20-16

The 25 Greatest Phillies Sluggers 15-11.

#15 Chase Utley.

 Career With Phillies:
 188 homeruns(10) 694 RBIs(16)

 Best Season:
 2008 - .292 BA 33 homeruns 104 RBIs
  
 Memorable Feats of Strength:
  - record tying 5 homeruns in the 2009 world series
  - 2 run homer in 1st inning of game 1 of the 08 world series
  - 09/04/2006 vs. Houston  hits walk off homerun in the bottom of the 10th, prompting the late Harry Kalas to exclaim "Chase Utley you are the man!"
  -04/23/03 vs. Colorado  hits a grand slam for 1st major league hit

Given his struggles to stay healthy the last few seasons it is easy to forget just how great Chase Cameron Utley once was. If his knees will ever cooperate he can still be great as evidenced by his 11 homeruns and 44 RBIs in just 103 games last season and 16 homeruns and 65 RBIs in just 115 games in 2010. Armed with a short compact swing that Rays manager Joe Maddon once said you can't throw hard enough inside to get past, Utley was unequivocally, from 2005-2009, the best second baseman in baseball. After shuttling back and forth between and majors and AAA for 43 games in 2003, and the platooning with Placido Polanco for 94 games in 2004, Utley was finally given the starting nod at second for the 2005 season. He proved he was worthy of it with 28 homeruns and 105 RBIs, his first of 4 straight seasons with 100 RBIs and good enough to receive MVP votes for the first of 5 straight seasons. He reached another level in 2006 blasting 32 homeruns and driving in 102 runs, enough to earn his first of 5 straight all-star selections and first of 4 straight silver slugger awards. He lost 30 games to injury in 2007 but still managed 22 homeruns and 103 RBIs to help the Phils to their first postseason in 14 years. In 2008 he had his best season as a pro thus far, collecting 33 homeruns and 104 RBIs to help lead the Phils to their 2nd successive postseason. He would achieve cult status in the world series that year, with key homeruns in games 1 and 3 and flawless defense as the Phils captured their first world title in 25 years. In 2009 he had his last standout season to date bashing 31 homeruns and driving in 93 runs to help the Phils to a 2nd straight world series. There he furthered his cult status with a record tying 5 home runs, allbeit in a losing cause. Age and his do anything to help the team bravado, have caught up to him the last couple seasons and is still unknown when he'll return this season, but one can only hope that when he does he brings a little of the old magic back with him.         

#14 Johnny Callison.

Career With Phillies:
184 homeruns(11) 666 RBIs(18)

Best Season:
1964 - 274 BA. 31 homeruns 104 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:
- hit 3 run walkoff home run to win 1964 all-star game.
- 9/27/64 vs. Milwaukee Braves 3 home runs in one game
- 6/6/65 vs. Chicago 3 home runs in one game
- homeruns off hall of famers Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn, and Phil Niekro
 

 

 

John Wesley "Johnny" Callison was the Phillies' most beloved star of the 1960s, despite playing for mostly losing teams. Initially a bust for the White Sox and even the Phillies, Callison finally blossomed in his 5th season in 1962, with 23 homeruns, 83 RBIs, and a National League leading 10 triples. He was even better in 1963 with 26 homeruns and 78 RBIs but again the Phils were losers. Finally in 1964, he had a chance to play for a contender and took full advantage, blasting to a career best 31 homeruns and 104 RBIs. Unfortunately, it would not be enough as the Phils infamously suffered the then greatest September collapse in history, causing Callison to be robbed of an MVP award. The Phils would never again contend with Callison, but he played on at a high level anyway. In 1965 he slammed a career best 32 homeruns, drove in 101 runs, and again led the National League in triples with 16. Sadly he began to decline after that, but still managed double digits in homeruns over the next 4 seasons with 11 homeruns and 55 RBIs in 1966, 14 homeruns and 64 RBIs in 1967, 14 homeruns and 40 RBIs in 1968, and 16 homeruns and 64 RBIs in 1969 at age 30. That proved to be the last straw for the aging Callison in Philadelphia and just after the season hearts were broken as he was traded to the Cubs for prospect Oscar Gamble and reliever Dick Selma. Neither panned out for the Phils while Callison enjoyed a brief resurgence with 19 homeruns and 68 RBIs in 1970, before flaming out for good. It was a tough call to put him ahead of Utley, but I just felt he was more of pure slugger whereas Utley is your good hitter who just happens to be able to hit homeruns.   

