Top 5 Second Basemen in Phillies History
The middle infield positions are the key to a team's defense. With the ball coming at you fast, the second baseman mus be quick on his feet, and sure with his glove. Of course it helps if the second baseman is talented with the bat, too. Here are our top five picks for the best Phillies second basemen of all time.
5. Juan Samuel
Juan Samuel was fast. In his first full season with the Phillies, 1984, he stole 72 bases. He also batted .272, and made the All-Star team. Over the next three seasons, he batted .264, .266 and .272 respectively, stealing 53, 42 and 35 bases. He was an All-Star again in 1987. In 1988, The Phillies tried to switch Sammy to the outfield, and his offensive number suffered because of it. He hit .243 in 1988 and .246 in 51 games in 1989. With his offensive numbers dwindling, Samuel likely brought his greatest value to the team in 1989, when the Phillies traded him to the Mets for Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell. Sammy would continue to struggle offensively, while Dykstra helped lead the beloved 1993 Phillies team to the pennant.
4. Cesar Hernandez
You would think that trading away Chase Utley in 2015 would have left a big hole for the Phillies to fill in its middle infield. But in 2015, Cesar Hernandez played in 127 games, and batted .272. He didn't have the power of Utley. Still, in players with at least 400 at bats that year, Hernandez was second only to Odubel Herrera, the Phils' surprising Rule 5 draftee, in batting average. In 2016 and 2017, Hernandez batted a consistent .294, leading the team in batting average both years. This caused something of a conundrum for the Phillies in 2018, when Generaal Manager Matt Klentak signed second base prospect Scott Kingery to a six year million dollar contract before he had even played a single major league game. How could the Phillies play an untested rookie at what many considered to be his natural position, second base, when Hernandez was playing so well? The answer was to play Kingery just about everywhere, second base, shortstop, third base and even centerfield, just to make sure he would consistently be in the line-up. Although Hernandez was batting .270 at the All-Star break in 2018, his hitting dropped off n the second half of the season, as he ended with a .253 batting average. In 2019, Hernandez's performance picked up a little bit, as he turned in a .279 batting average. The Phillies released Hernandez after the 2019 season. Although the Phillies were in a rebuilding stage during much of his tenure, Herandez quietly gave the team a steady offensive performance for five seasons. The teams on which he played may not have been anything special, but Hernandez was.
3. Manny Trillo
1979 was set to be a big year for the Phillies. The Phillies traded for former All-Star Manny Trillo and Greg Gross from the Cubs, giving them what they thought would be a solid defensive second baseman and depth to their outfield. The Phillies also scored the biggest prize of free agency to date, by signing Pete Rose to provide veteran leadership to the team. With these improvements to the team that won the NL East for three straight years, only to lose each time in the NLCS, expectations were high in 1979. Sadly, the Phillies did not deliver. The Phillies finished in fourth place, with an 84-78 record. Trillo batted a mere .260, but he did win the first of three Gold Gloves with the Phillies.
The Phillies finally reached the promised land in 1980. With a career best batting average of .292 in seasons with 400 or more at-bats, Trillo won the Silver Slugger for second basemen that year. But his greatest contribution to the World Champion Phillies' season came in the 1980 NLCS against the Astros. In a series that went the full five games, each one a close contest, Trillo stood out for his offensive contribution, particularly in the final two games at the Astrodome.
In Game Four, the score was tied with three runs apiece going into the tenth inning. Rose had just knocked catcher Bruce Bochy down on a Greg Luzinski double to give the Phillies the lead. With two outs, Trillo hit a double, scoring Luzinksi for an insurance run. Tug McGraw then retired the side to give the Phillies a 5-3 victory, and tying the series at two games apiece.
In a back and forth Game Five, a Bob Boone single scored Trillo and Garry Maddox in the second, to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the second, Trillo caught a fly ball for the first one, and then rifled a relay throw home to catch Luis Pujos at the plate for the second out, saving the Phillies' lead for the time being. By the top of the eighth, the Phils had fallen behind 5-2. After the Phillies miraculously tied that game, Trillo hit a two-run triple, giving the Phils a 7-5 lead. The Phils would eventually win the game 8-7 in the tenth inning, and go on to win the World Series.
Trillo batted .381 in the NLCS, knocking in four runs. His performance earned him the NLCS MVP Award.
In the strike shortened 1981 season, Trillo batted .287, again winning the Silver Slugger for second basemen. He also won his second Gold Glove and became an All-Star for the second time.
