“That’s all baseball is, is numbers,” Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers famously said. “It’s run by numbers, averages, percentages, and odds. Managers make their decisions based on the numbers.” What better way to start a brand new Phillies season than with a new piece looking at the numbers behind Philadelphia baseball?
As Philly’s baseball team trickles into Clearwater, Florida, over the next week for the start of baseball activities, let’s take our first look at some relevant numbers that will allow you to drop some knowledge on your baseball-loving buddies this spring.
Phillies By Numbers
0- Days remaining until Phillies Spring Training arrives in 2025. Seriously! Despite the winter weather swirling around Philadelphia, the trucks have already arrived, and Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski has held a press conference to provide some new nuggets of information. For those who don’t have time to watch it, PSN’s Cory Nidoh broke it all down for you!
1- Phillies rookies to hit for the cycle: Weston Wilson last August against Washington. It was the 10th cycle in Phillies history. Wilson smacked a triple off the wall in right in the 4th before a pop-up single landed him on first base later in that same inning. The cycle watch was on after Wilson blasted a 7th-inning home run. Wilson’s name was etched in the history books in the 8th inning as he connected with a double, sending the home crowd into a frenzy as he strolled into second base.
Weston Wilson completes the cycle in front of the @Phillies faithful! ?
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 16, 2024
NTT #BallparkCam | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/DzyLS4l2qL
2- Games Against the N.L. East during Grapefruit League action—both are against Atlanta. The Phillies were 6-7 last season against the Atlanta Braves, with a 4-3 home record in Philadelphia and a 2-4 visiting record in Georgia.
4- Number of Phillies to claim MLB’s National League Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Jack Sanford claimed the first one in franchise history in 1957, followed by Richie “Dick” Allen a few seasons later in 1964. Three more decades passed before Scott Rolen’s award-winning campaign in 1997. Ryan Howard’s 22 HR and 63 RBI during the 2005 season claimed the franchise’s most recent breakout rookie trophy.
15- Number worn by new Hall of Famer Dick Allen over his 9-year Phillies career. Allen played 1,070 games in a Phillies uniform with a .290 batting average, 204 HRs, and 655 RBIs. In his 1964 rookie campaign, he led the National League in runs scored (125) and total bases (352) for the season. Despite a batting average above .300, Allen unceremoniously led the N.L. in strikeouts during his first two seasons in the majors—138 in 1964 and 150 in 1965.
31- The number of games the Phillies play during spring training. The Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees are tied for most games against Philadelphia at five games each. The Boston Red Sox and the Braves have two scheduled appearances against the Phillies this spring.
79- Number of times Philadelphia’s MLB club has held spring training in Clearwater. According to MLB’s Todd Zolecki, the Phillies trained in ten different states between 1900 and 1946 before settling in South Florida. Philadelphia first appeared in Clearwater in 1947 when it signed a 10-year contract and promised to add an expensive sprinkler system at Athletic Field. The city would pay the team back for most of the purchase price over the next decade.
95- Total wins for the Phillies last season. Philly was 95-67, including a 54-27 home record at Citizens Bank Park. As a road squad last season, the Phillies played one game over .500 baseball with a 41-40 record. Of course, we all know what happened in the postseason, so no need to go any further there.
224- Number of MLB strikeout victims by Zach Wheeler in 2024. He was tied for second overall in the National League with San Deigo’s Dylan Cease (224). Both pitchers finished behind Atlanta’s Chris Sale (225) in the N.L. punchout competition. Detroit Tigers All-Star Tarik Skubal led the MLB with 228 strikeouts in 2024.
800- Approximate weight (in pounds) of the 2,400 baseballs that traveled to spring training with the Phillies. The weight is equivalent to that of a grown grizzly bear. While it seems silly to suggest every one of the spherical objects will see game day action, that math works out to 150 baseballs per game for each of the 16 home dates at BayCare Park this spring.
1,058- Miles (approximately) between Citizens Bank Park in Pennsylvania and BayCare Park in Florida. According to Google’s highly scientific calculations, it takes between 15-16 hours to drive from Philadelphia, PA, to Clearwater, FL. While it is possible to take a train ride down the East Coast, be prepared to book almost a full day in your travel itinerary for the ride. Of course, air travel provides the quickest path to Florida, with a flight time of between two to three hours.
10,000- Number of paper cups the Phillies loaded onto trucks for spring training. Spring Training is scheduled to last for 31 days, which gives the Phillies equipment staff an average of 322 paper cups per day before they begin to worry about a Spring Training shortage, not accounting for scheduled off days.
Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
