The Phillies and “success in the All-Star Game” aren’t two things that are often associated with each other. In the Midsummer Classic’s illustrious history, only one Phillie has won the game’s MVP award, and that was outfielder Johnny Callison in 1964.
Considering that was 58 years ago, I’ve begun to wonder if there’s a curse or something at play here. Did Callison’s success use up the Phillies’ quota of All-Star heroics, leaving the franchise to forevermore be bereft of All-Star MVPs?
It’s likely that the reason for the drought isn’t that deep.