1982 was Trillo's last season with the Phillies. He once again won a Gold Glove and was an All-Star.
In the 2020 season, as the Phillies prepare to honor the fortieth anniversary of its first World Champion team during its Alumni Weekend, Manny Trillo is set to become the newest inductee to the Phillies Wall of Fame.
2. Napoleon Lajoie
Nap Lajoie is best known for his time after he quit the Phillies to play in the newly formed American League. Phillies owner, Colonel Rogers was so angry that many of his star players had bailed on him for more money, that he filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania courts, and won an injunction preventing the former Phillies from playing in Pennsylvania for the American League. Many of those players had signed with the new Philadelphia Athletics, managed by Connie Mack. Mack arranged a trade for Lajoie to Cleveland. For the first two years, Lajoie would spend his time in Atlantic City when Cleveland played the Athletics. Lajoie then went on to compete with Ty Cobb perennially for the best hitter in the Junior Circuit.
With the Phillies, Lajoie spent five years, with a batting average of .345. Playing alongside such offensive greats as Slidin' Billy Hamilton, Elmer Flick, Sam Thompson and Big Ed Delahanty, Lajoie drove in 127 runs in 1897, and again in 1898. All five were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Honorable Mentions
Before we get to number one, let's pay homage to some honorable mentions, who did not quite make it to this top five list. Fan Favorite Tony Taylor joined the Phillies in 1960. Part of the 1964 team that almost won the pennant, Taylor played all or part of fifteen seasons with the Phillies, batting .261 over that period. His best season was 1963, when he hit .281 and scored 102 runs.
Joe Morgan played one season with the Phils, joining former Reds Pete Rose and Tony Perez to form the heart of the Wheeze Kids that won the NL pennant in 1983.
Former Olympian Mickey Morandini spent a total of nine years with the Phillies, and formed part of the nucleus of the beloved 1993 pennant winning team. Morandini was involved in two triple plays, including the first unassisted triple play in Phillies' history.
Former pitcher Kid Gleason, who went on to manage the infamous 1919 White Sox, and Otto Knabe gave the Phillies some stability at second base after the turn of the century, when much of the offensive power of the Phils jumped ship to play for the upstart American League.
Dave Cash batted .296 over three seasons with the Phillies, and brought the chat "Yes we can" to the young team, as it began its three year run as NL East Champions.
1. Chase Utley
How many second basemen do you known who have a part of an opposing team's stadium named after him? For that mater, how many ball players period have laid claim to a piece of real estate in an opposing team's stadium? I can only think of one: Chase Utley.
Chase Utley owned the New York Mets. Against the Mets, Utley hit .281, with 39 home runs, and 116 RBIs. His 39 career home runs against the Met is tied with Willie May for ninth place. Of that, 21 came at the Mets' home field, specifically, 14 at Citi Field. Utley hit his first home run at Citi Field on June 9, 2009, over the short fence in the right field corner. This has come to be known as "Utley's Corner." All of Utley's fourteen home runs at Citi Field (including three he hit with the Dodgers) have been to right field, at or near Utley's Corner. His career batting average at Citi Field is .294. Indeed, his career numbers against the Mets, as well as his slide in the 2015 NLDS which wound up breaking shortstop Ruben Tejada's leg, make Utley one of the most hated players among Mets fans.
But his success against the Mets isn't the only reason for Phillies fan to love Utley. In his twelve plus years with the Phillies, Utley made the All-Star team six times. He hit .282 with 233 home runs and 916 RBIs. He is sixth in the Phillies all-time home run list, and seventh in RBIs. Utley's career WAR with the Phillies is 62.0, second only to Mike Schmidt.
Utley played a large role in the Phillies' 2008 World Championship. That year, his batting average was .292. Utley blasted 33 home runs, and knocked in 104 RBIs. Utley continued the tradition of Phillies' second basemen doing well in the NLCS, batting .353 with an OPS of 1.169. Although, unlike Manny Trillo, Utley did not win the MVP Award for the 2008 NLCS. That honor went to the deserving Cole Hamels. But Utley did drop the F-bomb on live television during the World Championship parade, something Philadelphia fans in particular seem to appreciate, and teaching TV networks to place player's speeches on a delay, which worked out well when Jason Kelce of the Eagles essentially said, "Hold my beer," before his speech at the Eagles' Super Bowl parade.
