Phillies: 5 Unexpected-but-deserving Wall of Fame candidates

5. Larry Andersen and Scott Franzke

The Phillies have never inducted a duo to their Wall of Fame before, but it is fair to say that Larry Andersen and Scott Franzke deserve to be the first.

While Andersen had already been a member of the Phillies broadcast team since 1998, Franzke made his debut in 2006 as pre and postgame radio host — as well as assuming play-by-play duties in the middle innings. One season later, Franzke was named the main play-by-play commentator on Phillies radio broadcasts and has worked alongside Andersen ever since.

In 2007 and 2008, Andersen and Franzke were honored at the Philadelphia Achievement in Radio Awards for best live sports event coverage. In 2017, the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association presented the duo with the Bill Campbell Award for local broadcasting excellence.

Individually, Andersen has made an impact in professional baseball for many years prior, being a former relief pitcher who played 17 major league seasons — including 1983-86 and 1993-94 with the Phillies. Andersen holds the Phillies’ team record for longest consecutive scoreless innings streak by a reliever (32 2/3). In 1983 and 1993, he appeared with the team in the World Series.

After his playing career, Andersen spent three seasons as a Phillies minor-league pitching coach, both at the Double-A (1995-96) and Triple-A level (1997).

As for Franzke, he is a 2010 and 2015 recipient of the Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year Award. Before joining the Phillies, the Texas native worked radio duties in the Texas Rangers and then-Florida Marlins organizations.

It would be difficult to think what the Phillies would be as we know them, without Anderson and Franzke. Their voices filled the airwaves during the team’s 2007-11 postseason window. Hopefully, 2021 is the year this magic can return.