#13 Jim Thome.

Career With Phillies:
100 homeruns(23)  280 RBIs(64)
 
Best Season:
2003 - .266 BA 47 homeruns 131 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:
- 47 home runs in 2003, tops in the NL and 3rd highest     total in franchise history
- one of only 3 Phillies to hit 40+ homeruns in consecutive seasons
- 06/14/04 - vs. Cincinnati hits 400th career homerun at the Bank 
- 06/21/03 - vs. Red Sox  "the Thome game" hits game tying homeruns in 8th and 12th innings before the Phils win in 13
 

There was a time not long ago when no free agent would even think of Philadelphia as an ideal landing spot. All that changed on December 2, 2005 when James Howard Thome accepted a 6 year $85 million deal with the Phillies. Although he never got them to the playoffs the Phils have not had a losing season since Thome signed that contract. That he was wildly successful in his first two seasons here only served to further Thome's legend with the Phils fans. Heck, we would have knighted him if he could have gotten the team to the playoffs, but he couldn't and yet still remains a beloved figure. The ultimate all or nothing hitter, he is top ten all time in homeruns and strikeouts, partnered with Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu in the middle of the Phils lineup to form the ultimate all or nothing lineup which ultimately kept the Phillies from the playoffs during Thome's tenure. In his first season with the Phils in 2003 he blasted a league leading 47 homeruns, one shy Mike Schmidt's then team record, and knocked in 131 runs. In 2004, in his first season at the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, his numbers actually dipped a little with 42 homeruns and 105 RBIs. Sadly that would be his last full season, as injuries and some kid named Howard limited him to just 59 games and 7 homeruns in 2005, forcing the Phils to trade him away after the season. After experiencing enormous success over the next 6 seasons the Phils decided to bring the back Thome before this season with the hope of honoring the man who started it all with that elusive world series ring.

#12 Sherry Magee.

 Career With Phillies:
 75 homeruns(34) 886 RBIs(6)

 Best Season:
 1914 - .314 BA 15 homeruns 103 RBIs

 Memorable Feats of Strength:
 - Topped 10 homeruns 3 times in the middle of the deadball era 
 - Led the national league in RBIs 3 times(1907, 1910, 1914) 
 - 9 inside the park homeruns 
 - homeruns off hall of famers Christy Mathewson, Three Finger     Brown, Vic Willis, and Rube Marquard
- 10/08/04 vs. Boston Braves hits walkoff inside the park home run off Vic Willis



Sherwood Robert "Sherry" Magee was one of the Phillies and baseball's greatest stars of the early 20th century. He was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1904 at just 19 years of age and was an immediate hit with 101 hits in just 95 games. In his first full season in 1905 he raised his numbers to 5 homeruns, 98 RBIs, and 180 hits. He continued his success in 1906 with 6 homeruns and 67 RBIs. Then in 1907 he had his first true standout year with 4 homeruns, a national league leading 85 RBIs, and a .328 batting average, his first time as a .300 hitter. After scuffling a bit in 1908 and 1909, he returned to stardom in 1910, leading the national league runs scored(110), RBI(123), batting average(.331), OBP(.445), slugging percentage(.507), OPS(.952), and total bases(263), while racking up 6 homeruns and 172 hits. In 1911 his power numbers exploded with 15 homeruns and 94 RBIs, but the rest of his numbers dropped a bit. So in 1912 and 1913 he went back to hitting with .306 average to go along with 6 homeruns and 66 RBIs, and a .306 average with 11 homeruns and 70 RBIs respectively. Finally in 1914 at age 29, he had arguably the best season of his career, leading the national league in hits(171), doubles(39), RBIs(103), slugging percentage(.509), and total bases(277), while batting .314 with 15 homeruns. Ironically this would be his last season in the Philadelphia as the Phils traded him to the Braves following the season. They may have been better served to keep him one year. Without Magee the Phils went on to reach their first world series in 1915, but lost to the Red Sox in 5 games thanks to an inability to score runs against Boston's pitching. One wonders if the outcome would have been different were Magee still in the lineup.     

