Editor’s note: In the late summer and early fall of 1980, the Phillies worked their way out of a desultory stretch of baseball and went on to win the National League East Division, the National League Championship Series and then its first World Series. Four dates in September and October were particularly important. Over the next month, Billy Penn will look back on a historic stretch for the Phillies — and maybe we’ll see another memorable run.

The Phillies had their own Pope.

He was Paul Owens, who as scouting director and then general manager had worked miracles transforming the Phillies from perennial losers into one of baseball’s best teams in the 1970s.

Owens got his nickname from slugger Dick Allen, who thought he resembled the Catholic Church’s pontiff at that time, Paul VI.

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