Post by Phillies Phan on Mar 24, 2020 22:24:24 GMT -5
The 1983 Phillies were nicknamed the "Wheeze Kids" because of the numerous veteran players on the team. The 1950 National League pennant winning Phillies had been nicknamed the "Whiz Kids" due to their youth; stars Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Willie Jones, Del Ennis, and Granny Hamner were all 25 years old or younger. Prior to the 1983 season, the Phillies acquired Morgan, age 39 and Tony Pérez, age 40, to complement Pete Rose, age 41, and as Morgan told Sports Illustrated in March 1983, "...help win them a world championship." At the time, the Phillies also had Ron Reed, 40, Bill Robinson, 39, Steve Carlton, 38, and Tug McGraw, 38. Philadelphia Daily News sportswriter Stan Hochman gave them the Wheeze Kids nickname and it was quickly adopted and used by Phillies president Bill Giles. By the 1983 World Series, the moniker was commonly used to refer to the team.