Third baseman
Mike Schmidt had a breakout season in 1974, leading the
National League in
home runs and demonstrating his prowess in the field. On June 10, Schmidt hit a ball that many felt should have been a home run when it struck the public address speaker hanging 117 feet above and 329 feet away from home plate at the
Astrodome in
Houston. The ball hit the speaker, fell onto the field, and, according to the Astrodome's ground rules, remained in play. Since Schmidt had already begun his home run trot, he was credited with only a single. There were runners on first and second base at the time, and they each advanced only one base. Many experts agree that the ball would have traveled in excess of 500 feet. The Phillies became the first team to lead their division at the All-Star break after finishing last in the division the previous year.
Season standings Record vs. opponents Notable transactions •
June 5, 1974:
1974 Major League Baseball draft •
Derek Botelho was drafted by the Phillies in the 26th round but did not sign. •
Ken Phelps was drafted by the Phillies in the 1st round (19th pick) of the secondary phase but did not sign. •
June 15, 1974:
Jeff Schneider was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies. •
July 2, 1974:
John Poff was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies.
Game log Roster == Player stats ==