The Oldest Phillies- List Of All Known Living Phillies Players Born Before 1930

[philliesfiend55]

Here is a list of all known Living Phillies Players born before 1930. Through 3/24/13 the total is 37 players.
Anyone with information such as corrections to the list IE: recent deaths of players, or differing birthdates of players included here are welcome to post.

Recent deaths Of Phillies Players born before 1930: Ford Parker 'Moon' Mullen was the oldest living Phillie at the time of his death Feb. 28, 2013 at age 96. Bill Glynn - 1B - 1949 Phils - died Feb. 2013 - Age 87; Barney Mussill - P - 1944 Phils - died Jan. 2013 - age 92; Freddy Schmidt (P) died 11/17/12 - age 96, oldest Phillies & 4th oldest major leaguer at time of death.. John O'Neill died 4/17/12, two days before his 92nd birthday - 2B - 1946 Phils; Dave Philley (OF/PH) Phillies 1958-1960, age 91, died March 15,2012; Joe Lonnett (C) 12/2011 age 84, Phillies 1956-59; Nick Strincevich 11/11/11 - age 96 Phillies 1948; Roy Smalley Jr.(SS-2B) - 10/20/11 - 1955-1958 - age 85; Alex Pitko (OF) - 1938 - 8/2011- age 96 (oldest living Phillie at time of death); Danny Litwhiler(OF) , 1940-1942 - Sept. 2011, age 95. Duane Pillette (P) 1956, age 88,died May 2011.Ryne Duren (P) 1963-65 Phills - died at age 81 on Jan. 6, 2011; Art Mahan (1B) 1940 Phils, died Dec. 2010 - age 97 (oldest Living Phillie at tim of death); Ken Lehman (P) Dec. 2010, 1961 Phils age 82;- Valmy Thomas C Oct. 1928-Oct. 2010, age 82,, Phillies 1959; Cal McLish P born Dec. 1925, died 8/26/2010, Phillies: 1962-1964; Hall Of Fame Pitcher, Robin Roberts, age 83, Sept. 30, 1926 to May 6, 2010 - Phillies 1948-1961: Bobby Bragan INF, Phillies 1940-42, Born 10/1917 Died: January 21, 2010 (age 92) ;Bill Burich #B - 1942 & 1946 - 12/25/09 ; Stan Benjamin OF Phillies 1939-42, Died 12/24/09;Tommy Reis (P) - 1938 - died 11/6/09 at age 95 -was last living Phillie to have played at Baker Bowl.

* - was a major league all-star. M - Includes time lost to military service

OLDEST LIVING PHILLIES

(all living Phillies born before 1930 - Information Current through 3/24/13.)

RANK NAME POS. BIRTHDATE PHILLIES TENURE

1. Al Monchak SS 3/5/17 - 1940
2. Lou Lucier P 3/23/18 - 1944-45
3 *Wally Westlake OF 11/8/20 - 1956
4. *Al Dark 2B 1/7/22 - 1960
5. Solly Hemus 2B 4/17/23 - 1956-58
6. Bob Kuzava P 5/28/23 - 1955
7. Don Grate P 8/27/23 - 1945-46
8. Chuck Harmon OF 4/23/24 - 1957
9. Lou Grasmick P 9/11/24 - 1948
10 Jackie Mayo OF 7/26/25 - 1948-53
11 *Stan Lopata C-1B 9/12/25 - 1948-58
12. *Bobby Shantz P 9/26/25 - 1964
13. Dick Koecher P 3/30/26 - 1946-48
14 Bob Miller P 6/16/26 - 1949-1958
15 . Bobby Morgan 2B-SS 6/29/26 - 1954-57
16. Mel Clark OF 7/7/26 - 1951-55
17. Rogers McKee P 9/16/26 - 1943-44.
18 *Roy Sievers OF-1B 11/18/26 - 1962-64.
19. Paul Stuffel P 3/22/27 - 1950-53
20. Don Hasenmayer 3B 4/4/27 - 1945-46
21. Jim Greengrass OF 10/24/27 - 1955-56
22. Ralph "Putsy" Caballero INF 11/5/27 - 1944-45, 1947-52
23. Tommy Brown OF 12/6/27 - 1951-52
24. John Gray P 12/11/27 - 1958
25 *Stu Miller P 12/26/27 - 1956
26. Bob Oldis C 1/5/28 - 1962-63
27. Dick Young 2B 6/3/28 - 1951-52
28 Charlie Bicknell P 7/7/28 - 1948-49
29. Jim Command OF 10/15/28 - 1954-55
30. Bob Micelotta SS 10/20/28 - 1954-55
31. Floyd 'Bob' Ross P 11/2/28 - 1956
32. Cal Neeman C 2/18/29 - 1960-61
33.*Curt Simmons P 5/19/29 - 1947-60 (1951 Military Serv.)
34.*Frank Thomas 1B-OF 6/11/29 - 1964-65
35. Don Ferraresse p 6/19/29 - 1961-62
36. Angelo LiPetri P 7/6/29 - 1956, '58
37. *Ray Herbert P 12/15/1929 - 1965-66

