June 16: The Phillies Get Wise

The Main Event

• June 16, 1963 – Signed minor-league free agent Rick Wise.

Before Rick Wise ever threw a pitch in the major leagues, he had already become one of the most coveted young arms in the Pacific Northwest — and scouts up and down the West Coast knew it. His path to professional baseball is a story of small-town dominance, a family tug-of-war over his future, and a signing that would launch an 18-year major league career.

Early Life and Athletic Pedigree

Richard Charles Wise was born on September 13, 1945, in Jackson, Michigan. His family relocated to Portland, Oregon, in the late 1940s, where his father, Cliff — a former pitcher at the University of Michigan under legendary coach Ray Fisher — took a job as a high school history teacher and eventually became a coach and athletic director.

That baseball bloodline mattered. Rick grew up in a household where the game was understood at a deep level, and his development reflected it. As early as 1958, when he was just 12 years old, his Rose City team went to the Little League World Series. Three years later, playing in the Babe Ruth World Series, he pitched the second no-hitter in that tournament’s history. By the time Rick reached high school, he wasn’t just a baseball prospect — he was a multi-sport force.

Rick attended James Madison High School in Portland and helped lead the school to its first baseball state championship in 1963. He excelled in other sports as well, and was all-city in football and basketball and all-city and all-state in baseball. In a retrospective piece, Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune noted that there was little dispute Wise was one of the greatest athletes in Portland history.

How Scouts Viewed Rick Wise

The scouting interest in Wise began far earlier than most prospects experience. Wise said he believed area scouts began to take note from the time he’d played in the Little League World Series. As he got deeper into his high-school years, he became more aware of scouts visiting the household and talking with his parents. As a minor, he never had much contact with the scouts themselves.

What scouts saw was a pitcher who didn’t need to be babied or developed from scratch. Wise himself was direct about his skillset at that age: “I threw hard, and I threw strikes. My control was impeccable. I’d throw nine out of 10 fastballs over the plate, easy. I challenged hitters. I really didn’t have a curve ball till later; I didn’t need it yet.”

That combination — elite velocity, exceptional command, and an advanced pitching mentality in a teenager — is exactly the profile that draws serious professional interest. Multiple organizations were paying attention, and the pre-draft environment of that era meant teams were free to directly pursue and sign amateur talent without the constraints of the modern draft system.

The Signing Process: Family, Pressure, and the Phillies

The road to signing Wise was not entirely smooth, and it reflected tensions common to the era. His father, an educator, was firmly in favor of Rick pursuing a college scholarship. Oregon, Oregon State, Washington — he had plenty of full rides he could have taken. But Rick wanted to turn pro.

The pressure from competing scouts also surfaced in memorable fashion. Wise had been chosen to pitch in the annual Metro-State All-Star Game, and at least one rival scout tried to use the event as leverage. A Yankees scout told his parents that Rick shouldn’t pitch, that he should go ahead and sign. The scout warned them, “Rick could have a bad game and decrease his value and his signing bonus.”

Wise wasn’t having it. He took the mound anyway — and, by his own account, dealt. The scout was not seen around the family again.

Phillies scout Glenn Elliott signed Rick Wise on June 16, 1963, after Wise led his team to its first state championship. The signing bonus was $12,000 — enough at the time to define him as a “bonus baby,” meaning he had to be protected by the parent club the following year or become subject to a draft in which he could be lost.

What Followed

The Phillies got immediate returns on their investment. The 17-year-old Wise finished his first professional season 6–3 with a 2.63 ERA in 12 games, striking out 98 in just 65 innings while walking only 23. He made his major league debut the following April at age 18.

Over the next 18 seasons, Wise posted a 188–181 record across five franchises, earned two All-Star selections, threw a no-hitter while also hitting two home runs in the same game — a feat that remains unmatched in baseball history — and earned a World Series victory with the 1975 Boston Red Sox in one of the most celebrated games ever played. It was a career that validated everything the scouts saw in that Portland phenom long before he ever set foot on a professional mound.

Philadelphia Baseball Events for June 16

• June 16, 1894 – Ed Delahanty goes 6-for-6 as the Phils beat Cincinnati 19-9.
• June 16, 1944 – Signed minor-league free agent catcher Gene Stone, who played 18 games for the 1969 Phillies, hitting .214.
• June 16, 1979 – With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Pete Rose works a walk against Cincinnati’s Doug Bair — a walk-off walk.
• June 16, 1979 – Released Jim Lonborg, who had pitched seven seasons with the Phillies. Lonborg went 75-60 with a 3.98 ERA in Philadelphia.
• June 16, 2010 – Pitching in new Yankee Stadium, Jamie Moyer gives up a home run to Robinson Cano in the second inning. It’s the 42nd major league ballpark in which Moyer gave up a home run, setting a new record. Moyer got the win in the Phils’ 6-3 victory.
• June 16, 2015 – The Phillies are pounded by the Orioles, losing 19-3. The O’s hit eight home runs in the game, setting a new team record. Outfielder Jeff Francoeur pitched the final two innings — he was the only Phillie pitcher to record a 1-2-3 inning. The loss also sealed the Phillies’ first winless eight-game road trip since their inaugural season in 1883.

ICYMI

• Philly Baseball News – Gabriel Rincones Jr.: First MLB Hit, First MLB Home Run All in One
• PBN Extra Innings – Who Are You, And What Have You Done With Bryan Rincon? (subscription req’d.)

Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays For June 16

• Libe Washburn (born 1874) – Pitched just four MLB games, all with the 1903 Phillies. Went 0-4 with a 4.37 ERA.
• Bob Miller (born 1926) – Pitched 10 seasons in the majors, all of them with Philadelphia. He finished his career with a 42-42 record and a 3.96 ERA.
• Pancho Herrera (born 1934) – Made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 1958 and returned to the majors for the 1960 and 1961 seasons. The infielder hit .271 in 300 games as a Phillie.

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