Reading Phillies

The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The R-Phils affiliation with the Big Phils has lasted unbroken since 1967, and this relationship was solidified even further when the Philadelphia Phillies purchased a controlling interest in the Reading Phillies in 2008. The Reading Phillies play in FirstEnergy Stadium, previously known as Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium. Built in 1951, the stadium seats 9,000 fans. On July 3, 2007, the stadium celebrated their ten-millionth fan to attend a game.

The R-Phils won the Eastern League championship in 1968, 1973, and 1995, and were co-champions in 2001.

History

Early baseball in Reading (1858–1932)

Reading's first official baseball team, the Reading Athletic Club, formed in November 1858 and, for the next 15 years, played other local teams for unofficial championships and bragging rights. After the National Agreement of 1883, which organized major and minor leagues, the Reading Actives became a member of the Interstate Association, one of the two original minor leagues. The Actives went 33–35 in 1883 against teams from Brooklyn, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trenton, New Jersey, Wilmington, Delaware, Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey (which disbanded that July), finishing in third place before the league folded after the season. The Actives played sporadically for the next 12 years.

The Reading Coal Heavers played in the Atlantic League from 1897 until the league disbanded in mid-June 1900. During this time, the world's first female professional baseball player, Lizzie Arlington, pitched the final inning of a game for the Coal Heavers. Baseball returned to Reading in 1907 when the York White Roses of the Class-B Tri-State League relocated and became the Reading Pretzels. In 1911, the Pretzels finished with the best record in the league, but lost a best-of-seven postseason series to the team from Trenton. On June 14 of that season, George "Jake" Northrop pitched the only perfect nine-inning game in Reading baseball history. The Tri-State League folded after the 1914 season, but the Pretzels were resurrected when the Albany Senators of the New York State League relocated to Reading in August 1916. That league folded at the end of 1917 due to the first World War.

Beginning in 1919, Reading played in the Class-AA International League as the Coal Barons (1919), Marines (1920), Aces (1921–22), and Keystones (1923–32). Several future major leaguers played for the Keystones, owned by the Chicago Cubs from May 1927 until the end of 1930, including shortstop Bill Jurges and pitcher Lon Warneke. In August 1929, George Quellich set a professional baseball record that still stands today by collecting 15 hits in 15 consecutive at-bats.

Reading in the Eastern League (1933–1966)

Reading became home to the Class-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the New York-Penn League (now the Eastern League) in 1933. The Reading Red Sox had a successful two-year run before the team moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania (this franchise is now defunct).

Five years later, Reading got another baseball franchise—this time, an unaffiliated team in the Class-B Interstate League called the Reading Chicks, which lost the league title series to the Lancaster Red Roses. In 1941, the Chicks affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers as the Reading Brooks, featuring future Dodger outfielder Carl Furillo. The franchise folded after the '41 season, and Reading was without at team for 10 years.

In 1952, the Wilkes Barre Indians, an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians relocated to Reading to become the Reading Indians (this Eastern League franchise is now the New Britain Rock Cats). The Reading Indians played at Municipal Memorial Stadium for the next decade, capturing the league title in 1957. Several Indians went on to successful major-league careers, including Rocky Colavito and Roger Maris. The franchise left town in 1961 and, after one year without a team, the Williamsport Grays moved to Reading to play for two years as a Boston Red Sox affiliate and for one more year as a Cleveland Indians farm team before relocating again (this franchise is now the Binghamton Mets). Reading was without a baseball team in 1966 before a new Eastern League franchise was established in Reading in 1967 as the Reading Phillies.

Reading Phillies (1967–present)

The Reading Phillies debuted at Municipal Stadium on April 22, 1967 against the York White Roses.^[1]

With the end of the 53-year relationship between the Baltimore Orioles and their rookie-league team in Bluefield, WV after the 2010 season, the Reading/Philadelphia partnership becomes the longest current affiliation in Minor League Baseball.

Logos and uniforms

The team colors of the Reading Phillies are red, navy blue, light blue, and "bubble gum." The Phillies logo consists of the "R-Phils" wordmark in red with bubble gum-colored highlights, and a navy blue and light blue star dotting the "i." The Reading Phillies also have a secondary logo depicting the Reading Pagoda, a landmark in the city.

The Reading Phillies home uniforms resemble those of their Philadelphia parent. The caps are red throughout with a stylized, cursive "R", colored red with bubble gum-colored highlights, with a navy blue and light blue star superimposed over the opening. The R-Phils have red caps for away games, with a train centered above the "R" instead of the blue star. The home jerseys are white with traditional red pinstripes. The "Reading" wordmark is prominently displayed on the front of the jersey in red with bubble gum-colored shadowing, with a blue star dotting the "i." The away jersey was powder blue in 2008 and 2009, a tribute to the away jersey of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1973–1989, with maroon stripes going down the sides. Currently, the away jersey is gray, almost identical to the current Philadelphia Phillies road jersey.

The Reading Phillies have two alternate jerseys, one red and one blue, both with the "R-Phils" wordmark prominently featured in red outlined in white.

