The Top 10 Biggest Home Runs in Phillies History: Where Does Bryce’s Homer Rank?
The Phillies are going to the World Series. The past month has been nothing but magical for Phillies fans who have been starving for postseason play for over a decade. In a playoff run full of incredible moments, no moment felt bigger than Bryce Harper’s go ahead home run to send the Phils to the Fall Classic.
It instantly became an iconic moment in Phillies history, which has to raise the question: What are the biggest home runs in the history of the franchise? There have been iconic milestone home runs like Mike Schmidt’s 500th in 1986 and Ryan Howard’s 49th and 50th home runs in 2006. But what were the ones that were made when a lot was on the line? Here’s a list of the 10 biggest home runs in team history.
10. Rhys Hoskins Spikes It
Is it prisoner of the moment to put the Hoskins bat spike in the top 10? Maybe. But still, this home run in our first playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in 11 years felt like the moment everyone believed the Phillies will win this series.
And for it to be Rhys Hoskins, the homegrown player who spent the past five years going up and down as one of the Philly’s most talked about players, it made the homer that much sweeter. After an error that contributed to a loss in Game 2, Rhys took Spencer Strider yard and spiked 5 years of frustration to the ground in an instantly epic moment in Phils history.
9. Shane Victorino’s Grand Slam
When we think of Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS we probably think of Brett Myers epic at-bat with CC Sabathia. But right alongside Myers’ walk was Shane Victorino’s grand slam that saw Citizens Bank Park explode. Sabathia had single-handedly pitched the Brewers to their first playoff berth since 1982 and had ran out of gas facing the eventual World Series champions. Victorino’s grand salami all but sealed the series, and he did it again for the Red Sox 5 years later in the 2013 ALCS.
8. Chase Utley Sets Tone for 2008 World Series
There’s got to be a home run from the 2008 World Series on this list and Chase Utley’s 2-run homer in the 1st inning of Game 1 is a fine representative. Starting out on the road in the awful Tropicana Field, the Phils needed to set the tone early to get ahead of the Rays and Utley did just that. He topped his 2008 World Series with a record-tying 5 home runs in the 2009 Fall Classic.
7. Bake McBride Sets Tone for 1980 World Series
Like 1980, we have to have a home run from the Phillies first World Series win in 1980. After a grueling NLCS win over the Houston Astros, the Phils looked tired in Game 1 against the Kansas City Royals and found themselves down 4-0. However in the 3rd inning they cut the lead to 4-2 before right fielder Bake McBride smashed a 3-run home run to give the Phils a 5-4 lead. They didn’t look back and won the game 7-6 to take a 1-0 series lead. Had McBride not gotten that homer the Phillies could have lost that game and consequently the series.
6. Lenny Dykstra Swings the 1993 NLCS
In 1993 the Phillies unlikely worst-to-first turnaround was overshadowed by the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants epic NL West race. In the last year before the Wild Card was installed, the Braves outlasted the Giants with 104 wins to their 103 to win the West. Many expected their NLCS matchup with the Phillies to be a cakewalk, but it turned into a back-and-forth affair with the series tied 2-2 going into Game 5.
The Phils had a 3-0 lead going into the 9th but unfortunately Mitch Williams allowed 3 runs to tie the game and Mark Lemke nearly won the game on a home run that went foul. It looked like a recreation of their comeback against the Pirates in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, but then in the 10th inning Lenny Dykstra launched a go-ahead home run to stun all of Fulton-County Stadium. Larry Andersen got the last 3 outs in the bottom of the 10th to give the Phils a 3-2 series lead which they would clinch in Game 6.
5. Shane Victorino’s Forgotten Clutch Home Run Before Stairs
When we think of Game 5 of the 2008 NLCS against the Dodgers we think of the Matt Stairs home run, however we probably wouldn’t have gotten that moment without Shane Victorino’s game-tying 2-run home run in the top of the 8th inning. Had LA hung on to win then the series is tied 2-2 and anything could’ve happened.
4. Stairs RIPS One into the Night
It may have been fun to trash on Joe Buck back in the day, but we have to admit his “Stairs rips one into the night” call is iconic (even if we still prefer Harry Kalas’ call of it.) Matt Stairs instantly became a Philly folk hero with that home run which the Dodgers didn’t recover from.
3. Mike Schmidt Wins 1980 NL East Title in Montreal
Mike Schmidt is undisputedly the greatest 3rd baseman ever and the greatest Phillie ever. But before 1980, Schmidt had developed a reputation of not being clutch when it counted most. But finally that all changed with a go-ahead 11th inning home run on October 4th, 1980. The Phils and Montreal Expos were locked in a tight race for the NL East division, and Schmidt’s home run clinched the title for Philly and eliminated Montreal. Along with their eventual NLCS and World Series win, the home run exercised some demons of 1964.
2. Dick Sisler to Win 1950 NL Pennant
Iconic Phillies moment before 1976 are hard to come by. Despite being established in 1883, the Phillies spent their first 90 years doing mostly nothing but losing. Which is why it’s incredible that they had one shining moment in 1950 while in a National League pennant race with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On the last day of the 1950 regular season, the Phillies held a 1 game lead over Brooklyn and if they lost, they would have to play a best of 3 playoff series.
Tied 1-1 in the top of the 10th, left fielder Dick Sisler launched a 3 run home run off Don Newcome to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead as they clinch the National League Pennant that day. While the Phillies lost to the Yankees in the 1950 World Series, Sisler’s home run was the greatest moment in franchise history until they won the 1980 World Series. The reason why this iconic home run isn’t remembered is that it was overshadowed by Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” home run for the New York Giants over the Dodgers the very next year.
1. Bryce Harper’s Bedlam at the Bank
Some will say it’s recency bias to give the Harper home run the top spot. But you know what? As the moment is now a few days old, it still feels like the biggest. Even though the Phillies were up 3 games to 1 in the NLCS, if they lost Game 5 after having Zach Wheeler on the mound then their odds of winning would be significantly lower going into San Diego.
It seemed like a bad omen that they lost the lead when it rained like crazy and Seranthony Dominguez threw three wild pitches. But thankfully that set up one of the most dramatic innings in franchise history in the 8th. JT Realmuto got a hit, the Padres didn’t bring in Josh Hader, and Harper stepped up to the plate. Harper and relief pitcher Robert Suarez went back-and-forth in a breathtaking at-bat with all of Citizens Bank Park living and dying on each pitch. Then on a 2-2 pitch going 99 miles per hour, Harper launched one to left field in a hit that felt as if the entire fan base manifested in their minds.
From then on it was Bedlam at the Bank and Harper didn’t over-celebrate. He soaked in the moment knowing as if all those years of playing baseball since childhood was built towards this exact moment. Hopefully a bigger moment arrives in the World Series.