The Phillies could wear their powder blue uniforms for Game 5 of the World Series

The Phillies lost by 12 runs in June of 1972 and swore to never wear their powder blue uniforms again at home. What a difference 50 years might make.

The Phils are planning to wear their throwback threads on Thursday for Game Five of the World Series, which would become a potential championship clinching game with a win on Wednesday night. The Phillies have a chance to win the World Series dressed like Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton.

The Phillies have worn powder blue uniforms — which were worn as road uniforms in the 1970s and 1980s — since 2018 for Thursday home games. Thursday was originally a scheduled off day in the World Series until Game Three was postponed on Monday by rain. That gave the Phillies their first home Thursday game of the postseason, creating the possibility that they would turn back the clock in the World Series.

The Phillies started the season without the blue uniforms due to a manufacturing delay by Fanatics. They didn’t arrive at Citizens Bank Park until late April. The uniforms were like the Phillies, missing in the beginning of the season but ready to go by October.

The Phillies wore their red alternate tops for Game Two of the National League Championship Series in San Diego but they lost that game. So perhaps the players could change their mind and decide to wear their traditional pinstripes for Game Five. The World Series patches were sewn Tuesday onto the sleeves of their powder blue uniforms as the team’s clubhouse staff hurried to have them ready for Thursday. If the Phillies wear blue, they’ll sport every look — white, gray, cream, red, and blue — this postseason.

Larry Shenk, who was the team’s longtime publicity director, said after that game in 1972 that “once was enough” and that the fans didn’t seem too enthused about the uniforms anyway. The Phillies wore them that night at Veterans Stadium to give the home crowd a glimpse at what the new road uniforms looked like. They didn’t wear them again at home until 2018. Now the blues seem like the team’s most popular look, as plenty of fans are enthused by them. And there’s a chance that’s what the Phils could wear if they win it all.