Team History[edit]
The Reading Fightin Phils, formerly of the Eastern League and briefly in Double-A Northeast, generated a short-lived controversy with their October 2012 announcement of a nickname change. The Philadelphia Phillies farmhands play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, PA.
The Fightins are now owned by their parent, the big Phils having bought the R-Phils in 2008.
The controversy was grounded in both tradition and being baseball's version of a favorite son. After years of being buffeted by affiliation and franchise changes, Reading - which is in the Phils' protected territory - joined Philly's farm system in 1967. Thus, a Phillies team in the Phillies' backyard that had gone by "Reading Phillies" with an aka of "R-Phils" for nearly a half a century had said: "We're changing brands." With many fans assuming "Phillies" was being abandoned, controversy was no surprise and might even have been the publicity-generating goal. It was quickly quelled by the November 4th reveal: "Fightin Phils" - a throwback to the 1950s Phillies "Whiz Kids".
The Fightins play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Luchadores de Reading (Reading Wrestlers).
Year-by-Year Record[edit]
Related Sites[edit]
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.