Most memorable home runs in Phillies history

With home runs being hit in baseball at record rates over the past few seasons, we take a look back at the most memorable home runs in Phillies history.

Baseballs have been flying out of the ballpark at record rates in Major League Baseball. In fact, the past three seasons have seen three of the four top league home run totals in history. In the middle of the pack this past season in home runs, the Phillies have had numerous memorable shots over their long history. We run down those home runs in chronological order.

Dick Sisler: October 1, 1950

With a one-game lead over the Brooklyn Dodgers entering the final game of the season, the Phillies needed a win to advance to their first World Series in 35 years. In a classic pitching duel between Robin Roberts and Don Newcome, the Phillies and the Dodgers were tied at one entering the 10th.

With two on and one out, Dick Sisler blasted a three-run home run to left. The bomb gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead and win. Sisler hit only 55 career home runs in eight seasons, but his blast in this one propelled the Phillies to the World Series.

Johnny Callison: July 7, 1964

A four-time All-Star who hit 226 career home runs, Callison’s most memorable came at the 1964 All-Star game. With two on and two outs in the ninth of a 4-4 game, Callison blasted a ball deep into the right-field seats to win the game. Callison was greeted at home plate by Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, as well as Billy Williams and soon the entire NL team.

Callison’s walk-off home run was the third in All-Star game history and no player has hit one since. During his 10-year career with the Phillies, Callison hit .271 with 185 home runs.

Rick Wise: June 23, 1971

On this day, Rick Wise was a one-man show both on the mound and at the plate.  He threw a no-hitter against the Reds, allowing only a walk to Dave Concepcion. At the plate, Wise knocked in three of the Phillies four runs. He went deep to left off Ross Grimsley in the fifth and in the eighth off of Clay Carroll.

Wise finished the season with 17 wins and a 2.88 ERA, both career bests. At the plate, Wise belted six home runs or the season and had 15 career home runs in 668 at-bats.

Greg Luzinski: May 16, 1972

The Phillies won just 59 games in 1972 and had few memorable moments other than when Steve Carlton took the mound. However, an up and coming 21-year old slugger named Greg Luzinksi provided a glimpse of his incredible power.

Trailing 6-0 in the fourth against the Cubs on May 16, Luzinski blasted a home run off the Liberty Bell in the 400 level in center field at Veteran’s Stadium. The blast was estimated to be nearly 500 feet and one of the longest hit in the history of the stadium. Luzinski hit 18 home runs that season, 223 in a Phillies uniform and 307 during his career.

Mike Schmidt: April 17, 1976

One of the most incredible single-game power performances in MLB history, Mike Schmidt launched four home runs in an 18-16 win against the Cubs. More amazing about the feat is that Schmidt didn’t hit his first home run until the 5th inning of that game.  That came against Rick Reuschel, followed by another against Reuschel in the 7th, off Mike Garman in the eighth and Paul Reuschel in the 10th.

The 10th inning blast proved to be the game-winner. Only Bobby Lowe, Mike Cameron, Rocky Colavito, Carlos Delgado, and Lou Gehrig matched Schmidt’s four consecutive home runs in a single game.

Mike Schmidt: May 17, 1979

In one of the wildest games in MLB history, the Phillies and Cubs combined to score 45 runs. The Phillies scored seven in the first on a three-run homer by Schmidt, a three-run homer by Bob Boone and a solo shot by pitcher Randy Lerch. Ahead 7-6 after one, the Phillies built a 21-9 lead after 4 1/2.

The Cubs came all the way back to tie at 22, in large part due to six home runs, three by Dave Kingman. The Phillies took the lead to stay with two outs in the 10th when Schmidt belted his second home run of the game, this time off Bruce Sutter. The Phillies won the game, 23-22.