Tommy Reis, who died in early November 2009, was the last living player to have played for the Phillies in Baker Bowl, the Phillies' home from the 1890s until the middle of 1938.

In addition to being a three-time all-star as a Phillie, Curt Simmons is a Phillies Wall Of Fame selection. Almost all living Phillies played their entire Phillies careers after World War Two ended.


Dennis Orlandini (phillies fiend 55) - List developed February 2007; List first posted on this website Feb. 11, 2008 - Last revision: 2/8/2013.

[philliesfiend55]

The Insider Blog on the Phillies Official Website written primarily by former Phils PR Director, Larry Shenk reports that pitcher Niles Jordan ( formerly listed as tied at # 38 (born the sameday as Cal McLish in the adjacent Oldest Phillies List) passed away on March 15 at age 82 at his home in Massachusetts. He played for two years in the majors going a combined 2-4 with the 1951 Phillies and '52 Cincy Reds.

[philliesfiend55]

There have been no deaths among the players listed in the Oldest Living Phillies list since the mid-March passing of early 50's pitcher Niles Jordan, which was nearly two months ago.

The obituary business is one where the expression "No News Is Good News" most accurately applies.

[philliesfiend55]

Bill Burich, who played primarily shortstop and some third base turned 90 today (5/29/2008). He played 25 games in the 1942 season and then lost three and a half seasons to World War Two military service, which all but ended his career.
Returning to major league baseball in 1946 his skills no longer measured up to big league standards after his long service to his country and his inability to hone his baseball skills while in the military. He returned to the Phillies and did manage to play in two regular season games in June 1946, before his release. Thus a promising career was limited to 27 big league games, very much at the expense of his service to America. However, from what i know of him, Mr. Burich never looked at it in that light.
I contacted ten former Phillies in Feb. 2000. They all had had very brief Phillies and MLB careers. These players had played after WWII, my area of special interest, but had never been on a baseball card and all my sources could not find photos of them. Five of the ten did eventually return photos of themselves. One non-cooperating player was actually hostile to my efforts and said he hated the Phillies because they "ruined his career". Despite living on the opposite coast in California, and having the furthest distance to send materials to me, Mr. Burich's photos arrived First, only a week after I made my request. He sent a few autographed photos and a few unautographed photos, as I had requested, and he sent a nice note. From the note's content I concluded that here was a genuinely nice guy, proud of his days in the major leagues, and not bitter that his career was so brief, because that career was shortened for the greater good, in the service of hiscountry.
Happy 90th birthday, Mr. Burich. Congratulations on reaching this big milestone in your life!

-philliesfiend55.

[metrotheme]

Bill Harman died September 22, 2007 in Greenville, DE USA

[philliesfiend55]

To Metrotheme:

Your information on the death of Bill Harman was verified on the baseball almanac website and the list has been updated to reflect that info.
Thanks for participating and contributing.

-philliesfiend55-

[philliesfiend55]

Deacon Donahue passed away on March 6, 2008 - as reported in the current issue of the magazine Baseball America. Donahue went 0-2 with a 6.75 era. over eight games for the Phillies in 1943 and 1944.
There are often delays reporting the deaths of players who had very brief major league careers, but a five month delay between Donahue's death in March and the news reaching the broad baseball community can be seen as exceptionally long.
Donahue died a few months short of his 88th birthday.

