You Can't Lose 'Em All: The Year the Phillies Finally Won the World Series [Hardcover]

Frank Fitzpatrick (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Year the Phillies Finally Won the World Series | Publication Date: November 1, 2001

A franchise over a century old, the Philadelphia Phillies still own only one world championship--the glorious, long-overdue Series of 1980. This book relives all the action of that remarkable season .

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Americans seem to love an underdog, and no franchise was a bigger one than the Philadelphia Phillies. For much of the 20th century, the Phillies had the distinction of being one of the worst teams in professional baseball. In 1980, however, the Phillies finally managed to reverse their losing trends and capture the World Series title. An accomplished sports reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer who has covered the Phillies since the late 1970s, Fitzpatrick examines the standout championship year and how the Phillies overcame numerous obstacles and finally claimed their place in history. The 1980 Phillies had a colorful group of players, including Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Steve Carlton, and Tug McGraw, and Fitzgerald shows real insight into these players' personalities. The result is a thoroughly entertaining work that anyone who enjoys baseball would appreciate but Philadelphia-area patrons most of all. For larger public libraries. Tom Auger, Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The Philadelphia Phillies baseball franchise is more than 100 years old, yet its only World Series win was in 1980. Fitzpatrick interviewed many of the players and coaches on that historic team, and what he finds may surprise many fans. The Phillies had been successful in the three years prior to 1980, but they couldn't quite make it to the World Series. It was anything but a harmonious team when veteran Pete Rose was signed before the season, but, as Fitzpatrick documents, the ever-competitive Rose brought a winning presence to the contentious Phillies and helped motivate fellow superstars Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Fitzpatrick captures the siege mentality of the team perfectly and shows how the unique personality mix coalesced into a championship season. This is a fascinating look inside team dynamics, and it debunks once and for all the theory that successful teams must possess "good" chemistry. A fine baseball book, sure to be savored by fans for years to come. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878331999
• ISBN-13: 978-0878331994
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,441,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Left me with fond memories of 1980, July 13, 2002

By 

DAVID S JACKSON (Colleyville, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: You Can't Lose 'Em All: The Year the Phillies Finally Won the World Series (Hardcover)

I was 10 years old when the Phillies finally won the World Series. I say "finally" for me, because at the time I could only remember the failures of 1976, 1977 and 1978, which were burned into my memory. But Fitzpatrick points out that the franchise waited much longer than I did, through some of the worst years in baseball history, before breaking through in 1980. And they did it with a group that was constantly at each others' throats, united only by their quest for a championship that most believed they could never achieve.

Written with great humor and respect for the history of the city and its team, this book is a quick and worthwhile read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like an Old Picture in a Yearbook, December 9, 2002

By 

Michael Harmanos (Costa Mesa, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: You Can't Lose 'Em All: The Year the Phillies Finally Won the World Series (Hardcover)

Well-written, concise, and never dull, Fitzpatrick captures the year that was in Philadelphia professional sports: 1980. Each of the four major pro sports teams in Philadelphia had outstanding seasons that year (all reaching the championship level), but only the Phils brought the title to Broad Street. They did it under downright bizzare circumstances and proved that the elusive "chemistry" between teammates does not always make a winner. The book also brings in a bunch of cultural references from that year and richly describes the woe of the early Phillies teams and how the team has performed since then. I look forward to the sequel when Jim Thome is on the cover instead of Mike Schmidt...

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE 1980 PHILLIES!!!!!!, June 27, 2004

By 

Alphonse Dattolo (HALEDON,NEW JERSEY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can't Lose 'Em All: The Year the Phillies Finally Won the World Series (Hardcover)

THE GREATEST EVENT OF MY LIFE OCCURRED AT 11:29 P.M. OCTOBER 21,1980 WHEN THE PHILLIES BECAME THE WORLD CHAMPIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEY WERE BORN ON MAY 1,1883 ON A TUESDAY AT 1:30 P.M. AT RECREATION PARK.THIS BOOK CAPTURES ALL OF THE DRAMA OF THAT GREAT SEASON.READ IT AND HOPE THAT THE PHILLIES REPEAT IN 2004!!!!!!!