In the 2009 World Series, Utley put up MVP-like numbers, with a .286 batting average and an OPS of 1.048. He hit 5 home runs and drove in 8 runs, in a losing effort.
Defensively, Utley teamed up with Jimmy Rollins to form what some call one of the best double-play combinations in baseball history.
Utley was traded to the Dodgers in 2015, as the Phillies dismantled its five time division champion, two time pennant winning, and one time World Champion team, in order to score prospects to rebuild the minor leagues. Upon returning to Citizens Bank Park with the Dodgers, Utley received a warm ovation from the Philadelphia fans. He is one of the most beloved players in Phillies history, with a decent shot of making the Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Do you agree with these picks? If not, who would make your top five second basemen, and why? Let us know in the comments section.
By: William J. Kovatch, Jr.
Players' statistics obtained from Baseball-reference.com.
ESPN, "Phillies sign top prospect Scott Kingery with options through 2023," (March 25, 2018).
Fedkew, Adrian, "Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley and the Best Second Basemen in Team History," Bleacher Report (July 22, 2011).
Holmes, Dan, "These are the Greatest Double Play Duos in Baseball History," Vintage Detroit Collection (February 11, 2020).
Jones, David, and Constantelos, Stephen, "Nap Lajoie," Deadball Stars of the American League (PotomacBooks, 2006), edited by David Jones.
Kaufman, Kerry, "Phillies: Top Five Second Basemen in Franchise History," That Ball's Outta Here (November 11, 2017).
Klugh, Justin, "A History of Utley's Corner," SB Nation: The Good Phight (July 23, 2018).
Landino, Leonte, "Manny Trillo," Mustaches and Mayhem: Charlie O's Three Time Champions: TheOakland Athletics: 1972-74 (SABR, 2015), edited by Chip Greene.
Pietriello, Mike, "The Greatest Double-Play Duos in MLB History," List (April 29, 2014).
Shehan, Joe, "Baseball's best-fielding double-play combo? The answer is a surprise," Sports Illustrated (March 3, 2011).
Stephen, Eric, "Chase Utley has a strong Hall of Fame Case," SB Nation (July 14, 2018).
Sweetman, Jim, "October 11, 1980: Phillies stay alive in Game 4 with tenth inning rally in Houston," Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome (SABR, 2017), edited by Gregory H. Wolf.
Zolecki, Todd, "Phils ink Kingery to unprecedented 6-year deal," MLB.com (March 25, 2018).
Juan Samuel was fast. In his first full season with the Phillies, 1984, he stole 72 bases. He also batted .272, and made the All-Star team. Over the next three seasons, he batted .264, .266 and .272 respectively, stealing 53, 42 and 35 bases. He was an All-Star again in 1987. In 1988, The Phillies tried to switch Sammy to the outfield, and his offensive number suffered because of it. He hit .243 in 1988 and .246 in 51 games in 1989. With his offensive numbers dwindling, Samuel likely brought his greatest value to the team in 1989, when the Phillies traded him to the Mets for Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell. Sammy would continue to struggle offensively, while Dykstra helped lead the beloved 1993 Phillies team to the pennant.
You would think that trading away Chase Utley in 2015 would have left a big hole for the Phillies to fill in its middle infield. But in 2015, Cesar Hernandez played in 127 games, and batted .272. He didn't have the power of Utley. Still, in players with at least 400 at bats that year, Hernandez was second only to Odubel Herrera, the Phils' surprising Rule 5 draftee, in batting average. In 2016 and 2017, Hernandez batted a consistent .294, leading the team in batting average both years. This caused something of a conundrum for the Phillies in 2018, when Generaal Manager Matt Klentak signed second base prospect Scott Kingery to a six year million dollar contract before he had even played a single major league game. How could the Phillies play an untested rookie at what many considered to be his natural position, second base, when Hernandez was playing so well? The answer was to play Kingery just about everywhere, second base, shortstop, third base and even centerfield, just to make sure he would consistently be in the line-up. Although Hernandez was batting .270 at the All-Star break in 2018, his hitting dropped off n the second half of the season, as he ended with a .253 batting average. In 2019, Hernandez's performance picked up a little bit, as he turned in a .279 batting average. The Phillies released Hernandez after the 2019 season. Although the Phillies were in a rebuilding stage during much of his tenure, Herandez quietly gave the team a steady offensive performance for five seasons. The teams on which he played may not have been anything special, but Hernandez was.
