Randy Wolf, Placido Polanco to retire with the Phillies
Former Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf and former infielder Placido Polanco will retire with the team on Alumni Weekend later this month at Citizens Bank Park.
Wolf, who pitched last season with the Detroit Tigers, was the starting pitcher for the first regular-season game at Citizens Bank Park. The lefthander was an all-star in 2003 and went 69-60 with a 4.24 ERA over eight seasons with the Phillies. Wolf will retire on Aug. 13. We can only hope the Wolf Pack will be on hand.
Polanco was the lone return from the 2002 Scott Rolen trade that made an impact with the Phillies. The Phils dealt the infielder to Detroit in 2005 when Chase Utley became the full-time second baseman. Polanco returned in 2010 and was an all-star and Gold Glove winner in 2011. Polanco, who last played in 2013 for Miami, batted .289 with a .341 on-base percentage over seven seasons with the Phillies. Polanco will retire on Aug. 14.
In honor of the Wolf Pack, here are my Top 5 Phillies fan clubs from Veterans Stadium:
The Wolf Pack - By far, the most dedicated group.
Schill-o-Meter - Curt Schilling's strikeout counters were the originals.
Padilla Flotilla - Loved the choreography after each Vicente Padilla strikeout.
The Duck Pond - Imagine if a half-dozen fan groups filled the outfield seats last summer for Aaron Nola's debut. That what it was like when Brandon Duckworth debuted in 2001. And Brett Myers in 2002. It was then a survival of the fittest to see what group came back out for start No. 2. Good times.
Sal's Pals - They might not have lasted long, but Sal Fasano sent his fan group pizzas and that counts for something.