-philliesfiend55-

[philliesfiend55]

All surviving members of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies National League Championship team, known popularly as the Whiz Kids, were honored last Saturday Night, August 9 as part of the Phillies Alumni Weekend.
The Whiz Kids were so named because their key performers were so young, one of the youngest teams to ever win a major league pennant.
On hand for the celebration were Baseball Hall Of Famer and Phillies Wall Of Famer, Robin Roberts; Phillies Wall Of Famer, Curt Simmons; Stan Lopata, Bob Miller, Jackie Mayo, Paul Stuffel and Ralph"Putsy' Caballero. They range in age today from Mayo at 83 to Simmons, age 79. They ranged in age from 21 to 25 during their championship season. Maje McDonnell a coach on the '50 team also attended. All players were core member of the 25 man roster of the1950 Phillies except OF Mayo and P Stuffel who were September call-ups.Due to the illness of OF Bill Nicholson, Mayo was added to the World Series roster.
Roberts had his first 20-win season for the 1950 team. He would win 20 games for six consecutive seasons and win 286 games overall. He was elected to the Hall Of Fame in his fourth year of eligibility (1976).
Simmons, the youngest player on the team, began the season at age 20, before turning 21 in May and he had his first big season in '50. He was even ahead of Roberts in wins 17 to 16, when his Army Reserves unit was called to active duty shortly after the start of the Korean War. Simmons would serve about 20 months from about Sept. 1, 1950 to May 1, 1952. Simmons would win just under 200 games and make three all-star teams. His abrupt callup to military service likely cost him a 20 win season in 1950 and a 200 win career (he finished with 193 wins).
Bob Miller was a member of of the Whiz Kids starting rotation. He would have a ten year career in the majors, all with the Phillies (1949-58).
Stan Lopata was a backup catcher on the 1950 team but he would develop into an all-star catcher by the mid-50's. (He was a N.L. all-star in 1955 & 1956). He had replaced Andy Seminick in the late innings of the deciding game of the 1950 pennant race, and it was he who caught Richie Ashburn's game-saving and pennant-saving throw from centerfield to the plate and he tagged out Brooklyn runner Cal Abrams in a game that lives on in Phillies lore and legend (October 1, 1950).
Mayo was a reserve outfielder and Caballero was a reserve infielder for the Whiz Kids. Caballero, a New Orleans native, had his home damaged and made unliveable by Hurricane Katrina and has received some aid from the Phillies and major league baseball.
Fans attending that night's game received a free Robin Roberts poster (more than likely now available on E-Bay).


-philliesfiend55-

[philliesfiend55]

Paul Busby, an Outfielder with the 1941 and 1943 Phillies teams, turned 90 yesterday, Monday August 25. He is the 14th living Phillie and 66th living major league player who is age 90 or more. No other former Phillies are due to reach that milestone birthday in 2008.

[kidcavalier23]

Mike Sandlock should be added to this list. He was born in 1916 and is still living

[philliesfiend55]

To kid cavalier:
Mike Sandlock is part of the answer to a trivia question:
Which players appeared in baseball cards pictured as a Phillie, who never played for the Phillies.
Sandlock's last MLB game was on Sept. 27, 1953, the last day of the '53 regular season. He was signed for the1954 season and appears in the Topps '54 card set pictured as a Phillie. However he was cut by the Phillies or decided to retire during the 1954 Spring Training and he never played another MLB game. He would have turned 38 in 1954 which was prety old for a player back in those days.
Some other players pictured as Phillies on baseball cards who never played a game for the team include pitcher, Con Dempsey (1952 Topps) catcher, Tom Haller in (1973 Topps), and pitcher Tom
Casagrande and infielder Lou Ortiz both in the 1955 Topps set. Ortiz and Casagrande, in fact, never played a game in the majors, and yet there are major league cards of them, as 1955 Phillies.

[philliesfiend55]

Thankfully, I have not learned of any deaths among Phillies born before 1930 lately (since mid-August). Even our oldest alumni, who have reached the age of 90 or more are still "hanging in there".
Here is how the oldest living Phillies rank in age among the oldest living major league ballplayers. (According to Wikipedia).
Among the 63 living players who have reached a minimum age of 90, there are 13 players who spent all or part of their major league careers with the Phillies. They are (with rank in age among oldest major leaguers to left of name):

9. -Art Mahan - 1B - 95 (9th oldest living major leaguer)
10.-Gene Corbett - 1B - 95
12. -Stan Benjamin - OF - 94
14. -Tommy Reis -P -94
15. - Alex Pitko - OF -93 (due to reach 94 on l11/22).
18. - Nick Strincevich- P - 93
24. - Freddy Schmidt -P - 92
29. - Danny Litwhiler - OF - 92.
34. - Ford "Moon" Mullen -2B- 91
42. -Bobby Bragan -2B - 91
51. -Lou Lucier- P- 90
54. - Bill Burich- 3B-90
58. Paul Busby- OF - 90.