1979 was set to be a big year for the Phillies. The Phillies traded for former All-Star Manny Trillo and Greg Gross from the Cubs, giving them what they thought would be a solid defensive second baseman and depth to their outfield. The Phillies also scored the biggest prize of free agency to date, by signing Pete Rose to provide veteran leadership to the team. With these improvements to the team that won the NL East for three straight years, only to lose each time in the NLCS, expectations were high in 1979. Sadly, the Phillies did not deliver. The Phillies finished in fourth place, with an 84-78 record. Trillo batted a mere .260, but he did win the first of three Gold Gloves with the Phillies.
The Phillies finally reached the promised land in 1980. With a career best batting average of .292 in seasons with 400 or more at-bats, Trillo won the Silver Slugger for second basemen that year. But his greatest contribution to the World Champion Phillies' season came in the 1980 NLCS against the Astros. In a series that went the full five games, each one a close contest, Trillo stood out for his offensive contribution, particularly in the final two games at the Astrodome.
In Game Four, the score was tied with three runs apiece going into the tenth inning. Rose had just knocked catcher Bruce Bochy down on a Greg Luzinski double to give the Phillies the lead. With two outs, Trillo hit a double, scoring Luzinksi for an insurance run. Tug McGraw then retired the side to give the Phillies a 5-3 victory, and tying the series at two games apiece.
In a back and forth Game Five, a Bob Boone single scored Trillo and Garry Maddox in the second, to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the second, Trillo caught a fly ball for the first one, and then rifled a relay throw home to catch Luis Pujos at the plate for the second out, saving the Phillies' lead for the time being. By the top of the eighth, the Phils had fallen behind 5-2. After the Phillies miraculously tied that game, Trillo hit a two-run triple, giving the Phils a 7-5 lead. The Phils would eventually win the game 8-7 in the tenth inning, and go on to win the World Series.
Trillo batted .381 in the NLCS, knocking in four runs. His performance earned him the NLCS MVP Award.
In the strike shortened 1981 season, Trillo batted .287, again winning the Silver Slugger for second basemen. He also won his second Gold Glove and became an All-Star for the second time.
1982 was Trillo's last season with the Phillies. He once again won a Gold Glove and was an All-Star.
In the 2020 season, as the Phillies prepare to honor the fortieth anniversary of its first World Champion team during its Alumni Weekend, Manny Trillo is set to become the newest inductee to the Phillies Wall of Fame.
Nap Lajoie is best known for his time after he quit the Phillies to play in the newly formed American League. Phillies owner, Colonel Rogers was so angry that many of his star players had bailed on him for more money, that he filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania courts, and won an injunction preventing the former Phillies from playing in Pennsylvania for the American League. Many of those players had signed with the new Philadelphia Athletics, managed by Connie Mack. Mack arranged a trade for Lajoie to Cleveland. For the first two years, Lajoie would spend his time in Atlantic City when Cleveland played the Athletics. Lajoie then went on to compete with Ty Cobb perennially for the best hitter in the Junior Circuit.
With the Phillies, Lajoie spent five years, with a batting average of .345. Playing alongside such offensive greats as Slidin' Billy Hamilton, Elmer Flick, Sam Thompson and Big Ed Delahanty, Lajoie drove in 127 runs in 1897, and again in 1898. All five were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Honorable Mentions
Before we get to number one, let's pay homage to some honorable mentions, who did not quite make it to this top five list. Fan Favorite Tony Taylor joined the Phillies in 1960. Part of the 1964 team that almost won the pennant, Taylor played all or part of fifteen seasons with the Phillies, batting .261 over that period. His best season was 1963, when he hit .281 and scored 102 runs.
Joe Morgan played one season with the Phils, joining former Reds Pete Rose and Tony Perez to form the heart of the Wheeze Kids that won the NL pennant in 1983.
Former Olympian Mickey Morandini spent a total of nine years with the Phillies, and formed part of the nucleus of the beloved 1993 pennant winning team. Morandini was involved in two triple plays, including the first unassisted triple play in Phillies' history.
Former pitcher Kid Gleason, who went on to manage the infamous 1919 White Sox, and Otto Knabe gave the Phillies some stability at second base after the turn of the century, when much of the offensive power of the Phils jumped ship to play for the upstart American League.
Dave Cash batted .296 over three seasons with the Phillies, and brought the chat "Yes we can" to the young team, as it began its three year run as NL East Champions.
