Top 4 Shortstops in Phillies History
Shortstop is the most crucial defensive position in the infield. Well, it used to be. Before the era of the infield shift. Sure the shift was cool, back when it was an innovative way to counter the threat of legendary left-handed hitter Ted Williams. Now the shift is everywhere. Infield positions have pretty much become interchangeable. If you have a left-handed hitter, move everyone over to the right side of the infield. If you have a right-handed hitter, move everyone to the left side of the infield. I hate the shift. The shift just encourages left-handed power hitters, in particular, to swing for the fences. Sure, you could bunt down the third base line, and likely get a base hit. But modern hitting coaches discourage that. Personally, I find the modern game of power hitting and power pitching boring. Moving runners over, manufacturing runs, to me that's exciting baseball. Don't get me wrong, home runs are fun. Strategically using outs, however, made for a much better sport. I am all in favor of rule changes to limit the ability of teams to employ the shift. But I digress.
If you've been following me, you know that I've been doing a series of the top five Phillies players at each position. I've done first base and second base so far. So now it was time to do shortstop. When I was researching this topic, I had a real hard time identifying five shortstops in Phillies history who really stood out. You see, defense is really the key to the best shortstops. And defense doesn't lend itself to statistical analysis. Don't start gabbing away about these new defensive metrics. They're meaningless. You really have to see a shortstop play to judge his skill and athleticism when playing defense. And the problem is that while the Phillies have had many shortstops known for their defense, a lot of them played in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. There really is no way to judge a player's defensive ability from over a hundred years ago. You pretty much have to go by reputation. And how do you rank a player's reputation?
So, with this video, I've limited it to the top four Phillies shortstops. And let's face it, it's really just the top two, and arguing over which of the two are the best. With that being said, here is our list of the top four Phillies shortstops of all-time.
4. Dave Bancroft
I'll be honest. Dave Bancroft made this list because he is the only Phillies shortstop to be in the Hall of Fame. So far. He began his major league with the Phillies, but his six years with the team weren't that spectacular. He had a .251 average, during the dead ball era. His OPS was .649. He had a total of 162 RBIs in six years.
He really made the Hall of Fame due to his time with the New York Giants. In his four years with the Giants, Bancroft hit .310 with an OPS of .795. Still, not really spectacular numbers. But one of the problems with the Hall of Fame is that it has been somewhat New York-centric. The Yankees and the Giants are over-represented in the Hall. I have a similar criticism of the Ken Burns' documentary. It's too New York-centric.
Nonetheless, Bancroft was the shortstop for the first pennant winning Phillies team. He played alongside the likes of Fred Luderus, Eppa Rixey, Gavvy Cravath and Grover Cleveland Alexander. So, yeah, he makes the list because of his teammates, not really because of his own ability.
So sue me.
3. Granny Hamner
Granville Wilbur Hamner (Granny to you and me) makes the list in part because he was a fan favorite, in part because of his longevity with the Phillies, and in part because he was part of the 1950 Whiz Kids immortalized in Phillies history for shocking the baseball world by winning the NL pennant. By the way, he hated being called Granny. He was said to have been mean and hot-tempered.
If you judge him by his numbers over his sixteen years with the Phillies, he was . . . average. His batting average was .262, and his OPS .686. But, if I didn't include him, I'd get a bunch of old-time Phillies fans complaining. So, here he is.
Honorable Mentions
I'm going to keep you in suspense for just a little longer. You see, if I told you who number two on my list was, all of the suspense would be gone, and you'd immediately know who was number one. And there's some heated debate over which one should be number one, between fans who mostly cut their teeth on the Phillies of the 1970s and 80s, and those who followed the 2008 World Champion team. So, we'll them aside for now, and talk about some of the better shortstops in Phillies history.
The beloved, throwback, blue collar team of 1993 lacked a consistent shortstop for much of the season. That is, until Kevin Stocker was called up. He batted .324 that year, and contributed to winning the NL pennant.
Bobby Wine played for the 1964 team, famous for almost winning the pennant. He was also a long-time Phillies coach.