Mike Schmidt: October 4, 1980

On a cold early October day in Montreal, the Phillies held a slim one-game lead in the division with just two to play. Tied at four in the 11th, Mike Schmidt hit a bullet that hit deep into the left-field seats in near record time. As Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser called on the radio, “long drive to left field, he buried it, he buried it. Way back, outta here! Home run Mike Schmidt puts the Phillies up six to four!”

It was Schmidt’s 47th home run of the season and gave the Phillies the win to clinch the division.  The Phillies went on to defeat the Astros in the NLCS and the Royals for their first World Series title in franchise history.

Bake McBride: October 14, 1980

The Phillies got off to a slow start in their first World Series game in 1980, down 4-0 in the third. After getting two runs back, Bake McBride capped off the five-run third with a three-run shot to deep right to put the Phillies up, 5-4.  The Phillies won the game, 7-6 and the series in six games.

McBride hit .309 with a career-best 87 RBI that season and .292 with 44 home runs in five seasons with the team.  He hit three career postseason home runs but none more memorable, nor more influential than this one in the World Series.

Gary Matthews: October 8, 1983

Matthews took over in left field for the Phillies in 1981 after Greg Luzinski was traded to the White Sox.  Matthews hit 38 regular season home runs in three seasons with the Phillies, but it was his shot in the 1983 NLCS against the Dodgers that was his most memorable.

Ahead two games to one, the Phillies took over early in game four with a three-run shot by Matthews off Jerry Reuss with two outs in the first inning. For Matthews, it was his second home run of the NLCS. The Phillies went on to win the game 7-2 and the series, three games to one.

Von Hayes: June 12, 1985

A two-home run, five-RBI game is quite a day for any player. Doing so in a single inning is remarkable. That’s what Von Hayes did in the Phillies 26-7 route of the Mets. Leading off the game, Hayes deposited one off Tom Gorman, who lasted only a third of an inning. Later in the inning, Hayes took Calvin Schiraldi deep for a grand slam.

Up 16-0 after two, the Phillies never looked back.  Hayes hit only 13 home runs for the season and had a career-high 26 for the Phillies in 1989.  He retired with 143 home runs, 124 of them coming in a Phillies uniform.

Mike Schmidt: April 18, 1987

Schmidt entered the 1987 season on the doorstep of the exclusive 500 home run club.  Off to a quick start, Schmidt hit four home runs over the first couple of weeks and was within one. On a Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Phillies allowed four in the eighth to fall behind 6-5. With two on and two outs in the 9th,  the stage was set for Schmidt.

Schmidt drilled a 3-0 pitch out deep to left for his 500th and an 8-6 lead in the game. As the legendary Harry Kalas called it, “Swing and a long drive, there it is, number 500! The career 500th home run for Michael Jack Schmidt and the Phillies have regained the lead in Pittsburgh, 8-6 and the Phillies dugout comes swarming out to home plate!”

Chase Utley: April 24, 2003

In the third inning of this early season matchup against the Rockies, Chase Utley came to the plate with the bases loaded, looking for his first Major League hit. Not only did Utley get his first hit, but he also did it in style, launching a ball into the right-field bullpen for a grand slam.

Utley hit just .239 with two home runs in 43 games that season, but the Phillies fans saw quickly the kind of player Utley would become, circling the bases in nearly record time on his home run “trot”. The gritty, hard nose Utley went on to become the greatest second baseman in team history.

Ryan Howard: August 31, 2006

When Jim Thome went down to injury in 2005, Ryan Howard took over at first base. Following a Rookie of the Year season in 2005, Howard was on pace to easily surpass Mike Schmidt’s club record for most home runs in a season.

Howard did just that on August 31 against Pedro Astacio of the Nationals in the fourth inning. He took Astacio out deep to center field for his 49th home run of the season. The Phillies ended up losing the game in walk-off fashion, 5-4.

Howard flirted with the 60 home run club, ending the season with 58 home runs and 149 RBI, winning MVP honors.

Ryan Howard: August 30, 2007

Howard continued his remarkable four year run of 40-plus home runs in 2007 when he launched 47. The longest one of the season and perhaps the longest home run in Howard’s career came on August 30 against the Mets.

