Before the Phillie Phanatic became a green, snout-nosed icon of South Philly, things were different. Way different. In the 1970s, the Philadelphia Phillies tried something that most fans—unless you’re of a certain age and spent your summers at Veterans Stadium—have scrubbed from their memory. They introduced Phil and Phyllis Phillies. They weren't monsters. They weren't "Phanatics." They were two human-looking dolls dressed in 18th-century colonial garb, meant to evoke the spirit of 1776.
It was a strange time for mascot culture.
You have to remember that the Phillies weren't always the masters of mascot branding. Today, the Phanatic is the gold standard, but back in 1971, when the team moved from Connie Mack Stadium to the Vet, the front office was desperate to lean into Philadelphia’s Bicentennial hype. Enter the "twins."
Why Phil and Phyllis Phillies Happened in the First Place
The logic was simple. Bill Giles, who was the team’s vice president at the time, wanted something that felt uniquely "Philadelphia." Since the city was gearing up for the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a pair of revolutionary-era siblings seemed like a slam dunk. Phil and Phyllis were essentially giant bobbleheads come to life. They wore tri-cornered hats. They had buckled shoes. They looked like they belonged on a cereal box from the Nixon era rather than a baseball diamond.
They were stiff. Literally.
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The costumes were bulky and limited the performers' range of motion. Unlike the chaotic, ATV-riding Phanatic, Phil and Phyllis mostly just stood there or waved. They were "polite." In a city known for booing Santa Claus and throwing batteries, "polite" was never going to fly for long. Fans didn't hate them, exactly. It was more of a collective shrug. They were background noise in a stadium that was already a concrete doughnut of confusion.
The Design Flaw No One Talked About
If you look at old photos of Phil and Phyllis Phillies, you’ll notice something unsettling about their faces. They had these permanent, frozen smiles and wide, staring eyes. In the bright sun of a day game at the Vet, they looked okay. But as the sun went down? They became the stuff of low-budget horror movies.
The team tried to make them relatable. They gave them a backstory. They were supposed to be "twins" representing the brotherly and sisterly love of the city. But the Phillies are a gritty franchise. The fans wanted something with an edge. Phil and Phyllis were too wholesome for a stadium where the 700 Level was essentially a lawless frontier.
The Shift to the Phanatic
By 1978, the experiment was over. Bill Giles realized that the "Revolutionary" theme had a shelf life, and that shelf life expired about ten minutes after the Bicentennial celebrations ended in 1976. The team needed a spark. Giles famously went to Harrison/Erickson, a firm that worked with Jim Henson and the Muppets, to create something entirely new.
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When the Phillie Phanatic debuted on April 25, 1978, Phil and Phyllis Phillies were officially relegated to the history books. It wasn't a slow transition. It was an execution.
The Phanatic was everything the twins weren't. He was loud. He was green. He was obnoxious. He messed with the opposing players. He had a tongue that shot out of his face. The fans instantly fell in love with the creature from the Galapagos Islands, mostly because he reflected the actual chaotic energy of a Philadelphia sports crowd.
Where are they now?
Honestly, the physical costumes of Phil and Phyllis sort of vanished into the ether. There are rumors of them sitting in storage bins or being dismantled for parts. Occasionally, you’ll see them pop up on vintage memorabilia sites in the form of salt and pepper shakers or small plastic figurines. Those are actually quite valuable now to hardcore collectors who want a piece of the "pre-Phanatic" era.
It's funny. If you ask a Phillies fan today about the team's mascots, they’ll name the Phanatic. If they’re a real nerd, they might mention "Phoebe Phanatic" (the short-lived mother of the Phanatic). But Phil and Phyllis? They’re a trivia question. They represent a brief window where baseball tried to be historical and dignified before realizing that what people actually wanted was a giant flightless bird taunting Tommy Lasorda.
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The Lasting Legacy of the Twins
Even though they were a "failure" in the sense that they didn't last, Phil and Phyllis Phillies taught the sports world a massive lesson: mascots shouldn't be human. When you make a mascot look too much like a person, you hit the "uncanny valley." It’s creepy. By pivoting to a monster, the Phillies accidentally created the most successful mascot in the history of professional sports.
If you're looking to track down Phil and Phyllis merchandise, keep your eyes on local estate sales in Delaware County or South Jersey. Every once in a while, a 1970s giveaway item featuring the duo will surface. They are the ultimate "if you know, you know" piece of Philadelphia sports history.
Actionable Insights for Collectors and Historians
- Check the Markings: Authentic 1970s Phil and Phyllis memorabilia often features the "zip-code" style Phillies logo that was used during the Veterans Stadium era.
- Search for "Bicentennial Phillies" Gear: Because they were so tied to the 1776 theme, many items don't even use their names; they just label them as the "Phillies Twins."
- Visit the Hall of Fame: If you're ever at Citizens Bank Park, check the historical displays in the concourse. They occasionally rotate in artifacts from the "Colonial Era" of the team’s branding.
- Avoid Fakes: Since the duo is niche, there aren't many "bootleg" Phil and Phyllis items, but be wary of modern reprints that lack the specific 1970s "off-white" plastic patina.
- Document the Oral History: If you have family members who attended games at the Vet between 1971 and 1977, ask them about the "living dolls." Their first-hand accounts are some of the only records left of how the mascots actually interacted with the crowd.