Philadelphia's Top Fifty Baseball Players

Rich Westcott is the author of twenty-two other books, many of which are about Philadelphia sports, including The Phillies Encyclopedia, Philadelphia’s Old Ballparks, Tales from the Phillies Dugout, and A Century of Philadelphia Sports. He is a past president of the Philadelphia Sports Writers’ Association and is a member of three Halls of Fame.  Dallas Green managed the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1980 World Series championship.   

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part 1. The Pioneers, Pre-1900
Sam Thompson: Baseball's First Home Run Slugger
Ed Delahanty: Hitter with Few Equals
Billy Hamilton: Master of the Base Paths
Harry Davis: Four Straight Home Run Titles
Nap Lajoie: Phillies and Athletics Superstar
Rube Waddell: Loony but a Brilliant Pitcher
Roy Thomas: Lead-Off Hitter Who Ranks with the Best

Part 2. Last of the Deadball Standouts, 1900-1910
Eddie Plank: Baseball's First Great Left-Handed Pitcher
Chief Bender: Pitcher Who Overcame Two Kinds of Opponents
Sherry Magee: Exceptional Player with a Hot Temper
Eddie Collins: Best Second Baseman Ever to Play the Game
Frank Baker: "Home Run" Lived Up to His Nickname
Gavvy Cravath: King of the Deadball Home Run Hitters
Stuffy McInnis: Master with the Bat and the Glove
Louis Santop: First Great Negro League Catcher

Part 3. Stars of Three Leagues, 1911-1920
Grover Cleveland Alexander: Collector of Some Incredible Records
Cy Williams: One of the Foremost Power Hitters of His Era
Jimmy Dykes: Hometown Favorite and a Great All-Around Player
Judy Johnson: An Early Negro League Superstar
Biz Mackey: One of Baseball's Greatest Catchers

Part 4. Hall of Famers Dominate, 1921-1930
Bing Miller: Best of All the Millers
Al Simmons: Stepping into the Bucket Was Not a Problem
Mickey Cochrane: First of the Major League's Best Catchers
Jimmie Foxx: Second Batter to Hit Five Hundred Home Runs
Lefty Grove: Spectacular Southpaw Won Three Hundred Games
Chuck Klein: Big Bomber of Baker Bowl
Pinky Whitney: It Helps to Live near a Ballpark

Part 5. Mostly Whiz Kids and Native Sons, 1931-1950
Bucky Walters: His Switch to Pitching Paid Off
Bob Johnson: Vastly Underrated Star
Mickey Vernon: Two-Time Batting Champ and Superb Fielder
Granny Hamner: Fiery Captain of the Whiz Kids
Del Ennis: Local Guy and Superior Slugger
Richie Ashburn: An All-Time Philly Favorite
Roy Campanella: If Only He'd Stayed Home
Robin Roberts: One of Baseball's Greatest Pitchers

Part 6. Everyone's an All-Star, 1951-1970
Jim Bunning: His Perfect Game Made History
Tony Taylor: Top Second Baseman and Fan Favorite
Dick Allen: Spectacular Hitter with Awesome Power
Steve Carlton: Second-Winningest Lefty of All Time
Tug McGraw: Unforgettable Closer and Colorful Personality
Reggie Jackson: Mr. October Was a Left-Handed Powerhouse
Larry Bowa: Perfect for the Position
Greg Luzinski: The Bull Could Bash the Ball

Part 7. Greats of the Modern Era, 1971-2012
Garry Maddox: The Secretary of Defense
Mike Schmidt: The Phillies' Greatest Player
Mike Piazza: No Catcher Was Ever Better with the Bat
Bobby Abreu: His Sweet Swing Led to High Batting Averages
Jimmy Rollins: Shortstop Who Does Everything Well
Chase Utley: Working Hard to Be the Best
Ryan Howard: One of the Game's Best Power Hitters

Sources