A Game of Wait & See
People are already suggesting that this might be the greatest Phillies team of all-time. This conversation has no validity until after the season and we see how the Phillies fare in the playoffs.
Yet one thing is undisputed—this is the most All-Star selections the Phillies have in team history, and it really isn’t close.
The Phillies had seven players selected this year—pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman, third baseman Alec Bohm, shortstop Trea Turner and first baseman Bryce Harper.
Then on Saturday, righthander Cristopher Sanchez was named an All-Star replacement, giving the Phillies eight selections, including a record five pitchers.
Before this season, the most players the Phillies had selected to an All-Star team was five. The All-Star game made its debut in 1933 and the Phillies had two representatives in that inaugural season, shortstop Dick Bartel and outfielder Chuck Klein.
Here are the seasons in which the Phillies had five players selected.
2011: P Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, 3B Placido Polanco and OF Shane Victorino
2009: 1B Ryan Howard, OF Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth, 2B Chase Utley, OF Shane Victorino
1995: C Darren Dalton, OF Lenny Dykstra, P Tyler Green and Heathcliff Slocumb and 2B Mickey Morandini
1981: P Steve Carlton and Dick Ruthven, 1B: Pete Rose, 3B Mike Schmidt, 2B Manny Trillo
1979: P Steve Carlton, C Bob Boone, SS Larry Bown, 1B Pete Rose, 3B Mike Schmidt
1976: C Bob Boone, SS Larry Bowa, 2B Dave Cash, 3B Mike Schmidt, OF Greg Luzinski
Of these six Phillies teams, the 1995 and 1979 squads didn’t make the postseason. The 2011 team, which won a team-record 102 games, lost in the National League Division series to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 1976 team lost in the NLCS (when that was the first round of the playoffs) to the Cincinnati Reds. The 1981 squad lost to the Montreal Expos in five games during the National League Division Series.
Of the six, only the 2009 team advanced to the World Series, where they lost in six games to the New York Yankees.
What is interesting is that the two times the Phillies won the World Series—in 1980 and 2008—they didn’t have their strongest All-Star representation. The 1980 team had three members—Carlton, Rose and Schmidt. The 2008 team had just two representatives, Brad Lidge and Chase Utley.
How far have the Phillies come?
From 2014 through 2019, they had exactly one All-Star each year.
MLB rules mandate that every team has to be represented. Some of those six years there were quality players, but others left something to be desired. Here are the six—2014: Chase Utley (his sixth and final All-Star nod); 2015: Jonathan Papelbon; 2016 Odubel Herrera; 2017: Pat Neshek; 2018: Aaron Nola; 2019: J.T. Realmuto.
Remember, the All-Star team is selected on a little more than a half season’s work. It doesn’t tell the entire story of a team. On paper, the Phillies have a team that can stake claim to being the best in franchise history. Get back to us in October, or possibly early November, for the final verdict.
Photo of Cristopher Sanchez / Courtesy of Phillies X/Twitter
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Author: Marc Narducci
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