1950 Philadelphia Phillies

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1950 Philadelphia Phillies / Franchise: Philadelphia Phillies / BR Team Page[edit]

Record: 91-63-3, Finished 1st in National League (1950 NL)

Clinched Pennant: October 1, 1950, At Brooklyn Dodgers

Managed by Eddie Sawyer

Coaches: Benny Bengough, Dusty Cooke, George Earnshaw, Maje McDonnell and Cy Perkins

Ballpark: Shibe Park

History, Comments, Contributions[edit]

The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies, nicknamed the "Whiz Kids", surprised observers by winning the National League pennant. The team got the nickname due to the number of young players on the club - no starting position player was over 30 nor were the top starting pitchers. The average team age of 26.5 was clearly the lowest in the league. The Phils had not won a pennant since 1915.

Key players included Richie Ashburn, Jim Konstanty, Del Ennis, Willie Jones, Dick Sisler, Robin Roberts, Curt Simmons, Andy Seminick, Eddie Waitkus, Bob Miller and others.

The Whiz Kids beat the Brooklyn Dodgers by two games in the regular season but then lost 4-0 to the New York Yankees in the 1950 World Series.

The Phillies would not finish first again until 1976, when they won a division title.

Awards and Honors[edit]

World Series[edit]

Main article: 1950 World Series

AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Philadelphia Phillies (0)

Game Score Date Location Attendance
1 Yankees – 1, Phillies – 0 October 4 Shibe Park 30,746
2 Yankees – 2, Phillies – 1 (10 innings) October 5 Shibe Park 32,660
3 Phillies – 2, Yankees – 3 October 6 Yankee Stadium 64,505
4 Phillies – 2, Yankees – 5 October 7 Yankee Stadium 68,098

Further Reading[edit]

  • 2022 Philadelphia Phillies Media Guide, pg. 218
  • Francis Kinlaw: "Kids Snatch a Flag", in Morris Levin, ed.: From Swampoodle to South Philly: Baseball in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, The National Pastime, SABR, 2013, p. 213.
  • Robin Roberts and C. Paul Rogers III: The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant, Temple University Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1996.
  • C. Paul Rogers III and Bill Nowlin, eds.: The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2018. ISBN 978-1-943816-31-6
  • C. Paul Rogers III: "October 1, 1950: Dick Sisler’s 10th-inning home run clinches Phillies’ pennant on the last day of the season", SABR