Brotherly Love: Phillies' sibling teammates

January 29th, 2021

PHILADELPHIA -- Sometimes baseball is a family business.

Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola’s brother Austin plays for the Padres, for example. Ruben Amaro Sr. and Ruben Amaro Jr. each played for the Phillies. Bob Boone was the second in a three-generation baseball bloodline. David Bell was the third. Jayson Werth’s grandfather Dick Schofield played 19 years in the big leagues. His uncle Dick played 14 years.

The Phillies have an interesting history of having a lesser known brother in a Phillies uniform: Vince DiMaggio, Ken Brett, Mike Maddux, Bill Hubbell, Frank Torre, Harry Coveleski, Jeremy Giambi, Mark Leiter Sr., Tim Worrell, Juan Bell and Rich Surhoff. The Phillies also had five sets of brothers play together on the same team in the same season.

Here is a look at those five:

Dennis and Dave Bennett (1964)

The Bennett brothers were a big deal in 1964. They appeared on “The Dizzy Dean Show” on CBS, in part because both had promising careers. The Philadelphia Inquirer speculated that Dennis could be the ace of the 1964 rotation, which included Jim Bunning and Chris Short. Dave, meanwhile, threw harder than his older brother. He wowed scouts in California, luring them to his games like “lawns lure crab grass,” according to legendary sportswriter Stan Hochman. Dave got a $75,000 signing bonus, much more than his brother.

But Dennis made 182 appearances over seven seasons (1962-68) with the Phillies, Red Sox, Angels and Mets, while Dave made his first and only appearance in the big leagues as an 18-year-old on June 12, 1964. He allowed two hits and one run in one inning in an 11-3 loss to the Mets at Connie Mack Stadium. (Dennis started, allowing five runs -- four earned -- in 2 1/3 innings). Dave got optioned to Triple-A Eugene a short time later and never returned, although he pitched professionally until 1972.

Granny and Garvin Hamner (1945)

Granny played 17 seasons in the big leagues, including 16 with the Phillies from 1944-59. (He finished his career as a relief pitcher with the Kansas City A’s, making three appearances in 1962.) Garvin played 32 games in his only season in the big leagues in 1945. The best Hamner Bros. story is easy: Phillies general manager Herb Pennock said the St. Louis Browns drafted Garvin (Wesley Garvin Hamner or W.G. Hamner) in 1947, but thought they drafted Granny (Granville Wilbur Hamner or G.W. Hamner). He mocked them for it.

The Browns denied they selected the wrong brother.

“We’ve had some very good reports on Wesley Garvin Hamner,” a Browns spokesperson told AP. “There was no confusion of the brothers on our part.”

The story goes that the Browns later tried to trade for Granny, but the Phillies said no. Good thing. Granny helped the 1950 Whiz Kids win the NL pennant.

Lou and Dino Chiozza (1935)

Lou played three seasons for the Phillies (1934-36) and three more with the Giants (1937-39), while younger brother Dino appeared in only two games for the Phillies in 1935. Dino played four innings at shortstop – he got the ball hit to him once -- but never got a plate appearance.

Dino’s most memorable moment? An encounter with Babe Ruth, who retired shortly after he played the final game of his big league career on May 30, 1935, against the Phillies at Baker Bowl. By then Ruth played for the Boston Braves.

“I asked him what was the matter, and he said, ‘Keed, I’m an old man, I’m thru forever.’ He was about to cry,” the Chicago Tribune quoted Dino in 1973.

Roy and Bill Thomas (1902)

Roy was one of the best center fielders in Phillies history, posting a 36.7 bWAR over his 12 seasons with the Phillies (1899-1908, 1910-11). Younger brother Bill had two hits in 17 at-bats in six games in his only big league season in 1902.

Both were born in Norristown, Pa. Both attended Penn.

Players then always had interesting jobs in the offseason. The Pittsburgh Press wrote on Sept. 29, 1902, that Roy planned to “pack his grip with samples and make a tour of the country as a salesman for a coffin trimmings house.”

Hope he got a good commission.

Ed and Tom Delahanty (1894)

Hall of Fame outfielder Ed Delahanty had four brothers who played in the big leagues: Frank, Jim, Joe and Tom.

According to SABR.org, it is the largest brother combo in baseball history.

Ed played 13 seasons for the Phillies (1888-89, 1891-1901), while Tom played only one game for the Phillies in 1894. Some Phillies fans know that Ed died mysteriously when he fell over Niagara Falls in 1903. He was 35. Tom died in 1951 in Sanford, Fla. He was 78. He spent his final working years running a general store and fishing camp there.