Season-by-season records (Championship seasons in bold)

Current roster

Notable alumni

• Larry Bowa, SS, Philadelphia (1970–81), Chicago Cubs (1982–85), New York Mets (1985), played in 155 games for Reading in 1967–68
• Greg Luzinski, OF, Philadelphia (1970–80), Chicago White Sox (1981–84), played in 141 games for Reading in 1970
• Bob Boone, C, Philadelphia (1972–81), California (1982–88), Kansas City (1989–90), played in 112 games for Reading in 1970–71
• Mike Schmidt, 3B, Philadelphia (1972–89), played in 74 games for Reading in 1971
• Willie Hernandez, P, Chicago Cubs (1977–83), Philadelphia (1983), Detroit (1984–89), played for Reading in 1975
• George Bell, LF/OF, Toronto (1981; 1983–90), Chicago Cubs (1991), Chicago White Sox (1992–93), played in 22 games for Reading in 1980
• Mark Davis, P, Philadelphia (1980–81; 1993), San Francisco (1983–87), San Diego (1987–89; 1993–94), Kansas City (1990–92), Atlanta (1992), Milwaukee (1997), played in 28 games for Reading in 1980
• Ryne Sandberg, 2B, Philadelphia (1981), Chicago Cubs (1982–97), played in 129 games (as an SS) for Reading in 1980
• Julio Franco, SS/2B, Philadelphia (1982), Cleveland (1983–88; 1996–97), Texas (1989–93), Chicago White Sox (1994), Milwaukee (1997), Tampa Bay (1999), Atlanta (2001–05; 2007), New York Mets (2006–07), played 139 games for Reading in 1981
• Darren Daulton, C, for Philadelphia (1983; 1985–97), Florida (1997), played in 113 games for Reading in 1983 (and in one rehab game in 1991)
• Juan Samuel, 2B, Philadelphia (1983–89), New York Mets (1989), Los Angeles Dodgers (1990–92), Kansas City (1992; 1995), Cincinnati (1993), Detroit (1994–95), Toronto (1996–98), played in 47 games for Reading in 1983
• Mickey Morandini, 2B, Philadelphia (1990–97; 2000), Chicago Cubs (1998–99), Toronto (2000), played in 48 games for Reading in 1989
• Mike Lieberthal, C, Philadelphia (1994–2006), Los Angeles Dodgers (2007), Gold Glove-winning All Star, played in 86 games for Reading in 1992 (and in 2 rehab games in 2006)
• Scott Rolen, 3B, Philadelphia (1996–2002), St. Louis (2002–2007), Toronto (2008–09), Cincinnati (2009–present) played in 81 games for Reading in 1995–96.
• Randy Wolf, P, Philadelphia (1999–2006), Los Angeles Dodgers (2007; 2009–present), San Diego (2008), played in four games for Reading in 1998 (and in a total of five rehab games)
• Pat Burrell, LF, Philadelphia (2000–08), Tampa Bay (2009–10), San Francisco (2010), played in 117 games for Reading in 1999 (and in 4 rehab games in 2004)
• Jimmy Rollins, SS, Philadelphia (2000–present), played in 133 games for Reading in 1999
• Nick Punto, 2B/SS, Philadelphia (2001–03), Minnesota (2004–2010), St. Louis Cardinals (2011–current) played in 121 games for Reading in 2000
• Geoff Geary, P, Philadelphia (2003–07), Houston (2008), played in 51 games for Reading in 2000–01 (and in one rehab game in 2005)
• Marlon Byrd, CF, Philadelphia (2000–05), Washington (2005–06), Texas (2007–present), played in 137 games for Reading in 2001 (and in 3 rehab games in 2003)
• Brett Myers, P, Philadelphia (2002–09),Houston (2010–present) played in 26 games for Reading in 2001
• Carlos Silva, P, Philadelphia (2002–03), Minnesota (2004–07), Seattle (2008–present), played in 28 games for Reading in 2001 (and 2 rehab games in 2002)
• Carlos Ruiz, C, Philadelphia (2006–present), played in 153 games for Reading in 2003–04
• Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia (2004–present), played 102 games for Reading in 2004
• Michael Bourn, OF, Philadelphia (2006–07), Houston (2008–present), played in 215 games for Reading in 2005–06
• Lou Marson, C, Philadelphia (2008–09), Cleveland (2009–present), played in 94 games for Reading in 2008
• Carlos Carrasco, P, Cleveland (2009–present), played in 34 games for Reading in 2007–08
• Domonic Brown, OF, Philadelphia (2010), played in 102 games for Reading in 2009–10.
• Kyle Drabek, P, Toronto (2010), played in 15 games for Reading in 2009.
• Michael Schwimer, relief pitcher, Philadelphia (2011–present), played in 37 games for Reading in 2009–10

References

Sources

• Reading Phillies History Book

External links

• Reading Phillies official website
• FirstEnergy Stadium Events
• Reading Phillies' MiLB page