With Paul Owens as general manager and Dallas Green as scouting director, the Phillies were building an organization that would end years of losing. Finishing second in the National League East in 1975 (86-76) ended seven consecutive losing seasons.
On a chilly day in Montreal on Sunday, Sept. 26, 1976, a 4-1 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader produced the Phillies' first division title. It was their first postseason berth in 26 years; a World Series championship arrived in 1980.
Finishing 7-1 after clinching the division, the club ended with a 101-61 record, best in franchise history.
Roster Makeup
The homegrown nucleus included C Bob Boone, SS Larry Bowa, 3B Mike Schmidt, LF Greg Luzinski, RHP Larry Christenson, LHP Tommy Underwood, OF Jerry Martin, INF Terry Harmon.
Trades had brought three starting pitchers in Steve Carlton, Jim Lonborg and Jim Kaat; CF Garry Maddox; 2B Dave Cash; 1B Dick Allen; RF Jay Johnstone; 1B Tommy Hutton; relievers Tug MGraw, Ron Reed and Gene Garber.
The bulk of the roster produced five postseason appearances in six seasons, the franchise’s greatest run.
The Season
Opening Day lineup: Cash, 2B; Bowa, SS, Schmidt, 3B; Luzinski, LF; Allen, 1B; Johnstone, RF; Maddox, CF; Oates, C; Kaat, P. a 5-4 loss to visiting Pirates in 11 innings. The Phils got off to a 1-4 start.
Manager Danny Ozark’s club had power, speed, outstanding defense, a solid bench, experienced starting pitching and bullpen depth.
The ghost of 1964 showed up again. Leading by 15 1/2 games on Aug. 14, the Phillies went into a tailspin, losing 16 out of 22 games, including eight in a row. The big lead was down to three games on Sept. 17. Six wins later ended any costly collapse similar to 1964.
Veterans Stadium attendance, 2,480,150, was second highest in the league.
What?
One number stood out from that season, 11. That was the number of pitchers the Phillies used for the entire 162-game season. Randy Lerch was the 11th. The young lefty pitched in one game, three innings of relief on Sept. 27.
Starters: Carlton (20-7), Lonborg (18-10), Christenson (13-8), Kaat (12-14) and Underwood (10-5).
Heading the bullpen: Reed (59 games, 8 wins, 14 saves), Garber (59, 9, 11) and McGraw (58, 7, 11).
Club record for fewest pitchers in a Phillies season since 1900, 6 in 1901 (150-game season).
NLCS
A young team proved no match for the Big Red Machine from Cincinnati. The Phillies led in all three games, including 6-4 going into the last of the ninth in Cincinnati in Game 3. The Reds came up with three in their last at-bat, completing a sweep of the League Championship Series.
Sparky Anderson’s club then swept the Yankees in four to win the World Series.