A Facebook group dedicated to a heartbreaking season for the Phillies is taking on a life of its own with help from Glenside’s Juli Betsch, writes Alex Coffey for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The ‘Memories of the 1964 Phillies’ group started late last year by Stephen Dicht to mark the season’s 60th anniversary. Despite ending in a crushing 10-game collapse, members focus on the excitement of that summer, swapping stories, collectibles, and debates about the team’s legendary players.
For Betsch, the community is more than just baseball nostalgia. It’s a way to share and discover new stories about her grandfather, Johnny Callison, the Phillies’ four-time All-Star right fielder. Betsch was born in 1983, a decade after Callison’s final game. She grew up in Glenside, not far from her grandparents. To her, Callison was ‘Pop’, the man who watched cooking shows in the afternoons and the Phils at night.
Betsch recalls her Pop’s blunt but loving critiques of her softball swing and fielding. Now, group members send her old clippings, game accounts, and photos she’s never seen.
“They send me all these articles about my grandpa, and they’re like, ‘Juli, you’ll love this,’” she said. “And it’s just neat. It’s really neat.”
Through Memories of the 1964 Phillies, Betsch has given fans a glimpse of Callison beyond the stats. In return, they’ve shown her the magic of seeing him play in his prime.
Read more about Juli Betsch’s connection to the group through her grandfather, Johnny Callison, in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
