Which Phillies team is the greatest of all time?

That can be a tough call. Should it be based on the criteria of total wins, total success, or both? Over the years, there have been teams that could fall into either category.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column, I will look at some of the Phillies teams that are presumed to be the best of all time, not necessarily in any particular order. There was an online poll on the newspaper’s Facebook page as well as mentions throughout the week to gauge your thoughts.

The teams selected were those from 1950, 1964, 1976, 1977, 1980, 2008, and 2010. Of course, the Phils’ teams of 1980 and 2008 won titles, but those 1976 and 1977 teams were offensive juggernauts. How good were the 1950 and 1964 teams? Can the 2010 team be mentioned in the same breath as ones in the late 70s?

Here’s some thoughts.

And the Winner is ... The 1980 team was the top vote getter, followed by the 1976 team, 2008 team, a tie among 1950, 1964, 1977, and 2010.

The Collapse Wasn’t All That Bad ... When you think of the 1964 Phillies, the thoughts of the team’s collapse down the stretch immediately enter your mind.

However, the team was well-constructed, and finished with an overall record of 92-70, and tied for second with the Reds in the NL East.

Richie Allen won the league Rookie-of-the-Year award, and hit .318 with 29 homers, and had a league high 125 runs, 13 triples, and 138 strikeouts.

Aside from Allen, the lineup was pretty pedestrian, as the team batted 258. Outfielder Tony Gonzalez hit .278, and he along with Johnny Callison formed a formidable defensive outfield. Cooke Rojas was a valuable utilityman who hit .291. Youngster Alex Johnson was a rising star, hitting .303.

On the mound, Jim Bunning and Chris Short were an effective right-lefty duo, and Bunning has his memorable Father’s Day no-hitter. Dennis Bennett and Art Mahaffey rounded out a solid staff, as all four were in double-digit wins. Jack Baldschun had 21 saves.

Gene Mauch was blamed for relying heavily on Bunning and Short down the stretch, but he played his own hand.

Super Seventies ... Many considered the Phillies teams of 1976 and 1977 as two of the finest - if not the finest - offensive and well-built teams of all time. They had a 101-61 record both years.

In 1976, the Phillies scored 770 runs and hit .272. as a team. Mike Schmidt was the league MVP with 38 homers and 107 RBIs. Greg Luzinski had 21 homers and hit .304. Dick Allen hit 15 homers and Garry Maddox had 37 doubles.

The pitching staff of Steve Carlton, Jim Lonborg, Larry Christenson, Tom Underwood, and Jim Kaat all were double-digit winners – Carlton was high with 20 – and had ERAs under 3.80. Ron Reed had 14 saves and Gene Garber had 11.

However, they ran into the 102-60 Cincinnati Reds - alias, the Big Red Machine - and were swept in three straight playoff games.

Numbers aside, the Phils didn’t really have anything to show for it.

The following year was basically a regular-season instant replay.

They scored 847 runs and hit .279. Schmidt came back with 38 homers and 101 RBIs and another MVP hardwood, but Luzinski had 39 homers with 130 RBIs and a .309 average. Bake McBride came over in mid-June and was a sparkplug with his .339 average. Richie Hebner and Ted Sizemore were the new faces in the infield at first and second. respectively.

The starting staff again was effective with four starters in double-digit wins - Carlton was 23-10 with a 2.77 ERA - and Reed (15 saves) and Garber (19 saves) again in the bullpen. Randy Lerch moved in as a starter and Underwood went to the pen.

This was a solid team that may have been better than the previous year’s one. But you know what happened ... Black Friday ... enough said.

Two phenomenal seasons for the books, and the Phils and their fans only have frustration to show for it.

Phinally ... Yes, it finally happened on Oct. 21, 1980.

The Phillies won their first World Championship on a team that was driven by the grit of Dallas green and the addition of Pete Rose as the catalyst. They had a 91-71 season mark.

As a team, they hit .272, and Schmidt led the way with 48 homers, 121 RBIs and another MVP trophy. Rose hit .292 with 42 doubles, Manny Trillo hit .292 with his slick glove, and McBride hit .309. Lonnie Smith hit .339 and stole 33 bases in a pivotal role.

Carlton was magnificent with his 24-9 record, 2.34 ERA and 286 strikeouts. Dick Ruthven was clutch with 17 wins and rookie Bob Walk had 11. Tug McGraw had one of his finest stints with 20 saves.

You could see it coming, and this team was special. By the way, I do have one of the those “Phinally” t-shirts.

