“Oh brother!” was one of Richie Ashburn’s favorite lines as a Phillies broadcaster. While nugget hunting, brothers and family became an interesting lifeline in Phillies history.

Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty is the earliest nugget, one of eight brother combos who wore a Phillies uniform. He and his brother, Tom, were the first on Sept. 19, 1894. It was Tom’s only game with the Phillies (1-for-4). Ed -- listed as a left fielder, first baseman and second baseman (1888-1901) -- had three other brothers who played in the Majors: Jim (1901-02; 1904-12; 1914-15); Frank (1905-08; 1914-15), and Joe (1907-09).

Alphabetical Brothers
Bennett, Dennis (LHP, 1962-64) and Dave (RHP, 1964)
Chiozza, Lou (2B-3B-OF, 1934-36) and Dino (SS, 1935)
Hamner, Granny (2B-SS, 1944-69) and Garvin (2B-SS, 1945)
Knothe, George (2B, 1932) and Fritz (3B-SS, 1933)
Nix, Laynce (OF, 2012-13) and Jayson (2B-SS-3B, 2014)
Thomas, Roy (CF, 1899-1908; 1910-11) and Bill (OF-1B-2B, 1902)
Westlake, Jim (PH, 1955) and Wally (OF-3B, 1956)

The Other Brother (Phillies)
Wheat, Zack, LF; (Mark, C-OF, 1920-21)
DiMaggio, Joe, OF; (Vince, OF, 1945-46)
Torre, Joe, C-1B-3B-manager; (Frank, 1B, 1962-63)
Brett, George, 3B; (Ken, LHP, 1973)
Maddux, Greg, RHP; (Mike, RHP, 1986-89)
Leiter, Al, LHP; (Mark, RHP, 1997-98)
Giambi, Jason, 1B-DH-LF; (Jeremy, 1B-OF-DH, 2002)

The most hyped brother showdown came on Aug. 21, 2021, in San Diego, where then-28-year-old right-hander Aaron Nola faced his 31-year-old brother catcher, Austin. It was the first time in franchise history that a pitcher faced his brother on the opposing team. Aaron, unleashing his fastest pitch of the season (96 mph), struck out Austin in the second inning. Later, Austin popped up to second base and walked. They also faced each other in the 2022 NLCS.

Another brother showdown occurred on Oct. 5, 2022, in Houston. Older brother Phil Maton, pitching in relief for the Astros, got to face his younger brother, Nick. In one at-bat, Nick won bragging rights with a single to right field.

In a Sept. 28, 1986, pitching matchup of brothers, Greg Maddux (Cubs) was the winner over Mike (Phillies), 8-3, at Veterans Stadium. It was the first time that brothers pitched against each other as rookies. They met again on July 31, 1988.

Other Family Nuggets

When Ruben Amaro Jr. pinch-hit on Opening Day at Veterans Stadium (April 7, 1992), he joined his dad, Ruben Sr., as the first father-son combo in franchise history. Ruben Sr. played for the Phillies from 1960-65; Ruben Jr. from 1992-93, 1996-98.

Then, there are Mark Leiter Sr. and Mark Jr. Dad pitched for the Phillies from 1997-98. Mark Jr. made history with his pro debut at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 2017. Mark Jr. wore the Phillies uniform from 2017-18. It was the first father-son duo as franchise pitchers.

The second father-son pair on the mound are Steve and Cam Bedrosian. Dad won the 1987 National League Cy Young Award during his four years in a Phillies uniform (1986-89). Cam, born in 1991, joined Dad in Phillies history when he pitched an inning against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 3, 2021.

Father-son history also involves the Phillies' broadcasting booth. Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas was part of the radio-TV crew from 1971-2009. His son, Todd, was on cable TV from 1994-96. Occasionally, Tom McCarthy and son, Jim, broadcast Phillies games, with dad on TV and son on the radio side.

Umpire Shag Crawford, a Philadelphia native, was behind the plate for the first game at Veterans Stadium on April 10, 1971. His son, Jerry, had the same honor for the Vet’s last game on Sept. 28, 2003, and the first at Citizens Bank Park on April 6, 2004.

When David Bell hit for the cycle at Citizens Bank Park on June 28, 2004, it was the first of his career, but the second for the family. Grandfather Gus Bell did it against the Phillies at Shibe Park on June 4, 1951. Each game was on a Monday night. “Oh, brother.”