Retired numbers in Phillies team history

Roy Halladay spent four seasons with the Phillies. (Icon Sportswire)

This is an updated version of a story that was originally published in 2022.

Well before the late Dick Allen was finally elected to the Hall of Fame this month, the Phillies awarded him the club’s highest honor for an individual player. Philadelphia retired Allen’s number in September 2020, just months prior to his death that December.

Allen became the ninth player in franchise history to be honored in this way, joining eight other Phillies greats and Dodgers Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 was universally retired by Major League Baseball in 1997 to honor the player who broke the league’s color barrier. In place of actual jersey numbers, the Phillies use the letter “P” for Grover Cleveland Alexander and Chuck Klein.

Here’s a look at the seven Phillies players to have their numbers retired by the franchise:

No. 1, Richie Ashburn

While Ashburn was not yet a Hall of Famer when his number was retired in 1997, he was elected by the Veterans Committee and inducted into the Hall in 1995. “Whitey” played center field for the Phillies from 1948-1959 and won two batting titles, one stolen base title and made six All-Star teams in his career. Following his playing days, Ashburn served as a color commentator for the team from 1963 until his death in 1997.

No. 14, Jim Bunning

Bunning, a 1996 Hall of Fame inductee, had his number retired in Philadelphia in 2001. Primarily a Detroit Tiger, the right-hander spent two stints with the Phillies from 1964-1967 and 1970-1971. Bunning threw the seventh perfect game in major-league history and the first by a Phillie on Father’s Day 1964. He was a nine-time All-Star and led the majors in strikeouts three times.

No. 15, Dick Allen

Allen, the first Black star on a Phillies club that was the last in the National League to integrate, burst on the scene as the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year. The corner infielder spent two stints with the Phillies from 1963-1969 and 1975-1976. Throughout his career, the corner infielder hit 351 home runs, made seven All-Star teams, led the AL in home runs twice and was named the 1972 AL MVP. He’ll be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.

No. 20, Mike Schmidt

The greatest player in team history and the top third baseman in major-league history, Schmidt had his number retired in 1990. The 1995 Hall of Famer played his whole career in Philadelphia from 1972-1989. A 12-time All-Star, Schmidt was a three-time NL MVP, eight-time home run leader, 10-time Gold Glove winner and the 1980 World Series MVP as the Phillies won their first championship.

No. 32, Steve Carlton

Carlton’s number was retired in 1989 following a 24-year pitching career that later earned him a 1994 Cooperstown induction. The left-hander played for the Phillies from 1972-1986, racking up four NL Cy Young Awards and winning the 1980 World Series in Philadelphia. Carlton previously earned a World Series ring with the Cardinals in 1967 and made 10 All-Star teams while leading the NL in wins four times and strikeouts five times.

No. 34, Roy Halladay

Originally slated for 2020, Halladay’s number was retired by the Phillies in 2021, two years after his posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame. One of the most decorated pitchers since the turn of the century, the right-hander closed out his career in Philadelphia from 2010-2013 following 12 seasons in Toronto. Halladay’s first two seasons with the Phillies were among the best in franchise history

, with the eight-time All-Star being named the NL Cy Young in 2010 while also throwing the 20th perfect game and the second postseason no-hitter in major-league history that season. Halladay previously won the AL Cy Young Award in 2003.

No. 36, Robin Roberts

Roberts had his number retired in Philadelphia — the first in team history — in 1962, before his playing career was even over. He played the beginning of his career with the Phillies from 1948-1961 then went on to play with the Orioles, Astros and Cubs until 1966. The right-hander led the majors in wins four times and strikeouts twice with the Phillies. The seven-time All-Star was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.