In the bottom of the first with one on and two outs, Howard crushed an offering from Orlando Hernandez deep into the left-center field seats. The shot was hit an estimated 505 feet.

The Phillies went on to win the game, 11-10 and the division a month later. While Howard’s 47 bombs didn’t lead the league, he led the league in home runs and RBI the following season with 48 and 146, respectively.

Pat Burrell: May 2, 2008

After surrendering a 4-1 lead to the Giants in the seventh inning, the Phillies found themselves down 5-4 in the tenth. Facing San Francisco closer Brian Wilson, the Phillies appeared headed for a bad early season loss.

With two outs and two strikes with Chase Utley on base, Burrell hit a shot into the left-field seats to give the Phillies a 6-5 win. Burrell went on to hit 33 home runs for the 2008 World Series champions, his final with the Phillies. Burrell retired following the 2011 season with 292 home runs and 976 RBI.

Shane Victorino: October 2, 2008

In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Brewers, the Phillies faced the tough left-hander CC Sabathia. Following a remarkable at-bat by pitcher Brett Myers that resulted in a walk to load the bases, Victorino hit the most memorable home run of his career. He hit a grand slam to left, scoring Myers, Pedro Feliz, and Jimmy Rollins.

The blast proved to be the game-winner, as the Phillies took the game 5-2. Victorino hit 88 home runs in eight seasons with the Phillies and 108 over a 12 year Major League career.

Matt Stairs: October 13, 2008

Stairs spent a relatively short period of time with the Phillies but made his mark in a big way. After acquiring him late in the 2008 season, Stairs hit two regular-season home runs in 19 at-bats with the Phillies. The biggest hit of his career was also one of his longest.

Up two games to one in the NLCS against the Dodgers, the Phillies found themselves down one heading into the eighth. After Shane Victorino tied the game with a home run, Stairs launched one deep into the right-field seats off Jonathan Broxton to give the Phillies a 7-5 lead and eventual win.

Jimmy Rollins: October 15, 2008

Up three games to one in the NLCS against the Dodgers, Jimmy Rollins set the tone for the game quickly. Leading off the game, he deposited a Chad Billingsley pitch out of the park to right-center.  The Phillies never trailed in the game, winning 5-1 behind Cole Hamels.

Rollins hit just .143 in the NLCS and .227 in the World Series but came up big with his leadoff home run in this one. Rollins retired following the 2016 season with 231 home runs, 936 RBI, 2455 hits, 1421 runs scored and 470 stolen bases.

Chase Utley: October 22, 2008

Utley got the Phillies off on the right track in the first inning of Game one. With Jayson Werth at first and one out, Utley put the ball in the seats in right field to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. The Phillies added a run in the fourth, which was enough for Cole Hamels, who allowed two runs over seven innings.

The Phillies took Game One and never looked back. As for Utley, he hit just .167 in the World Series, but hit two home runs with four RBI after hitting .353 with a home run against the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Joe Blanton: October 26, 2008

Undoubtedly the most unlikely player to make this list, Blanton was a .106 hitter with no home runs and 92 strikeouts in 216 career at-bats. However, he came up big in Game four of the World Series, not only on the mound, but at the plate.

With the Phillies already ahead 5-2 in the fifth, Blanton took Rays reliever Edwin Jackson deep to give the Phillies a 6-2 lead. The Phillies pulled away from there, winning the game, 10-2. Blanton pitched for the Phillies through part of the 2012 season, ending his career in Philadelphia with a 34 wins and a 4.47 ERA.

Ryan Howard: October 26, 2008

In the same game that Blanton hit his only Major League home run, Ryan Howard provided some late insurance. With Chase Utley at first base with one out, Howard took a Trevor Miller offering out of the park to right-center to give the Phillies a 10-2 lead. The home run was Howard’s second of the game and his third of the World Series.

