🔥 Unbelievable Eight-Fold Madness Unleashed! 😱 Brace Yourself for the Mind-Blowing Revelation That Will Blow Your Mind! 🎉🔮 #CrazyEightsExplosion #EpicReveal

The celebration of Chanukah commenced last night, and in the spirit of the holiday, I will explore the historical significance of the number eight in Phillies history.

Harry McCurdy
In 1932, the National League introduced player numbers, and catcher Harry McCurdy was among the first to wear the number eight for the Phillies. McCurdy, who had been with the team since 1930, primarily served as the backup catcher, contributing solid offensive numbers with a .758 OPS during his Phillies tenure.

However, McCurdy’s stint as number eight lasted only one season. In 1933, he switched to number nine, and the player he backed up assumed the number eight.

@Phillies @UKPhillies @GMurphInc @TMacPhils @bendavisnbcs My dad’s name is Harry McCurdy. His neighbor gave him this baseball card for Christmas. This Harry played for the Phillies from 1930-33. (7 years before my dad was born.) pic.twitter.com/NdlEeN2xiw

— Michele Higginbotham (@MichMrsH) December 26, 2020

Virgil “Spud” Davis
Obtained from the Cardinals in a 1928 trade, Davis initially served as a backup catcher before securing the starting position. Recognized as one of the league’s top offensive catchers, Davis, donning the number eight, finished second in the league in on-base percentage and received MVP votes in 1933.

The last Phillies catcher with a higher BA than Chooch's .354 after 75 games: Spud Davis, .364 in 1933. [real name: Virgil Lawrence Davis]

— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) June 26, 2012

Despite his success, Davis was traded to the Cardinals after the 1933 season, concluding his tenure as number eight. The number remained unclaimed for a few seasons and was later assigned to players of relatively lesser note, until…

Chuck Klein
In 1943, the number eight gained prominence when future Hall of Famer Chuck Klein adorned it for a year. Klein, known for frequently changing numbers during his fifteen seasons with the Phillies, wore nine different numbers. Despite his Hall of Fame legacy, Klein’s 1943 season saw him limited to a bench role, participating in just 20 games.

In a ceremony before today’s game, the #Phillies add @DickAllen_15 to the short list of retired numbers. Well deserved!

Today is the 57th anniversary of Allen’s major league debut. https://t.co/8Si4X0aUML pic.twitter.com/Q5ybPn4CHA

— schmenkman 🇺🇦 (@tgpschmenk) September 3, 2020

While Klein wasn’t the last Hall of Famer to wear the number eight for the Phillies, I’ll delve into that, along with other notable players, in the next installment.