Bob Allen was one of those Phillies shortstops known for his defense, who played over a hundred years ago, as was Mickey Doolan. Heinie Sand was a good defensive shortstop who played in the 1920s.
Ivan DeJesus came to Philadelphia in the infamous Ryne Sandberg trade, and has a fun name to say.
Steve Jeltz.
Dicke Thon, Ruben Amaro.
OK, now I'm just naming random Phillies shortstops. You want to know who do I think was better, Larry Bowa or Jimmy Rollins.
2. Larry Bowa
I honestly think Larry Bowa deserves Hall of Fame consideration. Not so much for his playing days. Yes, he was the backbone for the Phillies over twelve season. His defense was incredible. He was a five-time All-Star. He got to be part of a double-play combination with Dave Cash and Manny Trillo. Like Dave Cash, Bowa inspired him teammates to play their best. He was even a leadoff hitting in his early career. Bowa got the first Phillies hit in the new Veterans Stadium. But, offensively, Bowa was average. His lifetime batting average was .250.
I think he should receive Hall of Fame consideration because his contributions to Major League Baseball has been long and varied. He's been involved in Major League Baseball for over fifty years. Aside from his playing career, he's been a coach, he's been a manager, he's been a broadcaster and commentator for ESPN and the MLB Network.
Reportedly, he had a decent knuckle ball. Back in 1993, when the Phillies were about to face a knuckle ball thrower, Bowa would throw batting practice to help the Phillies hitters get their timing down.
Sigh, knuckle ballers. Another art lost in this era of power hitting and throwing.
Bowa is definitely a fan favorite, and deserves to be in the top two of greatest Phillies shortstops of all time.
Which leads us to . . .
1. Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins burst on to the MLB scene in 2001, his first full year with the Phillies, and his first All-Star appearance. Showcasing his speed, Rollins led the league with 46 stolen bases and 12 triples. His best year was 2007, the year the Phillies surprised the Mets, and stole the NL East championship when the Mets collapsed at the end of the season. Rollins hit .296 that year, again leading the league in triples with 20, earning the NL MVP award.
Defensively, Rollins won four Gold Gloves over his career, and made up part of the deadly Rollins-Utley double-play duo. Over his career, he was a three time All-Star.
In his fifteen seasons with the Phillies, including five seasons in a row when the Phillies won the NL East, he became the all-time Phillies leader in hits and doubles. He is third in career Phillies triples, behind only Sherry Magee and the great Ed Delahanty. He is second only to Slidin' Billy Hamilton in stolen bases. Rollins is third in total runs scored behand Delahanty and the great Mike Schmidt. He is second only to Schmidt in total bases.
I don't think there is any argument. Rollins was the greatest Phillies shortstop of all time. His lifetime batting average of .264 may not seem too impressive, but it is better than four Hall of Fame shortstops, including the Wizard, Ozzie Smith. In my opinion, the length of his career, his consistency in the field, and his contributions to Phillies' history, including the 2008 World Championship season, should garner serious consideration for Hall of Fame induction.
By: William J. Kovatch, Jr.
Show pride in your hometown baseball history by checking out our merch store! Now offering stylish Phillies-themed face masks!! Protect the health of you and your family, while showing Phillies pride. https://www.teepublic.com/user/philadelphia-baseball-history
Check out our YouTube Channel at: YouTube.com/c/PhiladelphiaBaseballHistory
You can also find us on Twitter, @PhilBaseballHis, and Instagram.
Baseball statistic and team leader information obtained from Baseball-Reference.com.
Breen, Matt, "Larry Bowa, 74, is still going strong 50 years after unlikely major league debut," The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 6, 2020).
Brookover, Bob, "Irrepressible Larry Bowa spurns TV to throw BP," The Philadelphia Inquirer (AMarch 5, 2015).
"Jimmy Rollins Awards," Baseball Almanac.
McGuire, Kevin, "This Day in Phillies History: Veterans Stadium," Bleacher Report (April 10, 2009).
Pinto, Greg, "Jimmy Rollins and the 10 Greatest Shortstops in Philadelphia Phillies History," Bleacher Report (November 4, 2011).
Shpigel, Ben, "Mets Complete Stunning Collapse," The New York Times (October 1, 2007).