How many second basemen do you known who have a part of an opposing team's stadium named after him? For that mater, how many ball players period have laid claim to a piece of real estate in an opposing team's stadium? I can only think of one: Chase Utley.
Chase Utley owned the New York Mets. Against the Mets, Utley hit .281, with 39 home runs, and 116 RBIs. His 39 career home runs against the Met is tied with Willie May for ninth place. Of that, 21 came at the Mets' home field, specifically, 14 at Citi Field. Utley hit his first home run at Citi Field on June 9, 2009, over the short fence in the right field corner. This has come to be known as "Utley's Corner." All of Utley's fourteen home runs at Citi Field (including three he hit with the Dodgers) have been to right field, at or near Utley's Corner. His career batting average at Citi Field is .294. Indeed, his career numbers against the Mets, as well as his slide in the 2015 NLDS which wound up breaking shortstop Ruben Tejada's leg, make Utley one of the most hated players among Mets fans.
But his success against the Mets isn't the only reason for Phillies fan to love Utley. In his twelve plus years with the Phillies, Utley made the All-Star team six times. He hit .282 with 233 home runs and 916 RBIs. He is sixth in the Phillies all-time home run list, and seventh in RBIs. Utley's career WAR with the Phillies is 62.0, second only to Mike Schmidt.
Utley played a large role in the Phillies' 2008 World Championship. That year, his batting average was .292. Utley blasted 33 home runs, and knocked in 104 RBIs. Utley continued the tradition of Phillies' second basemen doing well in the NLCS, batting .353 with an OPS of 1.169. Although, unlike Manny Trillo, Utley did not win the MVP Award for the 2008 NLCS. That honor went to the deserving Cole Hamels. But Utley did drop the F-bomb on live television during the World Championship parade, something Philadelphia fans in particular seem to appreciate, and teaching TV networks to place player's speeches on a delay, which worked out well when Jason Kelce of the Eagles essentially said, "Hold my beer," before his speech at the Eagles' Super Bowl parade.
In the 2009 World Series, Utley put up MVP-like numbers, with a .286 batting average and an OPS of 1.048. He hit 5 home runs and drove in 8 runs, in a losing effort.
Defensively, Utley teamed up with Jimmy Rollins to form what some call one of the best double-play combinations in baseball history.
Utley was traded to the Dodgers in 2015, as the Phillies dismantled its five time division champion, two time pennant winning, and one time World Champion team, in order to score prospects to rebuild the minor leagues. Upon returning to Citizens Bank Park with the Dodgers, Utley received a warm ovation from the Philadelphia fans. He is one of the most beloved players in Phillies history, with a decent shot of making the Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Do you agree with these picks? If not, who would make your top five second basemen, and why? Let us know in the comments section.
References
Players' statistics obtained from Baseball-reference.com.
ESPN, "Phillies sign top prospect Scott Kingery with options through 2023," (March 25, 2018).
Fedkew, Adrian, "Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley and the Best Second Basemen in Team History," Bleacher Report (July 22, 2011).
Holmes, Dan, "These are the Greatest Double Play Duos in Baseball History," Vintage Detroit Collection (February 11, 2020).
Jones, David, and Constantelos, Stephen, "Nap Lajoie," Deadball Stars of the American League (PotomacBooks, 2006), edited by David Jones.
Kaufman, Kerry, "Phillies: Top Five Second Basemen in Franchise History," That Ball's Outta Here (November 11, 2017).
Klugh, Justin, "A History of Utley's Corner," SB Nation: The Good Phight (July 23, 2018).
Landino, Leonte, "Manny Trillo," Mustaches and Mayhem: Charlie O's Three Time Champions: TheOakland Athletics: 1972-74 (SABR, 2015), edited by Chip Greene.
Pietriello, Mike, "The Greatest Double-Play Duos in MLB History," List (April 29, 2014).
Shehan, Joe, "Baseball's best-fielding double-play combo? The answer is a surprise," Sports Illustrated (March 3, 2011).
Stephen, Eric, "Chase Utley has a strong Hall of Fame Case," SB Nation (July 14, 2018).
Sweetman, Jim, "October 11, 1980: Phillies stay alive in Game 4 with tenth inning rally in Houston," Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome (SABR, 2017), edited by Gregory H. Wolf.
Zolecki, Todd, "Phils ink Kingery to unprecedented 6-year deal," MLB.com (March 25, 2018).
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