The Whiz Kids: How the 1950 Phillies Took the Pennant, Lost the World Series, and Changed Philadelphia Baseball Forever

Dennis Snelling recounts the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies, whose unusually young roster won the National League pennant before being swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series. He traces the rebuilding led by owner Robert Carpenter Jr. and general manager Herb Pennock, who established a new farm system. Player profiles include Richie Ashburn, the future Hall of Fame center fielder and longtime Phillies broadcaster.

Snelling is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and has written biographies of Lefty O'Doul and Johnny Evers. Archival photographs accompany the account. The book also examines why the club failed to repeat its success, including its position as the last National League team to integrate.