Phil Sheridan
Phil Sheridan spent more than 30 years reporting and writing on sports for Philadelphia-area newspapers. He worked 18 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer and four years at ESPN.
Articles From This Author
10 Long-Gone MLB Ballparks With Quirky Features
Boston's Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field—Major League Baseball's oldest ballparks—are charming testaments from the sport's early 20th century. Some of the peers of those ballparks had odd features, from weird dimensions to insanely high outfield walls. Here are 10 of the ...read more
When 20-Year-Old Rookie Fernando Valenzuela Captivated LA—and Major League Baseball
In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela woke up from a nap and began pitching, and winning, sparking the phenomenon known as “Fernandomania” and almost singlehandedly repairing a fractured relationship between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the city's Mexican American community. As an encore, ...read more
The Epic Battle to Beat Babe Ruth's Home Run Record
In an epic drama spiced with improbable plot twists, New York Yankees stars Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris dueled in 1961 to break Babe Ruth’s Major League Baseball season record for home runs. Their pursuit of the magical mark of 60, set by the Yankees’ legend in 1927, captured ...read more
How Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson Made the 'Hail Mary' Pass Famous
In 1975, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach popularized the term "Hail Mary" to describe his miracle, winning touchdown pass to fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson in a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. Hail Mary thus became ingrained in the American ...read more
How a 1921 Baseball Radio Broadcast Marked the Dawn of Sportcasting
Before Harold Arlin voiced the first Major League Baseball broadcast on August 5, 1921, the only way to experience a game was to go to the ballpark. The only way to follow scores was to look up at a wooden scoreboard to see them changed manually. Legends have sat behind ...read more