Top Phillies greats for 'The Phillies Mural' revealed; Final round of voting starts today
Six Phillies greats – but only one can be chosen.
The final round of fan voting begins today on phillies.com to select the “Final Phillie” who deserves to be on The Phillies Mural, an eight-story mural created by artist David McShane and the Mural Arts Program that celebrates the history of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Fans can vote on phillies.com until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 15 on the following six Phillies greats, all of which were the top write-in candidate suggestions from the thousands of votes cast on phillies.com during the first round of “Final Phillie” voting (November 30-December 7):
- Johnny Callison, right fielder for the Phillies from 1960 to 1969.
- Del Ennis, right fielder for the Phillies from 1946 to 1956.
- John Kruk, first baseman for the Phillies from 1989 to 1994.
- Greg Luzinski, left fielder for the Phillies from 1970 to 1980.
- Carlos Ruiz, catcher for the Phillies from 2006 to present.
- Jim Thome, first baseman for the Phillies from 2003–2005, 2012.
“The fan response during the write-in phase has been overwhelming with nearly 11,000 submissions on phillies.com,” said Michael Harris, Director, Marketing and Special Projects, The Phillies. “With so many terrific suggestions, we decided to expand the vote for the coveted final spot from 5 to 6. We can’t wait to see who our fans will pick for inclusion on The Phillies Mural.”
The images currently featured in The Phillies Mural, which is set to be unveiled next summer, include (listed in order of appearance, from top left to right): Brad Lidge, Charlie Manuel, Mitch Williams, Cole Hamels, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Larry Bowa, Darren Daulton, Dallas Green, Tug McGraw, Ed Delahanty, Mike Schmidt, Ryan Howard, Chuck Klein, Tony Taylor, Dick Allen, Shibe Park, Jim Bunning, Veterans Stadium, Roy Halladay, Citizens Bank Park, Robin Roberts, Harry Kalas, Richie Ashburn, Steve Carlton, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and the Phillie Phanatic.
For more details, including future painting opportunities and photos of the mural’s progress and design unveiling, please visit phillies.com/mural or muralarts.org.
ABOUT THE PHILLIES MURAL
In September, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the Phillies unveiled the design of a brand new Center City mural celebrating the history of the Philadelphia Phillies – the oldest, continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional sports.
Set to be completed in the summer of 2012, The Phillies Mural will tower eight stories high and face the Schuylkill River and I-76 Schuylkill Expressway, and will be located on a 24th & Walnut Street building.
The Mural Arts Program is the nation’s largest mural program. Since 1984, the Mural Arts Program has created over 3,500 murals and works of public art, earning Philadelphia international recognition as the “City of Murals.” The Mural Arts Program engages over 100 communities each year in the transformation of neighborhoods through the mural-making process, while award-winning, free art education programs serve nearly 1,500 youth at sites throughout the city and at-risk teens through education outreach programs. The Mural Arts Program also serves adult offenders in local prisons and rehabilitation centers, using the restorative power of art to break the cycle of crime and violence in our communities. Each year, nearly 10,000 residents and visitors tour the Mural Arts Program’s outdoor art gallery, which has become part of Philadelphia’s civic landscape and a source of pride and inspiration. For further information, call (215) 685-0750 or visit www.muralarts.org.