Throughout the summer of 2019, the Phillies will celebrate the careers of three of the greatest players to ever don red pinstripes - 2008 World Series champions Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard - with retirement ceremonies, the club announced today.
Fittingly, Rollins will lead off the festivities on Saturday, May 4, when the Phillies take on the Washington Nationals at 7:05 p.m. Rollins spent 15 of his 17 major league seasons with the Phillies after being drafted by the club in 1996. A three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner, Silver Slugger and the 2007 National League MVP, Rollins is the Phillies' all-time hits leader with 2,306. He also ranks first in Phillies history in at-bats (8,628) and doubles (479) and second in total bases (3,655), extra-base hits (806) and stolen bases (453). Additionally, Rollins' 38-game hitting streak is the longest in franchise history.
On Friday, June 21, against the Miami Marlins at 7:05 p.m., Utley will be honored for his 13 years with the Phillies. The club's first-round selection in the 2000 draft, Utley was selected to six All-Star teams (all as a starter) and won four Silver Slugger Awards. He holds the Phillies all-time records among second basemen for games played (1,453) and nearly every offensive category, including home runs (226), hits (1,580), RBI (883) and extra-base hits (616).
Howard's ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 14, when the Phillies host the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. Howard is one of nine players in franchise history to have played his entire major league career with the club (minimum seven years) and the first since Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt retired in 1989. The club's all-time single-season home run leader with 58 in 2006, Howard made three All-Star Games, won a Silver Slugger Award and won Rookie of the Year (2005) and MVP (2006) in consecutive seasons. He ranks second in Phillies history in both home runs (382) and RBI (1,194), trailing only Schmidt in both categories.
To commemorate these milestones, the team has created a six-game Phillies Legends Ticket Pack. Through this special offer, fans can secure tickets to the three retirement ceremony games and also choose three additional games to complete their six-game package before individual tickets go on sale to the public in February. Fans can purchase the Phillies Legends Ticket Pack by going to www.phillies.com/legends. Promotional giveaways for each of the retirement ceremony games will be announced at a later date.
Rollins, Utley and Howard started every playoff game for the Phillies during the club's run of five straight NL East Division titles from 2007-11 and Utley tied a major league record with five home runs during the 2009 World Series.
The 2019 ceremonies will culminate with a 10-year reunion of the 2009 NL Champions, which will take place during Toyota Phillies Alumni Weekend, August 2-4. The Phillies will also honor the 2019 Wall of Fame inductee during that interleague series with the Chicago White Sox.