Phillies mural: When's the unveiling?

It's wait till next year for the Phillies - and not just for team.

A building-size mural featuring its greatest players was originally expected to be unveiled over the summer, but don't expect to see it as you're driving the Schuylkill Expressway before spring.

Where is clear: the west side of a building at 24th and Walnut Streets, just south of the Walnut Street Bridge.

Who was finalized in January, when fans voted for Carlos Ruiz and Greg Luzinski to join an array of other players and coaches - as well as broadcasters, three stadiums and the Phanatic - around gigantic likenesses of sluggers Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard.

When exactly has yet to be determined.

"We are still involved in discussions concerning the process and scheduling of wall preparation with all the various parties involved," said Michael Harris, the team's director of marketing and special projects.

Painting wasn't the problem.

After the project was announced more than a year ago, fans got to apply paint to artist David McShane's design on several occasions, including Sept. 18 and Dec. 10 last year, as well as in early March at spring training.

Roster moves were not a factor either. Trader outfielder Shane Victorino was among the im-mural-ized.

Leaping out of the top right corner, eight stories up, will be reliever Tug McGraw, celebrating the Phils' 1980 World Series win. Reliever Brad Lidge falls to his knees after clinching the Series win in 2008.

Other Hall of Famers portrayed are pitchers Grover Cleveland Alexander, Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning and Steve Carlton; outfielders Ed Delahanty and Chuck Klein; outfielder/broadcaster Richie Ashburn; and broadcaster Harry Kalas.

The two World Series-winning managers will be on it, too: Dallas Green, also a pitcher, and Charlie Manuel.

The rest of the lineup: pitchers Mitch Williams, Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay, shortstops Larry Bowa and Jimmy Rollins, catcher Darren Daulton, first baseman Dick Allen, and second basemen Tony Taylor and Chase Utley.

In the final voting, outfielders Johnny Callison and Del Ennis, and first basemen John Kruk and Jim Thome fell short.

An obvious but explainable omission is Pete Rose, banned from baseball for betting. No sign of pitcher Cliff Lee either.

"We're disappointed in the delay but we all look forward to completing this project prior to the end of the 2013 baseball season," said Harris.

The club partnered on the project with the Mural Arts Program, largest of its kind in the country.

For more details, go to www.phillies.com/mural.