Events in Phillies history on October 19

  • Oct 19, 2023 — The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2–1 in NLCS Game 3 on a ninth-inning walk-off single by Ketel Marte, a comeback that tightened the series in Arizona.
  • Oct 19, 1980 — The Phillies won Game 5 of the World Series, a 4–3 victory highlighted by an infield single by Mike Schmidt and a Del Unser double before Manny Trillo drove in the go-ahead run.
  • Oct 19, 1983 – The Phillies granted Pete Rose his unconditional release.
  • Oct 19, 2009 – Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4 of the NLCS to deliver a dramatic Philadelphia victory.

Phillies players, managers, executives, and broadcasters born on October 19

  • J.A. Happ — Born October 19, 1982: Left-handed starter who was drafted and developed by the Phillies, made his major-league debut with Philadelphia and later enjoyed a long big-league career that included postseason work. Happ was also the starting pitcher for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in their inaugural game in 2008.
  • José Bautista — Born October 19, 1980: Power-hitting outfielder/third baseman who finished his career with the Phillies in 2018 to cap off a 15-year MLB career. He made his mark primarily as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • Michael Young — Born October 19, 1976: Veteran infielder who spent a brief stint with the Phillies late in his career after a long run of All-Star seasons elsewhere, bringing veteran infield depth and leadership.

A DEEPER DIVE… Pete Rose’s career post 1980

After the 1980 World Series, Pete Rose remained a regular for the Philadelphia Phillies through the 1983 season but his production steadily declined from the peak years he enjoyed with the Cincinnati Reds, finishing the 1981 season with a strong .325 batting average in a shortened year but dropping to a .245 batting average in 1983 while appearing in 151 games and collecting 121 hits in his final full season in Philadelphia.

Tensions over playing time and Rose’s insistence on an everyday role culminated in a public break with the Phillies when the club offered him a part-time role for 1984. Rose rejected that role because he wanted regular at-bats to pursue career hitting milestones, and the Phillies announced his unconditional release on October 19, 1983, a move Rose and team officials described as mutual but driven by differing views on his role.

Contemporary reporting emphasized that Rose refused a reduced role because he was within striking distance of major all-time milestones and believed he could still contribute as an everyday player. The Phillies elected to move forward with younger options and invoked a contract buyout, while Rose publicly stated he planned to continue seeking a team where he could play regularly and chase the 4,000 hit threshold.

After leaving Philadelphia, Rose briefly signed with the Montreal Expos in 1984 before returning to Cincinnati as player and then player-manager, a transition that extended his playing career through 1986 and began his managerial tenure. His return to the Reds placed him back in the city where he had built most of his legacy but also set the stage for the investigation and sanctions that would overshadow his post-Phillies years.

The investigation into Rose’s betting on baseball culminated in the Dowd Report and Rose’s agreement to accept permanent ineligibility from Major League Baseball in 1989, ending his eligibility for Hall of Fame consideration for decades. During the 1980s he compiled additional playing and managerial records, managed the Reds through the late 1980s and amassed a managerial record that included winning seasons as the club’s skipper. His later life blended public appearances, media work, and decades-long debate over his legacy and Hall of Fame status.