Philly Fan Memory: Zorro Comes to Veterans Stadium!

Back in the mid- to late- 90s, I attended a Phillies' home opener with a group of friends. Being cheap and/or broke, we splurged for seats way up in the 700 level, roughly a mile away from the field, but in the lower part of the level, maybe a row up from the walkway that wrapped all the way around the gigantic bowl that was known as Veterans Stadium.

So during the early part of the game, maybe the 1st or 2nd inning, a couple friends and I noticed a dude walking towards us that looked like Zorro-- he was lean, had all black on with a black bandana, black boots, and a black jacket, the whole 9 yards. We were quite impressed with his appearance. Needless to say, we gave him a round of applause when he passed us and considered ourselves lucky to have seen him... what a gutsy thing to do... dress like Zorro and walk out into public, a baseball game no less, and not feel petrified by all of the eyes on you.

The next inning or so, we hear a random smattering of applause from a few sections down. I looked over and... it was Zorro passing by once again and his uniform had caught on with other fans as well! We gave him another cheer. And we cheered louder each successive time he passed by. He just kept walking by himself around the entire rim of the stadium all by himself, didn't acknowledge anybody or seem to pay attention to the game. No apparent reason, he just walked.

Well, I couldn't tell you anything else about that game some 10 years or so later, but that Zorro guy has stuck in my mind till this day. Great way to make a first impression!

A Christmas Present for You: Profile of Chris Welp

Our last post discussed the 1988 Phillies, and now let's jump back a year to 1987. I know you have been longing to get the inside scoop on former Sixers center Chris Welp... but there really isn't much of one.

In fact, here's the basic summary of what I could find on him:

• Born in Germany, he was the 16th overall pick out of U. of Washington by the Sixers in 1987 (he was part of a dismal crop of picks by the Sixers that year including... Vincent Askew [2nd rd], Eric Riggins [3rd rd from Rutgers], Brian Rahilly [4th rd, U of Tulsa], Frank Ross [5th rd, American University], Tracy Foster [6th rd, UAB]... now you can see why the NBA has cut the draft down to two rounds!)
• In 109 games over three years with four different teams, he averaged 10 minutes a game and 3.3 points/game, and 2.4 fouls/game. Impressive points to foul ratio there, I must say.
• He played three games in the playoffs in his career, totaling 22 minutes and scoring a total of two points while accumulating 7 personal fouls.
  
• Apparently he landed in Germany and played there from 1991-96.
  

Um, that's about it! Oh well! Happy Holidays, and stay tuned for next time when we delve into another nugget of Philly sports history.

Do you have any memories of Chris Welp? Probably not, but if so, please share!

1988 Phillies: Bottom of the Barrel

There is a certain ebb and flow in the success of sports teams that always intrigues me. The Phillies of the 1980s epitomize the extremes of good and bad. The 1980 squad, led by Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Steve Carlton, and a range of other high quality athletes, reeled in a World Series trophy and gave much reason for optimism that the team would continue its winning ways through many years.

Well, that didn't quite happen.

Though 1983 brought another push for the pennant as the team reached the World Series again but lost to Cal Ripken's Baltimore Orioles, the end of the decade didn't go as planned for the Phightin's.

Indeed, 1988 was the low point of the Phils' decade-long roller coaster ride at Veterans Stadium.

Here are some ugly details from that year of drudgery:

• Final record of 65-96, led by Lee Elia and later John Vukovich
  
• Finished last place in East Division, and the only team that was worse was Atlanta at 54-106 (okay, that's a really bad record, but at least they made a comeback and were on fire in the '90s and '00s)
• 35.5 games behind the Mets in the East Division
• Highest batting average for any of the regular starters was earned by Milt Thompson at .288
• Kevin Gross laid claim to the team's "ace" with a 12-14 record, 3.69 ERA and 162 K's
• As a team, the only categories where the Phils were ranked in the top 3 in the NL were for offensive strikeouts (3rd), and pitching losses (2nd). That's a powerhouse team right there, alright. On the bright side, they did finish 4th in doubles. (Crowd goes wild.)
  
• Some of the vintage "Obscure Philly" names on the team were: Luis Aguayo, Al Pardo, Don Carman, Bob Sebra, Jeff Calhoun, Todd Frowirth, Steve Jeltz, and Salome Barojas. If those names don't bring goodsebumps to a Philly sports fan's skin, then you aren't a true Philly sports fan! (If the names Salome Barojas or Todd Frowirth don't get you pumped up for Phillies baseball, then surely you must be dead.) I grew up hearing those names and have fond memories of watching their ineptitude night in and night out. If you didn't suffer through this miserable year like many of us, you sure missed out!
  

So there you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about those Phightless Phils of 1988. Hope you enjoyed this first post, please leave your comments below about memories, other facts, or other fodder. If you'd like to post in the future, please let me know by emailing me at ffats166(at)hotmail.com. See you next time Philly fans!