Baseball fans from The Philadelphia Protestant Home were thrilled when major league left handed pitching star Bobby Shantz, who played from the late 1940s until the early 60s, visited PPh on August 24.

Residents and staff got a chance to meet and greet Bobby and ask him about his career during an informal question-and-answer session. Members of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, who organized the event, displayed baseball memorabilia and distributed signed posters and a commemorative baseball card of Shantz.

PPh is the home of avid baseball fans, including President and CEO, Anthony Manzo, who leads a baseball club for residents. PPh also hosted Richard Rosen, Ph.D., Drexel University Associate Professor, who presented, “The Phillies and the Athletics: Major League Baseball in Philadelphia,” as part of an educational program for residents.

Shantz was born in Pottstown but grew up in Philadelphia. He played baseball in a few local leagues and served in the military before making his major league debut in 1949 with the Philadelphia Athletics. He followed the club when it moved to Kansas City and played with the New York Yankees from 1957 to 1960. He pitched in Pittsburgh, Houston, St. Louis, and Chicago, before ending his career in 1964 with the Phillies.

A fierce competitor known for his distinctive sidearm and sharp curve delivery, Bobby was also a highly skilled fielder and won eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1957 to 1964. He was selected for the All-Star Game in 1951, 1952, and 1957, was the American Leagueâ??s MVP in 1952, and was with the Yankees when they won the 1958 World Series. During his career he pitched to a “Whoâ??s Who” of great hitters, including Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Pete Rose.

Left to right: Mike Feskak, PPh resident, Richard Rosen, Ph.D., Bobby Shantz, Anthony Manzo, PPh President and CEO.

The Philadelphia Protestant Home (PPh) is a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community located on 12-1/2 acres in the Lawndale section of Northeast Philadelphia and is home to more than 600 residents in Independent Living, Personal Care, and Health Care. PPh has been providing care to seniors for 120 years. For more information about PPh, go towww.pphfamily.org.

Joanna Smith

Director of Marketing and Special Events

The Philadelphia Protestant Home

6500 Tabor Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19111

215-697-8003

jsmith@pphfamily.org

The Philadelphia Protestant Home is a CARF-CCAC accredited continuing care retirement community. PPh has maintained a Five-Star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid - less than 10% of nursing homes in the nation have achieved this highest rating.

www.pphfamily.org