#11 Fred Luderus.

Career With Phillies:
83 homeruns(32) 630 RBIs(21)

Best Season:
1913 - .262 BA 18 homeruns 86 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:
- 4 straight seasons with 10+ homeruns in the middle of the deadball era
- 07/15/11 vs. Pirates homers twice off Babe Adams, with game tying home run in the 2nd inning and walkoff homerun in the 9th
- homeruns off hall of famers Three Finger Brown, Christy Mathewson, and Rube Marquard
- first Phillie to hit a homerun in the world series with solo shot off Rube Foster in the 4th inning of game 5 of the 1915 world series


Frederick William "Fred" Luderus was a key cog on the Phillies very first pennant winning team, joining forces with Gavvy Cravath to form a formidable middle of the lineup. Somewhat of a late bloomer for his day, Luderus did not truly come into his own until 1911 when at age 25 he enjoyed a stellar first full year in the majors batting .301 with 16 homeruns and 99 RBIs. It would be just his first of four consecutive years with 10 homeruns or more, with 10 homeruns and  69 RBIs in 1912, 18 homeruns and 86 RBIs in 1913, and 12 homeruns and 55 RBIs in 1914. At the beginning of the 1915 season he was 29 years old and slated to turn 30 before the end of the season so in effort to extend his career he sought to cut back on his power and rededicate himself to hitting. It worked as he batted .315, the highest average of his career, with just 7 homeruns and 62 RBIs, while helping to lead the Phils to their first ever World Series. He batted an astounding .438 in the series with 1 homerun and 6 RBIs, but it wasn't enough as the Phils lost to the Red Sox in 5 games. He kept hitting for average in the following years, batting .281 with 5 homeruns and 53 RBIs in 1916, .261 with 5 homeruns and 71 RBIs in 1917, .288 with 5 homeruns and 67 RBIs in 1918, and finally .293 with 5 homeruns and 49 RBIs in 1919. In 1920 at age 34 he could manage only 16 games before his career came to an end, but not before he had thrilled Phils fans for a decade and left a lasting enough impression to make this list.

coming soon - #10-6

25-21

The 25 Greatest Phillies Sluggers 20 - 16.

 #20 Lefty O'Doul.

Career With Phillies:  

54 homeruns(49) 219 RBIs(93)

Best Season:
1929 - 398 BA. 32 homeruns 122 RBI

Memorable Feats of Strength:
- 04/18/29 - 04/23/29 homers off Larry
Benton in back to back at bats in the bottom of the
9th of 1 game and the top of the 1st of Benton's next start 5 days later.

The story of Francis Jospeh "Lefty" O'doul ranks among the most interesting in MLB history. He actually began his career as a relief pitcher and not a very good one with just 1 win and a career 4.87 ERA. over 34 games for the Yankees and Red Sox from 1919 to 1923. He was then sent back to the minors and converted to a powerhitting outfielder. It was not until 1928 at age 31 that he reemerged in the majors with the New York Giants. Platooning in left he batted .319 with 113 hits in 114 games, including 8 homeruns. Apparently that was good enough for New York which traded him to the Phillies before the 1929 season. In 1929 and 1930 he gave the Phillies two of the greatest seasons in franchise history. In 1929 he batted a league leading and Phillies modern record .398 with 32 homeruns and 122 RBI and a still National League record 254 hits, while striking out just 19 times. In 1930 he batted .383 with 22 homeruns, 97 RBIs , 202 hits, and just 21 strikeouts. Unfortunately the cash strapped Phillies were forced to trade him away to the Brooklyn Dodgers after that and he finished his career in New York with the Dodgers and the Giants.  In all in roughly 5 full years as an outfielder, all after the age of 30, he racked up an astounding 1140 hits, 113 homeruns, and 542 RBIs. Prorate that over a full career and you've got a hall of famer. As it was, he had one of the greatest post 30 careers ever and if the Phils had been able to keep him just a little longer he would probably be higher on this list.

