The 1980 edition of the Phillies may not have been the best team, talent-wise, in Phillies history. Both the 1976 and 1977 Phils won more games. The Phillies also won pennants in 1915, 1950, 1983, and 1993. In fact, it took a near miracle (and a six-game winning streak at the end of the year) for the Phillies to even win the division crown over the powerhouse Expos in 1980. Then the Phillies looked at baseball's version of the Grim Reaper against Houston, coming back in the 8th inning of games 4 and 5, winning both in extra innings to go to the World Series. And against the Royals, the Phillies just would not be denied, winning the FIRST World Championship in Phillies history in six games. Yes, other Phillies teams may have had more talent. Other Phillies teams may have won more games. But the 1980 Phillies won, with grit and determination, what no other Phillies team could achieve until 2008: The right to call themselves WORLD CHAMPIONS.

November 2023 Update:  Kept on cranking out the articles this month, finishing the June and July articles from the Allentown Morning Call.  Late July and early August may have been the nadir of the season for the Phils, who were struggling to keep up with the defending champion Pirates and the Expos.  It’s been fun to see this season from the eyes of reporters I have not seen before!

Heartbreak:    So close… but it was not to be.  The Phils, who held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in the series, fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series.  The hitting, which had looked stellar against the Marlins and Braves, just could not get it going enough in either Game 6 or 7.  It was a disappointing end to a really fun September and October.

Bye Nola???    It’s hard to fathom that when Aaron Nola walked off the mound during Game 6 of the NLCS, that it may have been the last time to see him pitch in a Phillies uniform.  Nola, who is entering free agency this offseason, will be looking for a big payday on the market, even though his 2023 was in many ways a struggle, going 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA.  In his career Nola, a 2014 first round draft pick of the Phillies, is 90-71 with a 3.72 ERA.

Still On the Lookout For:

•  Pictures from the 1980 season.  Looking for digital copies of pictures that can be posted on the site.
  
  

•  Articles from the Philadelphia Bulletin.  Richie Ashburn used to do a weekly article in that newspaper.  Online, scanned, clipped… most importantly free!
  
  

Future Updates:    Even though the Phils fell short of earning their third World Series title, I will continue to celebrate the first champion by working on the site.  I am hoping to complete the August and September articles this month, though the holidays  sometimes have a way of slowing me down a bit!  I am also still trying to figure out how I can get maybe one more newspaper in the site database before running out of room!