-philliesfiend55/(Dennis Orlandini)-

[philliesfiend55]

Ed Levy, a 6 foot 6 inch 195 pound outfielder-first baseman who played for the Phillies and Yankees in the early and mid-1940s died on October 27, one day before his 92nd birthday.
Levy made his MLB debut at age 23, playing just one game for the 1940 Phillies. He saw more playing time with the New York Yankees in 1942 and 1944. Levy was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and was activated twice during World War Two.
Lifetime he hit .215 (42 FOR 195) in 54 games, with 4 home runs, 11 doubles and 32 RBI . He was the ninth oldest former Phillie at the time of his death.
An Alabama native, Levy had lived recently in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area.

[metrotheme]

I interviewed Levy over the summer and sent him a nice letter a few days after talking to him. He must have become sick pretty soon after I spoke with him because he sounded really good on the phone. I guess this is why I never heard back from him via the mail. He was pleasant when I spoke with him. He used a false last name for baseball because it was thought he'd draw a jewish crowd with his last name instead of his original name (Whitner). He had the Florida State League record for HR's in a season until very recently (still might be tied for 1st).

Ed Levy, a 6 foot 6 inch 195 pound outfielder-first baseman who played for the Phillies and Yankees in the early and mid-1940s died on October 27, one day before his 92nd birthday.
Levy made his MLB debut at age 23, playing just one game for the 1940 Phillies. He saw more playing time with the New York Yankees in 1942 and 1944. Levy was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and was activated twice during World War Two.
Lifetime he hit .215 (42 FOR 195) in 54 games, with 4 home runs, 11 doubles and 32 RBI . He was the ninth oldest former Phillie at the time of his death.
An Alabama native, Levy had lived recently in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area.

[philliesfiend55]

He used a false last name for baseball because it was thought he'd draw a jewish crowd with his last name instead of his original name (Whitner).

Thanks for the Info, Metrotheme:

The country's population is more homogenous, diversified, and mobile now than 90 years ago, but it did strike me as odd that a player with a
Jewish-sounding surname was born in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1910s.


That clears that up!

-philliesfiend55-

[philliesfiend55]

One death of a Phillies player on this list, that went unreported at the time, recently became known to me.
Al Porto, a lefthander who pitched for the Phillies for less than one month at the start of the 1948 season died 7/6/2005. He was about one week past his 79th birthday. The month of service with the Phillies represents his only time in the big leagues for this otherwise career minor leaguer.
I have seen a photo of Porto taken about 1947 where as a Phillies-chain minor leaguer he is wearing a hand-me-down Philadelphia Blue Jays uniform. (The Phillies were also known as the Blue Jays in 1944 and 1945).
Porto was a rugged individual who worked as a construction worker into his early seventies in the desert and mountainous region around Palmdale and Lancaster, California (North and East of Los Angeles).

[earlywynnfan]

Philliesfiend55, would you mind emailing me? I just found this link, and am intrigued. I am researching WWII players, and perhaps we can exchange some information.

Thanks.
Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

[metrotheme]

http://baseballhappenings.blogspot.c...cher-1927.html

Former Phillie Bennett Flowers died in February at the age of 81. Read more in the link above.

[philliesfiend55]

http://baseballhappenings.blogspot.c...cher-1927.html

Former Phillie Bennett Flowers died in February at the age of 81. Read more in the link above.

Thanks for your input. I've made the appropriate changes to the list. Thanks!

[philliesfiend55]

Jack Lohrke passed away at age 85 on April 29. He had a seven year major league career, primarily as a third baseman with the New York Giants (1947-1951) and with the Phillies in 1952 & 1953.
He was known as "Lucky Lohrke" because twists of fate helped him survive a plane crash in Nov. 1945 and then one of the worst tragdies in minor league history, a team bus crash, seven months later.
Returning to the United States a few months after war's end after serving in the European Campaign of World War Two, Lohrke was due to take a flight from the east coast to his home in California when he was bumped from the flight, his seat going to a higher ranking soldier. That flight crashed killing all onboard.
Seven months later in June 1946 Lohrke was on board a bus in the Class B, Western League traveling from their home base of Spokane, Washington to the coastal Bremerton. The team bus was located at a diner where the team was having lunch and Lohrke was informed that he had been promoted to AAA Pacific Coast League, San Diego. He hitchhiked back to Spokane to collect his belongings. The bus on which he had been riding with his Spokane teammates subsequently went through a guardrail and down a ravine just hours later, killing most onboard and severly injuring and burning survivors. It was One of the greatest tragedies in the history of Organized baseball.
Lohrke also survived some of the fiercest fighting of the final 12 months of the War in
Europe, without a scratch.
Lohrke had a creditable remainder of the season in San Diego and was able to make the New York Giants squad out of Spring Training the next Spring debuting in the big leagues on Opening Day,1947.
He hit .242 lifetime, with 22 career home runs. His rookie year was his best power year with 11 home runs. A utility infielder, whose best position was third base, Lohrke only topped 250 at bats in a season twice.

