Ryan Howard – Phillies/1B (2004-16) Ryan Howard was a three-time NL All Star and was NL MVP in 2006. The slugger known as “the Big Piece” twice led the NL in HR’s (2006, 2008) and was a three-time RBI leader (2006, 2008, 2009). Howard also won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2005. The Big Piece was truly a big piece of the puzzle that led to the Phillies 2^nd World Series Championship in 2008. Howard was the fastest in MLB history to reach both 100 HR’s and 200 HR’s. He is the first player in Phillies history to knock 50 HR’s in a single season hitting 58 in 2006. His 85 HR’s in his first 1,000 AB’s is also an MLB record. 

Please follow and like us:

Brent Celek – Eagles/TE (2007-18) Brent Celek was a hard-nosed, durable tight end who spent 11 seasons with the Birds. Celek is 4^th all-time on the Eagles list for receptions (398) and games played (175). Celek only missed one game in his entire 11-year career with the Eagles. Celek had the 8^th most receiving yards and 11^th most receiving TDs in team history. Celek had the 2^nd best season receiving yards total of any Eagle TE in team history (Pete Retzlaff). Celek’s 19 receptions during the 2008-09 playoff season were third most for any TE in NFL history. Celek was a member of the Eagles Super Bowl LII Championship team.  Celek was the longest tenured athlete in Philly sports at the time of his release in March 2018. Celek announced his retirement on August 31, 2018 in a letter to fans saying “When i thought long and hard about the prospect of putting on another uniform, it just seemed wrong.” Celek went out on his own terms and on top. An Eagle forever!

Please follow and like us:

Jake Diekman – Phillies/P (2012-15) Jake Diekman was a hard-throwing lefty reliever that was part of an exciting young Phillies bullpen. That bullpen did not stay together long as Ken Giles was traded for Vince Velasquez and four minor leaguers, and Diekman was traded along with Cole Hamels to Texas in a move that brought several top prospects (Jorge Alfaro, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, and Nick Williams). Diekman’s 96+ mph fastball is among the best of all MLB lefty relievers.

Please follow and like us:

Garry Maddox  – Phillies/CF (1975-86)   Garry Maddox was an 8-time Gold Glover and one of the game’s greatest-fielding centerfielders. Legendary voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas nicknamed Garry Maddox the Secretary of Defense. He also said of Maddox, “Two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water, the other third is covered by Garry Maddox.”  While Maddox was known for his defensive exploits, he had some success with the bat as well. Maddox drove in the winning run in the deciding game five of the NLCS in 1980 vs Houston Astros, and then caught the final out sending the Phillies to the World Series vs Kansas City Royals.  In 1973, Maddox finished 3^rd in hitting (.319 avg) and 2^nd in triples (10). In 1976, Maddox again finished 3^rd in hitting (.330 avg), and finished 3^rd in doubles (37). The fleet-footed Maddox stole 20+ bases 9 consecutive seasons. Maddox won the World Series with the Phils in 1980, won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1986 and entered the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2001.     

Please follow and like us:

John LeClair – Flyers/LW (1995-04)   Big “Johnny Vermont” was a high-scoring winger on the Flyers famed Legion of Doom line. LeClair had three consecutive 50-goal seasons (51 in 1995-96, 50 in 1996-97, and 51 in 1997-98). He was the first American-born NHL player to accomplish this.  LeClair was awarded the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy in 1995, the Bobby Clarke Trophy in 1997, 1998, and the NHL Plus/Minus Award in 1997, 1999. The 5-time NHL All Star was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Please follow and like us:

Cole Hamels – Phillies/P (2006-2015) Cole “Hollywood” Hamels was an important piece to the Phillies late 2000’s dominance. Hamels was an NL All Star in 2007, 2011, and 2012.  Hamels was both the NLCS and World Series MVP in 2008 en route to the Phillies 2008 World Series Championship. “Hollywood” also won the Babe Ruth Award in 2008.  Hamels pitched a combined no-hitter vs. Atlanta Braves on September 1^st, 2014.  Hamels then pitched a no-hitter in his Phillies farewell game on July 25^th, 2015 vs. Chicago Cubs, becoming only the 5^th pitcher with a no-hitter and a combined no-hitter.     

Please follow and like us:

Reggie Leach – Flyers/RW (1975-82) The Riverton Rifle, Reggie Leach was a member on the famed LCB line (Leach, Clarke, Barber) leading the Flyers to their second Stanley Cup in 1975.  In 1976, as the Flyers tried to win their third Cup in a row, Leach had a record-breaking 61 goals during the regular season (still a Flyers record), and another 19 in the playoffs earning him the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Stanley Cup playoffs. His 19 playoff goals is an NHL record (tied w/Jari Kurri). During that playoff year, Leach also tied an NHL record with 5 goals scored in a playoff game, doing so against the Boston Bruins. Leach, a two-time NHL All Star was also a member of the Flyers 35-game unbeaten streak team. Leach entered the Flyers Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.  

Please follow and like us:

Brian Westbrook – Eagles/RB (2002-09) Brian Westbrook was one of the greatest running backs in team history. Westbrook set a team record with 90 receptions in 2007 on his way to his 1^st Team All Pro selection. Westbrook was a two-time Pro Bowler who led all running backs in receptions with 73 in 2004. On November 27^th, 2008 Westbrook had four touchdowns (RB) vs Arizona Cardinals to tie a team record.  Westbrook entered the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2015.      

Please follow and like us:

Ray Emery – Flyers/G (2009-10, 2013-15) Goaltender Ray Emery spent three seasons with the orange and black over two stints. Emery started 75 games for the Flyers and finished with a 35-34-10 record, a 2.88 GAA and a save pct. of .901.  Emery won the William M Jennings Trophy and a Stanley Cup in 2013 while with the Chicago Black Hawks. He also had an NHL record 12 consecutive wins to start a season.  RAZOR was a fiesty goalie who enjoyed mixing it up. He displayed his temper on and off the ice and was suspended on more than one occasion. Emery had a memorable fight with Sabres’ goalie Marty Biron, and literally destroyed Caps goalie Braden Holtby who was clearly an unwilling combatant. Emery was a pretty good goalie, as well. During Emery’s  rookie season in 2005 with the Ottawa Senators, Emery set a new NHL record, and tied another,  both previously held by Flyers goalies. He won his first 9 starts of his career, breaking Flyers Bob Froese’s record of 8 set in 1982. Later that season Emery had 12 wins in the month of March tying Bernie Parent’s NHL record of 12 wins in a single month.   Emery finished his NHL career with a record of 145-86-28, with a .906 save pct. and a 2.70 GAA.  

Please follow and like us:

Chase Utley – Phillies/2B (2002-15) Chase “the Man” Utley was the greatest second baseman in team history. A fixture throughout the greatest era in Phillies baseball, Utley led the Phils to a World Series Championship in 2008.  His 7 career World Series HRs is the most ever for a second baseman. The six-time NL All Star and four-time Silver Slugger was named to Sports Illustrated 2000’s All-Decade Team.  Utley won the Mike Schmidt MVP Award in 2005. His 35-game hitting streak in 2006 was tied for the longest ever by a second baseman. While Utley was good at hitting the ball, the ball was good at hitting Utley as evidenced by his team record 173 career HBPs.

Following the Phillies 2008 World Series Victory Parade, the soft-spoken Utley stunned the crowd gathered at Citizen’s Bank Park  when he infamously shouted on live TV “World F**king Champions!” 

Please follow and like us: