Check out this excerpt about long ago Phillies manager Pat Moran from an upcoming book about Baseball Managers from Hardball Times. Author Chris Jaffe write that Moran “might be the most underrated manager in baseball history”.

Moran coached the 1915 Phillies, who won their first ever pennant, and the 1919 Cincinnati Red who won the World Series over the Chicago White Sox in a fall “classic” that was less than on the level.

Both of the managers in the 1919 World Series had strong Philly connections – Moran as a former Phillies manager and “Black Sox” manager Kid Gleason as a former Phillies player who was born in Camden and died in Philly.

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On this day in 1943, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis barred Phillies owner William Cox could not be involved with the team anymore as a result of betting on the team. The decision was instrumental in making the Carpenter Family the owners of the Phillies. The Carpenters owned the Phillies until after they won the World Series in 1980. Buy low, sell high!

For another interesting angle on this period in Phillies history, check out this article debunking a story that Bill Veeck nearly bought the Phillies before Cox did in an attempt to stock the team with Negro League stars.

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Happy Birthday to former Phillies “pitcher” Adam Eaton, who turned 32 today.

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Todd Zolecki has the scoop on Phillies farmhands in the Arizona Fall League.

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Here are some details on the Phillies’ annual Holiday sale at the Majestic store on Dec. 5 and 6.

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The Phillies are raising ticket prices in 2010, but that isn’t nearly as upsetting to me as the fact that partial season ticketholders are no longer guaranteed tickets to at least one game for each round of the playoffs that the Phillies play in. According to the Phillies website, “Partial Season Ticket Holders will have the opportunity to purchase a minimum of two (2) potential postseason home games. The Phillies will determine the series and specific games. All postseason ticket locations will be determined by the Phillies and will differ from regular season locations.” In an email I received back from the ticket office when I questioned this, I was told that this is necessary based on the number of season ticketholders that the Phillies now have. Hopefully seniority will rule the day and the tenured season ticketholder will have first dibs on extra tickets.