5 Phillies with James Harden-esque exciting debuts in recent history
By Matt Rappa
Five Phillies players whose team debuts were just as good as James Harden’s.
The Joel Embiid-James Harden era of Philadelphia 76ers basketball got off to a strong start Friday evening on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the 133-102 win, many Sixers and Philadelphia Phillies fans celebrated Harden’s strong debut on social media, while also reminiscing equally exciting first games from recent players on the baseball field.
In 35 minutes, the 10-time All-Star tallied 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. He went 5-for-7 beyond the arc and shot 7-for-12 overall from the court. Here are five recent Phillies players whose team debuts had similar pre- and post-game hype as Harden’s.
1. The Phillies trade for Roy Halladay — April 5, 2010
By the time Roy Halladay was traded to the Phillies from the Toronto Blue Jays after the 2009 season, he was already a 12-year veteran, six-time All-Star and 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner.
The Phillies were coming off of back-to-back World Series appearances. Their hope was that Halladay would lead them to a third, and perhaps, a third-ever franchise championship.
Halladay did not disappoint individually in 2010 — his first of four seasons in red pinstripes. Doc got off to a strong start with his April 5, 2010, Phillies debut, away against the Washington Nationals.
Facing 27 batters, Halladay allowed just one run on six hits and two walks spanning seven innings. The right-hander also struck out nine batters, en route to a convincing 11-1 Phillies victory.
Halladay would go on to earn his second career Cy Young Award in 2010; he finished sixth for the National League MVP honor.