Skip to main content

Sunday School: Phillies History Lesson 69

By
Jim Lonborg was a pitcher with the Phillies from 1973-1979. Lonborg began his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1965 at age 23. Initially, the righty hurler struggled, posting a 9-17 record in his rookie campaign, but by year three Longborg was an elite pitcher. He went 22-9 with a 3.16 ERA in 39 starts in 1967 on his way to winning the Cy Young Award.

Unfortunately for Longborg, a skiing accident the following off-season resulted in ligament damage that would trouble him going forward, as he won just 17 games over the next 3 seasons. In 1971, Lonborg got back on the winning track when he went 10-7 in 27 games for the Red Sox, but the team traded him to the Brewers in a 10-player deal following the season.

In 1972 with Milwaukee, Longborg got things back on track when he won 14 games, posted a 2.83 ERA and completed 11 games. After that season, the Brewers sent Lonborg to the Phillies with Ken Brett, Ken Sanders and Earl Stephenson for John Vukovich, Don Money and Bill Champion.

Longborg didn't quite shine as a Phillie until his second season with the club. In 1974, Lonborg won 17 games with Philadelphia and completed 16 games, 3 of which were shutouts. He also hit a grand slam against the Expos in one June outing.

The 1975 season looked to be going even better for a reformed Lonborg, when he began the season losing just once in his first 9 starts, including a pair of 3-hit shutouts versus Montreal. After throwing a 2-hitter against the Dodgers in June, Lonborg ran into injury troubles. He pulled a back muscle that month and won just two more games the rest of the season.

Lonborg would rebound once again in 1976, when he won 18 games for the Phillies and led the team's starters in ERA at 3.08. That season was the start of 3 straight division wins by the Phillies. Lonborg pitched the division clincher against, who else...but, Montreal, throwing a complete game. In the playoffs that year, Lonborg threw 5 hitless innings in game 2 against the Reds, but ended up taking the loss when Cincinnati rallied in the 6th inning to erase the Phillies' lead.

The up and down career of Jim Lonborg went back down in 1977 when he began the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. When healthy, Lonborg did extremely well for the Phillies. In July and August that season, he went 8-1, including a 2-hitter against the Dodgers. The Dodgers returned the favor however, pounding Lonborg for 5 earned runs in 4 innings and sticking him with a loss in the National League Championship Series that year.

1978 brought on more injury troubles for Longborg as he suffered from arm issues and won just 8 games. Longborg tried to bounce back in 1979, but was released by the Phillies after posted an ERA over 11 in 4 appearances. Longborg then retired from playing.

He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002. And in the Boston based television program Cheers, the image used of Ted Danson's character Sam Malone pitching is actually an image of Jim Lonborg.

__________________________________


Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

By
The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has...
Post a Comment
Read more

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

By
JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R...
Post a Comment
Read more

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

By
Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and avai...
Post a Comment
Read more