Philadelphia Phillies Tickets

It's difficult to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan. The "Fightin' Phils" went 97 years without a World Series title before winning their only one in 1980.

They will soon become the first team in any professional sport to reach 10,000 total losses, a benchmark the franchise will not likely be proud to reach. Still, the Phillies have produced 31 Hall of Famers since their 1883 founding. These include Grover Cleveland Alexander, Sparky Anderson, Richie Ashburn, Dave Bancroft and Chief Bender.

Many of the team's best players were products of Philadelphia's robust farm system, which was an important part of building a strong team in the mid-20th century after a series of bad trades by president William Baker in the early 1900s. Perhaps the most famous Phillies player of all time was Pete Rose, who was with the team only five years beginning in 1979 and in that span led them to three division titles and three World Series appearances.

Looking forward, the Phillies hope recently acquired Chicago White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia and new bench coach Jimy Williams will pull the team up into the top of the National League. The most hopeful among Philadelphia baseball fans might even dare to dream of another World Series win in the coming years and return the pennant to Citizens Bank Park.