The Phillies Collector

Collectible of the Week: 1964 Ballantine, "Tote'm Home Pennant" Advertising Items

Today, the 2016 Phillies are in the midst of a "September Swoon," but it's just one of many in the franchise's storied history.  In fact, the term is most associated with the 1964 team, who famously played their way out of a World Series appearance with a terrible final month.  While there are many collectibles originating from that particularly painful season, maybe the most rare are related to Ballantine Beer's, "Tote'm Home Pennant" advertising campaign - launched during that fateful stretch.

According to, "Occasional Glory: The History of the Philadelphia Phillies," team sponsor Ballantine Beer changed their 1964 baseball promotional campaign from "Tote'm Home Plenty" to "Tote'm Home Pennant" to support the team's pennant run in September.  The changes included revising script on Connie Mack Stadium's famous right-field scoreboard advertisement - and updating promotional items such as drink coasters and felt pennants in the stadium and across local watering holes.  Because they were available for a short period of time - and the impending doom of the final weeks of the season, finding the co-branded Phillies/Ballantine items with the slogan is fairly difficult.