1964 Philadelphia Phillies season

MLB yearly infobox-pre1969 alt‎
name = Philadelphia Phillies
season = 1964
misc =

current league = National League
y1 = 1883
Uniform
ballpark = Connie Mack Stadium
y4 = 1938
city = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
y5 = 1883
owners = Robert R.M. Carpenter, Jr.
general manager =John Quinn
managers =Gene Mauch
television = WFIL
radio = WFIL
(By Saam, Bill Campbell, Richie Ashburn)|

The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 82nd season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in a second-place tie in the National League with the Cincinnati Reds, while posting a record of 92-70, one game behind the NL and World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Gene Mauch managed the Phillies, as they played their home games at Connie Mack Stadium.

Regular season

The Phold

From by|1919 through by|1947, the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A 1962 cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a French Foreign Legion outpost, explaining, "I was released by the Phillies!"

During by|1962 and by|1963, the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the by|1964 season, they seemed destined to make it to the World Series, with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman Dick Allen, starters Jim Bunning (obtained from the Detroit Tigers at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and Chris Short, and star right fielder Johnny Callison. "TV Guide" went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. However, from a 6½-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals after their losing home stand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson by a 5-1 score, their eighth loss in a row, dropping them to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and assume first place for good. The "Phold," as it is known, is one of the most notable collapses in sports history.

Opening Day Starters