Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies' first century was defined by losing. Founded in 1883, the franchise endured decades of poor ownership, thin rosters, and cavernous stadiums that seemed to echo with the sound of defeat. The team's lone early bright spot was the 1915 pennant, powered by Grover Cleveland Alexander's dominant pitching, but they lost the World Series to the Red Sox.

The franchise's low point came in the 1930s and 1940s, when the Phillies were so bad they were occasionally known as the "Futile Phils." Baker Bowl, their crumbling home from 1895 to 1938, perfectly encapsulated the franchise's state of disrepair. The move to Shibe Park (shared with the Athletics) was an improvement, but the losing continued.

The 1950 "Whiz Kids" offered a glimmer of hope, winning the NL pennant on the final day of the season behind Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn. But they were swept by the Yankees in the World Series, and the franchise wouldn't return to the Fall Classic for 30 years.

The Phillies moved into Veterans Stadium in 1971 and began assembling a roster that would finally deliver a championship. Mike Schmidt, the greatest third baseman in baseball history, arrived in 1972 and proceeded to hit 548 career home runs while winning three NL MVP awards and ten Gold Gloves. Steve Carlton, acquired from the Cardinals in one of baseball's most lopsided trades, won four Cy Young Awards as a Phillie.

The 1980 Phillies finally broke through, defeating the Royals in six games to win the franchise's first World Series championship - 97 years after their founding. Schmidt was named Series MVP, and the celebration in Philadelphia was cathartic, releasing nearly a century of frustration. The team reached the World Series again in 1983 but lost to the Orioles.

The 1993 Phillies, a ragtag group of misfits led by John Kruk, Darren Daulton, and Lenny Dykstra, won the pennant in one of the most entertaining seasons in franchise history before losing the World Series to the Blue Jays. Joe Carter's walk-off home run in Game 6 ended the series in devastating fashion.

Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004, and within a few years the Phillies had built a powerhouse. Ryan Howard's prodigious power (58 home runs in 2006), Chase Utley's all-around excellence, Jimmy Rollins's dynamic play at shortstop, and Cole Hamels's dominant pitching formed the core of a team that won five consecutive NL East titles from 2007 to 2011.

The 2008 championship was the crowning achievement. Hamels was named World Series MVP as the Phillies defeated the Rays in five games, giving Philadelphia its second title and first since 1980. The franchise returned to the World Series in 2009 but lost to the Yankees. The subsequent addition of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Roy Oswalt created a rotation that was the envy of baseball.

Halladay's perfect game in May 2010 and his no-hitter in his first-ever postseason start that October were among the most remarkable pitching performances in franchise history. The 2008-2011 window represented the greatest sustained period of success in Phillies history.