Simon, Andrew, "Ted Williams: Last .400 hitter first to face shifts?" MLB News (July 25, 2016).
Skelton David, "Granny Hamner," The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies (SABR, 2018, edited by C. Paul Rogers III and Bill Nowlin) (available on SABR's biography pages).
"Stats for Hall of Fame Shortstops," Baseball Almanac.
1313otto, "4/10/1971 Expos at Philles (First Game at the Vet)," YouTube video.
If you've been following me, you know that I've been doing a series of the top five Phillies players at each position. I've done first base and second base so far. So now it was time to do shortstop. When I was researching this topic, I had a real hard time identifying five shortstops in Phillies history who really stood out. You see, defense is really the key to the best shortstops. And defense doesn't lend itself to statistical analysis. Don't start gabbing away about these new defensive metrics. They're meaningless. You really have to see a shortstop play to judge his skill and athleticism when playing defense. And the problem is that while the Phillies have had many shortstops known for their defense, a lot of them played in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. There really is no way to judge a player's defensive ability from over a hundred years ago. You pretty much have to go by reputation. And how do you rank a player's reputation?
So, with this video, I've limited it to the top four Phillies shortstops. And let's face it, it's really just the top two, and arguing over which of the two are the best. With that being said, here is our list of the top four Phillies shortstops of all-time.
4. Dave Bancroft
I'll be honest. Dave Bancroft made this list because he is the only Phillies shortstop to be in the Hall of Fame. So far. He began his major league with the Phillies, but his six years with the team weren't that spectacular. He had a .251 average, during the dead ball era. His OPS was .649. He had a total of 162 RBIs in six years.
He really made the Hall of Fame due to his time with the New York Giants. In his four years with the Giants, Bancroft hit .310 with an OPS of .795. Still, not really spectacular numbers. But one of the problems with the Hall of Fame is that it has been somewhat New York-centric. The Yankees and the Giants are over-represented in the Hall. I have a similar criticism of the Ken Burns' documentary. It's too New York-centric.
Nonetheless, Bancroft was the shortstop for the first pennant winning Phillies team. He played alongside the likes of Fred Luderus, Eppa Rixey, Gavvy Cravath and Grover Cleveland Alexander. So, yeah, he makes the list because of his teammates, not really because of his own ability.
So sue me.
3. Granny Hamner
Granville Wilbur Hamner (Granny to you and me) makes the list in part because he was a fan favorite, in part because of his longevity with the Phillies, and in part because he was part of the 1950 Whiz Kids immortalized in Phillies history for shocking the baseball world by winning the NL pennant. By the way, he hated being called Granny. He was said to have been mean and hot-tempered.
If you judge him by his numbers over his sixteen years with the Phillies, he was . . . average. His batting average was .262, and his OPS .686. But, if I didn't include him, I'd get a bunch of old-time Phillies fans complaining. So, here he is.
Honorable Mentions
I'm going to keep you in suspense for just a little longer. You see, if I told you who number two on my list was, all of the suspense would be gone, and you'd immediately know who was number one. And there's some heated debate over which one should be number one, between fans who mostly cut their teeth on the Phillies of the 1970s and 80s, and those who followed the 2008 World Champion team. So, we'll them aside for now, and talk about some of the better shortstops in Phillies history.
The beloved, throwback, blue collar team of 1993 lacked a consistent shortstop for much of the season. That is, until Kevin Stocker was called up. He batted .324 that year, and contributed to winning the NL pennant.
Bobby Wine played for the 1964 team, famous for almost winning the pennant. He was also a long-time Phillies coach.
Bob Allen was one of those Phillies shortstops known for his defense, who played over a hundred years ago, as was Mickey Doolan. Heinie Sand was a good defensive shortstop who played in the 1920s.
Ivan DeJesus came to Philadelphia in the infamous Ryne Sandberg trade, and has a fun name to say.
Steve Jeltz.
Dicke Thon, Ruben Amaro.
OK, now I'm just naming random Phillies shortstops. You want to know who do I think was better, Larry Bowa or Jimmy Rollins.
