When losing piled up, Philadelphia leaned into spectacle and superstition. What followed raised eyebrows, invited mockery, and left one lingering question.
On June 6, 1972, buried under 18 losses in 19 games, the Phillies staged “Turn It Around Night,” a promotion built entirely on doing things backward. From reversed lineups to mistimed traditions, one writer quipped the effort ranked “less than first cabin.” The on-field result didn’t cooperate either, as former Phillie Dave Roberts and the Astros handed Philadelphia a 4–3 loss to make it 19 losses in 20 games. Still, with three ninth-inning runs and a win the next day, maybe the season turned just a little.
🕵️ Inside Today’s Original Newspaper Coverage:
Billy Martin’s sarcastic gift to Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi
Why the seventh-inning stretch happened in the third
A pregame goodbye song that baffled the crowd
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