10 star athletes who were late to Philadelphia

Fernando Valenzuela’s first start in Phillies this may have been the night the magic of 1993 finally ran out. Most Phillies players knew that their incredible World Series experience was something that could never be repeated. But if they had any faith left, it was likely extinguished when Darren Daulton left Valenzuela’s first game with the Phillies with a broken collarbone. The Phillies were .500, Lenny Dykstra was injured, so was Curt Schilling, and the rotation was so thin that they had to sign Valenzuela, who was much closer to pitching in the Mexican League than his Fernandomania days with the Dodgers.

The 1993 season was perfect until the last pitch. A year later, the Phillies seemed to have made it through the season before a strike ended the misery.

So you’re forgiven if you don’t remember Valenzuela, who died on Wednesday at the age of 63spending two months with the Phillies. More than a decade earlier, he had broken into the big leagues as a superstar pitcher for the Dodgers, combining his iconic swing with his masterful delivery to become one of the best pitchers of the 1980s.

He joined the Phillies in 1994 after spending the previous season with the Orioles, who signed Valenzuela after a year in Mexico. He played eight games for the Phils and reunited with Doug Jones, who had played with him at winter ball just before Valenzuela’s career surge.

“Winter of ’81,” said Jones, who died in 2021. “We were in the playoffs. To start with, they brought in Fernando. He was lying on the table in the trainer’s room, doing interviews for Mexican TV, and he had a six-pack that he was working on, and I remember thinking, “What a novel way to get ready to compete.” He threw six shutout innings and sat out.”

Valenzuela wasn’t the first star to calmly fly through Philadelphia. And he wasn’t the last. Here are another 10 people who did the same. There was one rule: they had to play in the regular season, not just in the preseason or spring training. Sorry, Dontrelle Willis, Tim Tebow and Jamal Mashburn.

Adam Oates, Leaflets (2002)

The Flyers traded first-, second- and third-round draft picks and a potential No. 1 goaltender at the 2002 trade deadline for Oates, who they let go via free agency after just 14 games. A Hall of Fame member, Oates’ time in Philadelphia was memorable. The Flyers paid a premium, believing Oates was the missing piece to a Stanley Cup team. Instead, they lost in the first round to Ottawa amid chaos in the locker room as players roughed up head coach Bill Barber.

Bob Uecker, Phillies (1966-67)

Between future Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg, the Phillies dealt Uecker in 1967 to Atlanta, where he soon began his Hall of Fame broadcasting career. Uecker has been a Milwaukee broadcaster since 1971, moonlighted as a backstage announcer at WrestleMania, and appeared as Harry Doyle in Major Leagueand sat in the front row with his Miller Lite. Uecker’s time with the Phillies was short. As a backup catcher, he hit just .202 in 96 games over two seasons. In Philadelphia, he was best friends with Dick Allen, whom he nicknamed “Crash” because of the helmet Allen wore on the field at Connie Mack Stadium.

Antonio Freeman, Eagles (2002)

Packers star Freeman reunited with Andy Reid for one season in Philadelphia along with former Green Bay linebacker Dorsey Levens. Freeman caught 46 passes for 600 yards, outpacing the electric duo of Todd Pinkston and James Thrash. Freeman, who was an All-Pro in 1998, led the Eagles in receiving yards in a brutal NFC Championship Game loss to Tampa Bay. He returned to Green Bay for his final season in 2003.

Artistic Monk, Eagles (1995)

Monk was the NFL’s all-time leading pass catcher when he signed with the Eagles in November 1995. He won three Super Bowls in Washington, and the Eagles viewed him as a late-season addition to their playoff team. Ray Rhodes called Monk, 38, “cold weather resistant.” However, Monk caught just six passes for 114 yards in three games and missed both playoff games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008, and his month in Philadelphia was barely a footnote.

Dale Hawerchuk, Flyers (1995-97)

The famous Hawerchuk ended his career as a 33-year-old player on the second and third teams of the 1997 Eastern Conference champions. The Flyers acquired him last season for Craig MacTavish, one of the last players without a helmet. Hawerchuk was solid in 1997 for Legion of Doom before a hip injury slowed him down in the second half. The state forced him to retire this summer.

Andy Van Slyke, Phillies (1995)

Veterans Stadium was like the Statue of Liberty to the aging stars of the 1990s when the Phillies hosted players like Mark Whiten and Danny Tartabull who were already in their prime. They even flirted with Bobby Bonilla. Van Slyke, a five-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star with Pittsburgh, retired in 1995 with the Phils after being acquired from Baltimore in June. The 34-year-old hit .243 with a .684 OPS in 63 games. The Phillies finished second, which meant they were just 21 games behind the division champion Braves.

Sparky Anderson, Phillies (1959)

One of the greatest managers of all time in baseball. Anderson spent his lone big league time as a shortstop with the Phillies in 1959. Anderson said his time with the Phillies – the second baseman hit .218 in 152 games – was enough to predict his future as a manager. He led the Reds to consecutive World Series titles, pulling the levers of the Big Red Machine as the Phillies won the pennant in 1976.

Bob McAdoo, Sixes (1986)

His success off the bench with the Showtime Lakers didn’t actually materialize for the Sixers, who signed McAdoo midway through the 1985-1986 season. The Hall of Famer won three scoring titles early in his career before finding a second act as an impact reserve for the Lakers. The Sixers tried to do the same. McAdoo averaged 10 points and 21 minutes per game in 29 games. They lost in the first round to Milwaukee in seven games, and McAdoo spent the next seven seasons in Italy.

Chris Warren, Eagles (2000)

Warren, a three-time Pro Bowler with Seattle, signed with Dallas in December 2000 to add depth to a rushing team based primarily on Darnell Autry and Stanley Pritchett after Duce Staley was missing for the season. Warren went down twice in his Christmas Eve debut against the Bengals, but he rushed for 85 yards against the Buccaneers to help Andy Reid earn his first playoff victory. The Eagles lost the next week at Giants Stadium and that was the end of Warren, who had four 1,000-yard seasons in Seattle.

Jim McMahon, Eagles (1990-92)

The Super Bowl Shuffle was a thing of the past when McMahon replaced the injured Randall Cunningham after a brutal injury early in the 1991 season. McMahon led the Birds to a 3-1 mark before missing a month with an injury. Before McMahon returned in November, the Eagles used three quarterbacks – Jeff Kemp, Brad Goebel and Pat Ryan. They won six in a row, McMahon was on the cover Illustrated sportsand the Eagles celebrated in the House of Pain. However, McMahon was injured again and the Eagles missed the playoffs. One of the NFL’s all-time greatest defenses was unbroken in the postseason.