Lohrke had turned 85 on February 25 of this year.

See the New York Giants baseball-fever section for an in-depth 1994 Sports Illustrated article that you can click on covering Lohrke's career and the fateful bus ride of the 1946 Spokane Indians.

-philliesfiend55- (Dennis Orlandini)

[philliesfiend55]

Sorry if this makes Phillies fans feel a little older but the youngest Whiz Kid, lefthanded pitcher, Curt Simmons turned 80 on May 19. Simmons, the youngest member of the 1950 Phillies National League championship team turned 21 in 1950 about five weeks into that season.
The six surviving members of that team now range in age between 83 and 80. Jackie Mayo (OF) who will turn 84 on July 26 is the oldest, followed by Stan Lopata (C) 84 in September, Bob Miller (P) 82, Hall Of Famer, Robin Roberts (P) 82, Ralph "Putsy" Caballero (INF) 81, and Curt Simmons (p) 80. They ranged in age between 21 and 25 in 1950.

[philliesfiend55]

Buddy Blattner a former second baseman and utility infilder for the 1949 Phillies passed away on Sept. 3 at the age of 89.
Just as he was about to reach the major leagues his career was disrupted by World War Two military service. After the war he played for the New York Giants from 1946 to 1948 and with the Phillies in '49 but never reached the heights he might have reached if not for the war. Blattner quickly turned to broadcasting after retiring as a player at age 29.
Nationally Blattner was much better known as a baseball and basketball broadcaster than as a player. He was steadily employed as a baseball broadcaster and analyst from 1950 to 1975. His chief jobs were with The Saturday Game Of The Week 1953-1959 and as lead broadcaster in the earliest days of two franchises : the California Angels (1962-1968) and the Kansas City Royals franchise (1969-1975). He also spent some time with the St. Louis Browns in the early '50s in his first broadcasting job, and with the St. Louis Cardinals and the NBA St. Louis Hawks.
He has been among the final candidates for the Ford Frick Award (Broadcasters wing of the Baseball Hall Of Fame) a few times in recent years.

[philliesfiend55]

I hope to make a major revision to the Oldest Living Phillies list around the end of the year or the start of next year. I will be including a new feature: the players' total major leagues tenure dates and not just the years they were with the Phillies, as it is listed now. In time I may expand the list to players that were born before 1935 or before 1940.
The cutoff year will be determined largely by the need to keep the list to a workable number of guys to keep track of (somewhere below 100).

One omission just came to my attention. Previously unlisted, Alex Monchak who played for the Phillies briefly as a 20 year old in 1940, his only year in the majors, is alive and he's among the most senior Phillies. Baseball-reference.com lists his birthdate as Dec. 22, 1919, which means that he is approaching his 90th birthday. Another source lists him as being two years older. I will hold off listing him while I try to determine at least a consensus opinion among sources on Monchak's true birthdate and sort out this discrepancy.

*Philly-brownsfan*

[philliesfiend55]

Former Phillies Righthanded Pitcher Barney Mussill turned 90 today.
He pitched in 16 games for the 1944 Philadelphia Phillies or Philadelphia Blue Jays as they were temporarily known, turning 25 on the last day of that season.
It's interesting that Mussill boldly signs his photos in the photo archives of the Baseball Hall Of Fame - "Barney Mussill, Philadelphia -NL - 1944" or "Barney Mussill major leagues pitcher 1944".
1944 was his only year in the majors. While some players who reached the majors briefly, whose careers could be considered unsuccessful, are bitter about their experience or feel they could have been given better chances or more chances in the big leagues from their field manager or the club's front office management, Mussill appears to embrace his short time in the big leagues.

It's a bit of a mystery as to what happened regarding Mussill's baseball career after 1944. While he toiled in the minors from 1938 on, once he reached the majors in '44, there is no further record of him performing in organized ball after that season. Quite possibly he was called into the military during the last months of World War Two, but whether he served or not, it appears that Mussill never took a major or minor league mound again after completing the 1944 season.