Following a .300 batting average against the Dodgers in the NLCS, Howard hit .286 with three home runs and six RBI in the World Series. Howard played his entire 13-year career with the Phillies, finishing with 382 home runs and 1194 RBI.

Matt Stairs: April 12, 2009

Stairs hit only seven regular season home runs for the Phillies in 120 at-bats, but no one will forget the blast in the 2008 NLCS against the Dodgers. Similarly, his shot on April 12, 2009, is memorable for another reason. It was the last home run call for the late Harry Kalas, who passed away the following day prior to the game.

The home run in the ninth inning by Stairs to right field brought the Phillies all the way back from a 5-1 deficit to win the game, 7-5. Stairs retired in 2011 with 269 home runs with 12 different teams over a 19-year career.

Shane Victorino: April 13, 2009

On this day, the long time television voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas passed away prior to the game.  A very difficult day for the remaining of the broadcast team and entire Phillies organization, a ball game still had to be played.  The Phillies won the game 9-8 and Victorino, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez all homered.

What made Victorino’s most memorable was what he did following the home run. When crossing home plate, Victorino paused, crossed his arms and pointed up to the broadcast booth where Kalas would have been sitting.  It was a class act by Victorino showing respect and tribute to the “Voice of the Phillies” and Hall of Fame broadcaster.

Chase Utley: July 9, 2009

Looking lethargic for the first two and a half innings in front of the home crowd, the Phillies got a spark from “The Man”. With two outs and bases empty, Utley drilled a pitch deep to center field off the wall. The ball caromed and rolled towards right-center field and Utley circled the bases easily for his 20th home run of the season.

The Phillies went on to win the game, 9-6 to improve to 45-38 on the season. Utley would provide further dramatic home runs later in the season, tying a record held by a New York Yankees legend.

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Chase Utley: October 28, 2009

The defending World Series champions took got off to a hot start in the 2009 Series. Chase Utley started the scoring with a solo shot off CC Sabathia in the third. He also deposited an 0-2 pitch from Sabathia in the sixth into the seats. The two solo shots provided enough for Cliff Lee, who pitched a complete game, allowing an unearned run on six hits.

Unfortunately, the Phillies lost the World Series in six games. Utley went on to hit .286 in the World Series with seven runs scored and eight RBI and .296 for the entire postseason in 54 at-bats.

Chase Utley: November 2, 2009

Down three games to one in the World Series, the Phillies forced a game six mainly due to the bat of Utley. Having already hit three home runs in the Series, Utley blasted a three-run shot in the bottom of the first, putting the Phillies ahead 3-1.

Heading to the bottom of the seventh up 5-2, Utley provided insurance and tied history in the process. He took a Phil Coke pitch of the park to right-center field for his fifth home run of the World Series. That tied Reggie Jackson for most home runs hit in a single World Series.

Ben Francisco: October 4, 2011

Following a 102-win season, the Phillies looked to get back to the World Series after being eliminated in the NLCS in 2010.  With the NLDS series against the Cardinals tied at a game apiece, Ben Francisco came up huge in Game 3. With the game deadlocked at 0-0 in the seventh, Francisco launched a ball out of the park to left-center field.

The three-run homer propelled the Phillies to a 3-2 win. However, the Cardinals won the next two games, ending the Phillies season. The Phillies fell to 81 wins the following season and haven’t reached the .500 mark since.

Jim Thome: June 23, 2012

Thome has a memorable first run with the Phillies, leading the league in home runs with 47 in 2003 and added 42 in 2004. He returned to the team at the end of his career in 2012 as a pinch hitter and designated hitter in AL parks. He provided a final memorable moment in front of the Philadelphia fans on June 23.

After leading the Rays 6-3 in the seventh, the game was tied at 6-6 in the ninth. Thome lead off the ninth and drove a 3-2 pitch from Jake McGee out of the park to left field for the game winner.  The home run was Thome’s last in a Phillies uniform. He went on to three more home runs with the Orioles later that season and retired with 612 home runs.