2. Larry Bowa
I honestly think Larry Bowa deserves Hall of Fame consideration. Not so much for his playing days. Yes, he was the backbone for the Phillies over twelve season. His defense was incredible. He was a five-time All-Star. He got to be part of a double-play combination with Dave Cash and Manny Trillo. Like Dave Cash, Bowa inspired him teammates to play their best. He was even a leadoff hitting in his early career. Bowa got the first Phillies hit in the new Veterans Stadium. But, offensively, Bowa was average. His lifetime batting average was .250.
I think he should receive Hall of Fame consideration because his contributions to Major League Baseball has been long and varied. He's been involved in Major League Baseball for over fifty years. Aside from his playing career, he's been a coach, he's been a manager, he's been a broadcaster and commentator for ESPN and the MLB Network.
Reportedly, he had a decent knuckle ball. Back in 1993, when the Phillies were about to face a knuckle ball thrower, Bowa would throw batting practice to help the Phillies hitters get their timing down.
Sigh, knuckle ballers. Another art lost in this era of power hitting and throwing.
Bowa is definitely a fan favorite, and deserves to be in the top two of greatest Phillies shortstops of all time.
Which leads us to . . .
1. Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins burst on to the MLB scene in 2001, his first full year with the Phillies, and his first All-Star appearance. Showcasing his speed, Rollins led the league with 46 stolen bases and 12 triples. His best year was 2007, the year the Phillies surprised the Mets, and stole the NL East championship when the Mets collapsed at the end of the season. Rollins hit .296 that year, again leading the league in triples with 20, earning the NL MVP award.
Defensively, Rollins won four Gold Gloves over his career, and made up part of the deadly Rollins-Utley double-play duo. Over his career, he was a three time All-Star.
In his fifteen seasons with the Phillies, including five seasons in a row when the Phillies won the NL East, he became the all-time Phillies leader in hits and doubles. He is third in career Phillies triples, behind only Sherry Magee and the great Ed Delahanty. He is second only to Slidin' Billy Hamilton in stolen bases. Rollins is third in total runs scored behand Delahanty and the great Mike Schmidt. He is second only to Schmidt in total bases.
I don't think there is any argument. Rollins was the greatest Phillies shortstop of all time. His lifetime batting average of .264 may not seem too impressive, but it is better than four Hall of Fame shortstops, including the Wizard, Ozzie Smith. In my opinion, the length of his career, his consistency in the field, and his contributions to Phillies' history, including the 2008 World Championship season, should garner serious consideration for Hall of Fame induction.
Show pride in your hometown baseball history by checking out our merch store! Now offering stylish Phillies-themed face masks!! Protect the health of you and your family, while showing Phillies pride. https://www.teepublic.com/user/philadelphia-baseball-history
Check out our YouTube Channel at: YouTube.com/c/PhiladelphiaBaseballHistory
You can also find us on Twitter, @PhilBaseballHis, and Instagram.
References
Baseball statistic and team leader information obtained from Baseball-Reference.com.
Breen, Matt, "Larry Bowa, 74, is still going strong 50 years after unlikely major league debut," The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 6, 2020).
Brookover, Bob, "Irrepressible Larry Bowa spurns TV to throw BP," The Philadelphia Inquirer (AMarch 5, 2015).
"Jimmy Rollins Awards," Baseball Almanac.
McGuire, Kevin, "This Day in Phillies History: Veterans Stadium," Bleacher Report (April 10, 2009).
Pinto, Greg, "Jimmy Rollins and the 10 Greatest Shortstops in Philadelphia Phillies History," Bleacher Report (November 4, 2011).
Shpigel, Ben, "Mets Complete Stunning Collapse," The New York Times (October 1, 2007).
Simon, Andrew, "Ted Williams: Last .400 hitter first to face shifts?" MLB News (July 25, 2016).
Skelton David, "Granny Hamner," The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies (SABR, 2018, edited by C. Paul Rogers III and Bill Nowlin) (available on SABR's biography pages).
"Stats for Hall of Fame Shortstops," Baseball Almanac.
1313otto, "4/10/1971 Expos at Philles (First Game at the Vet)," YouTube video.
Comments
Post a Comment