clarke-104, Rick MacLeish-100), and 1975-76 (Bobby Clarke-119, Bill Barber-112).

3

Allen Iverson – Sixers/G (1996-2006, 2009-10) One of the most exciting players in a generation, Iverson, the 1997 Rookie of the Year, led the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001 as the league’s MVP. The four-time NBA Scoring Champ was an eleven-time NBA All Star, winning the All Star Game MVP in 2001 and 2005. A.I. is the Sixers all-time leader in three-pointers with 885. The Sixers retired Iverson’s #3 in 2016. Iverson was nicknamed The Answer by a family friend as he was about to attend Georgetown University. In May, 2002 The Answer answered his critics with a twenty-two expletive rant with the famous line We’re talkin’ ‘bout practice.

Tom Bladon – Flyers/D (1974-1978) The two-time All Star Flyer blueliner had the game of all games for NHL defensemen when on December 11, 1977 Boomer Bladon scored four goals and assisted on four others in an 11-2 romp over the Cleveland Barons. It was the first hat trick ever for a Flyers defenseman, and his +10 is the highest single game plus/minus in NHL history. During the following off season Bladon, along with Orest Kindrachuk and Ross Lonsberry, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the sixth overall pick in the draft (and an 8th rounder). That 6th overall pick turned out to be another of the best Flyers to ever wear #3, Behn Wilson.

Behn Wilson – Flyers/D (1978-83) Hard-hitting and offensively gifted Behn Wilson was the sixth overall player taken in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. Wilson made the team right out of camp and appeared in all 80 games that season for the orange and black. His 49 points and 197 PIMs set Flyers rookie defensemen records. Wilson was a 1981 NHL All Star and finished that season with 63 pts, 237 PIMs (6th) and an impressive +41 (tied for 9th w/Gretzky). Following the 1982-83 season, big #3 was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks for another #3, Doug Crossman, and a 2nd round pick (Scott Mellanby).

Did you know…

… On April 20th, 2003, Allen Iverson scored 55 points in a post-season game against the New Orleans Hornets. It’s tied (Rick Barry, Michael Jordan) for the 2nd most points in an NBA post-season game (Charles Barkley 56 w/Phoenix Suns).

… Phillies catcher Todd Pratt hit a two-run walk-off homer against the Boston Red Sox in a 6-5 Phillies win in 13 innings. Phillies broadcaster Scott Graham’s call of the June 21st, 2003 game-winning homer has been immortalized in a talking bottle opener.

… Flyers D Dan McGillis is the brother of actress Kelly McGillis (Top Gun, Witness).

Oddly enough…

3… The number of times Phillies all-time HR leader (548) Mike Schmidt was NL MVP (1981, ‘82, ‘86).

3… Super Bowl appearances for the Eagles in team history. The Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders in 1980, lost to the New England Patriots in 2004, and defeated the New England Patriots in 2018 for their first ever Super Bowl Championship.

4

Dolph Schayes – Sixers/C-F (and Syracuse Nationals) 1949-50 to 1963-64. Dolph Schayes was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973. Schayes played his entire 15-yr career with the Sixers/Nationals franchise. Schayes was a player-coach for the Sixers and was NBA Coach of the Year in 1966. Selected by the NBA as one of the league’s all-time top 50 players for the NBA’s 50th Anniversary in 1996. The twelve-time NBA All Star had his number retired by the Sixers in 2016.

Barry Ashbee – Flyers/D (1971-74) Barry Ashbee won a Stanley Cup with the Flyers as a player (1973-74) and as an assistant coach (1974-75). In