Mussill becomes the 13th living former Phillie to reach 90 years of age. He is one of just 17 living players who played for the Phillies in 1945 or earlier - before the end of World War Two.

With the Phillies, Mussill wore uniform # 27.

Mussill resides in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.

*Philly-brownsfan*

[philliesfiend55]

Barney Mussill is the only former Phillie to turn 90 in 2009.
The next five former Phillies in line to turn 90 represent almost every type of career you can imagine, except perhaps a Hall Of Fame career (although Al Dark at times has been considered a serious HOF candidate)..
They are :
John O'Neil -1946 Phillies & Majors.
Dave Philley- 1958-60 Phillies; 1941 & 1946-1962 Majors.
Wally Westlake 1956 Phillies; 1947-56 Majors.
Al Dark - 1960 Phillies; 1946, & 1948-60 Majors.
Sam File - 1940 Phillies & Majors.

Just three days before his 26th birthday, O'Neil (4/19/1920) played his first major league game on Opening Day (April 16), 1946 on what can be considered the first day of the Post-World War Two Baseball Era. Some would even call this the first day of the Modern Era.
A middle infielder out of Kentucky, he stuck with the Phillies all season, his only one in the majors and his entire MLB career consisted of just 94 at-bats.

Dave Philley (5/16/1920) was a solid outfielder who could also play first base and all-star game recognition eluded him but only barely. Considering time lost to military service, Philley is considered a 20 year major leagues veteran.
He was an everyday player from 1947 to 1956 with the Philadelphia Athletics and with two tenures with the Chicago White Sox. He hit .303 in 620 at bats with the A's in 1953, his best bid for all-star recognition. Through 1956 Philley's career total was 1424 hits in 1423 games - that hit per game average confirming his status as a solid everyday Major league player. Beginning in '57 with the Orioles and with the Phillies (1958-1960) where he set team pinch hit records, Philley became more of a pinch hitting specialist. He finished his career with over 1900 MLB games to his credit and although he lost four seasons to the military, (1942-45) Philley enjoyed great career longevity playing until 1962 at age 42. Philley was on the 1954 American League Champion Cleveland Indians, although he had an off-year for them. He hit .270 lifetime.

Outfielder, Wally Westlake (11/8/1920) also fit into that solid dependable major league regular role from 1947 to 1956. He played mostly with the Pirates and Cardinals and was a National League all-star with the Cards in 1951. He reached Phladelphia in his final year in the big leagues, 1956.

Second Baseman Al Dark (1/7/1922) got a cup of coffee with the Boston Braves in 1946 and then went on to become N.L. Rookie of the Year for them two years later, edging out Richie Ashburn for that honor . He was a three-time all-star, which is a surpringly low total, but it shows he was up against superb competition. Dark was best known as a New York Giant because after the Braves, Dark called the Polo Grounds home for seven years (1950 to 1956). He was a key member of "The Miracle At Coogan's Bluff " 1951 Giants team and their World Champions 1954 team, who defeated Philley's Cleveland team. Dark ended up being traded for Ashburn between the 1959 and 1960 seasons. His first hit as a Phillie was the 2000th of his career. Dark has been a Veterans committee candidate for the Hall Of Fame occasionally in recent years. He hit .289 lifetime, with 2089 hits in 1828 games. Dark became a big league manager in 1961 with the San Francisco Giants immediately after his final year as a player with the Phillies and he managed for 13 years. He reached the World Series twice as a manager: as the Giants skipper in 1962 where San Francico lost a heartbreaking series in seven games to the Yankees and Dark was at the helm of the 1974 World Champion Oakland Athletics.

Sam File (5/18/1922) was a third baseman in an Industrial League, was seen by Phillies scouts and at the tender age of 18 was brought to the majors with the Phillies in 1940. It was File's only year inthe bigtime.This type of move was not totally uncommon in the "Bad Old Days" of the Phillies franchise when the team was finishing last year after year and the Philles were desperate for talent. They even signed 17 year old Granny Hamner and 16 year old Ralph Putsy Caballero towards the end of World War Two in September 1944 when the manpower amd talent shortage was even more severe than in peacetime. (Those signings proved bit more successful than File's.)
File ended up living on the same street and becoming a neighbor of an uncle of mine in Ocean Pines, Maryland, which is just across the bay from the popular summer resort beach town of Ocean City, Maryland.

*Philly-brownsfan*