Number Two ... Twenty-eight years later - hard to believe, Harry - the Phils won their second World Series title over Tampa Bay. They were 92-70 during the season.

It was a compilation of the Phils’ home-grown talent of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Cole Hamels who all pulled it together to defeat Tampa in five games. Hamels captured NLCS and World Series MVP honors, and was 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA for the season.

Howard had a league-leading 48 homers with 146 RBIs, and Utley had 33 homers with 104 RBIs and a .292 average. Burrell added 33 boppers, as the club hit 214 homers. Howard also played in all 162 games.

Besides Hamels, the Phils got a stellar season from ageless Jamie Moyer, who was 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA. Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick also had double-digit win seasons.

But the topper was the bullpen led by Brad Lidge, who was 48-for-48 in overall saves (including the postseason) and had a 1.95 ERA. He had a deep support staff of Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, and Scott Eyre, who all combined to form one of the best bullpens in club history.

You can draw a lot of parallels to the 1980 team, but this team had more pure talent and power.

Add Some Whiz ... The Phillies took the baseball world by storm in 1950 by advancing to the World Series to face the Yankees. They thus gained the name “Whiz Kids.”

It was a true team effort led by Willie “Puddin Head” Jones (25 homers), Del Ennis (.311), Andy Seminick (24 homers), and of course, Richie Ashburn.

Robin Roberts won 20 games with a 3.02 ERA, and Curt Simmons recorded 17 wins. Jim Konstanty emerged as the club’s first true closer in the club’s modern era, as he had a banner season with a 16-7 record and 22 saves.

They finished the season with an overall 91-63-3 record, but were swept by the Yankees in four games.

Until the 1980 team, they were one of the club’s hallmarks.

Roy and the Boys ... Following their 2008 title, the Phils had impressive clubs in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

In 2010, Roy Halladay went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA with 210 strikeouts, nine complete games, four shutouts and just 30 walks. Halladay had a perfect game during the season, and tossed a no-hitter against the Reds in the opening game of the NLCS.

Howard had 31 homers and 108 RBIs, and Jayson Werth had 27 homers and 85 homers with his .296 average. Carlos Ruiz hit .302.

Roy Oswalt made the difference after his acquisition from Houston with a 7-1 record with a 1.74 ERA.

The team won 97 games during the regular season, but it all ended in a six-game loss to San Francisco in the NLCS.

Macho Row ... In 1993, Jim Fregosi pieced together a band of grind-it-out players who nearly managed to win the team’s second World Series.

Darren Daulton hit 24 homers with 105 RBIs, and Lenny Dykstra took his “vitamins” to produce a 19-homer, 66-RBI, .305 season. John Kruk hit .316 with 14 homers, and Kevin Stocker hit. 324 after he took over at shortstop. Jim Eisenreich (.318), Mariano Duncan, and Pete Incaviglia were invaluable role players.

The starting staff of Curt Schilling, Danny Jackson, Terry Mulholland, Tommy Greene, and Ben Rivera combined to win 69 of the club’s 97 regular-season victories. Greene won a team-high 16 games, and Mitch Williams notched 43 saves.

This team certainly is a sentimental favorite to be near the top of the list.

Readers Write ... Regular reader Richard Ochs of Walnutport admittedly had some trouble picking the best team.

“I’m sure most will say 80 or 08. Others might say ‘83, ‘93, ‘09. or ‘22 (runners up in the WS).

“Check out the stats for the 76 & 77 Phillies. Great teams, but they only won the NL East Division. They were knocked out by the Big Red machine and the Dodgers. I’m sure you remember “Black Friday” and Jerry Martin was MIA in left field, thanks to Danny Ozark. These are the “forgotten” great teams.

In 1976, they didn’t have any automatic outs, and a great bench of quality and depth. The pitching was headed up by Lefty, and depth in starting and relief pitching. Great fielding team of Maddox, Bowa, Cash Schmidt and Boone.

In 1977, they had a great lineup as every regular hit .280 or better expect Schmidt (,274 with a lot of HRs). Maddox, Bowa, Sizemore, McBride, Schmidt, and Boone were great fielders. Their starting pitching was Lefty, LC (Larry Christenson), and others (Lonborg, Kaat, & Lerch, who could eat up innings). They had four guys out of the bullpen, who all had ERAs under three, and they had control – no Wild Thing!”

My take ... Who was the best? The fans voted for the 1980 teams and I give them the nod as well. All the above mentioned teams were good in their own way. But the memories the 1980 team created will forever linger in the hearts of Phillies fans.

Feedback ... Your comments, thoughts, and ideas are welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com