#19 Don Hurst.

Career With Phillies:
112 homeruns(21) 598 RBI (23)

Best Season:
1929 - .304 BA 31 homeruns 125 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:
- 07/25/28 vs. Cincinnati homers in the bottom of the 5th of both sides of a doubleheader
- 8/13/33  vs. Giants homers twice off Carl Hubbell
- one of three Phillies to top 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the 1929 Phillies that allowed over 1000 runs and finished 5th in the National League

 

A power hitting first baseman, Frank O'Donnell Hurst, spent all but the 2nd half of his final season with the Phillies. Although that was ultimately only 6 full seasons he's still top 25 on the Phillies all-time homerun and RBI lists. It started with a solid rookie season in 1928 where he collected 19 homeruns and 64 RBIs. Then in 1929 he had an extraordinary sophomore season, blasting 31 homeruns and knocking in 125 runs. From there he went on to post 17 homeruns and 78 RBIs in 1930, 11 homeruns and 91 RBIs in 1931, and his last elite season in 1932 with 24 homeruns and 143 RBIs, still the 7th best single season RBI total in franchise history and the top mark in the national league that year. 1933 was his last full season and he managed just 8 homeruns and 76 RBIs. After just 2 homeruns and 21 RBIs through 40 games in 1934 the desperate Phillies decided to unload him while they still could. He was shipped to the Cubs for Dolph Camili, more on him later, where he played just another 51 games before Chicago realized he had nothing left and sent him down the minors. Hurst never returned to the majors after that, toiling in the minor leagues before retiring for good in 1939. Only the most ardent of Phillies historians know who he is now, but he was a truly imposing figure in his day and for that he fits right in on this list.

#18 Dolph Camili.

Career With Phillies:
92 homeruns(27) 333 RBIs (51)

Best Season:
1936 - .315 BA 28 homeruns 102 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:
 - 6/16/34 vs. Cardinals  homers off Dizzy Dean in back to back at bats
- 9/11/37 vs. Dodgers  homers off Waite Hoyt in back to back at bats
- 9/30/37 vs.  Giants  hits final homerun as a Phillie off Carl Hubbell

A heavy hitting first baseman, Adolph Louis Camilli, was one of the greatest sluggers of the 30s and early 40s. Unfortunately he only got things started in Philadelphia before enjoying his best days with the Dodgers. After the Cubs foolishly traded him away to the Phillies in 1934 he delivered 12 homeruns to lead the team and 68 RBIs in just 102 games, but the hopeless Phillies still wound up at the bottom of the standings. From this point on in his career he would never again finish a full season without at least 25 homeruns and 80 RBIs. In 1935, his first full season with the Phils, he bashed 25 homeruns, knocked in 83 runs, and even received MVP votes despite the Phils again finishing at the bottom of the standings. He had his best season with the Phillies in 1936 batting .315, his first season over .300, with 28 homeruns and 102 RBIs. He again received MVP votes despite the Phils finding themselves back at the bottom of the standings. Finally, in 1937, his swan song with the Phils, he batted .339, slugged .587, and collected 27 homeruns and 80 RBIs. Once again despite Camili's heroics, the Phils finished in the back end of the standings. Desperate for cash and with no hope of contending anytime soon, the Phils traded Camili before the 1938 season to the Dodgers for outfield prospect Eddie Morgan, and $45,000. Morgan never made it to the majors for the Phillies whose fortunes would not turn for another 13 years, while Camili flourished for contending Brooklyn for the next 5 years. Sometimes life just isn't fair.      

#17 Deron Johnson.

Career With Phillies:
88 homeruns(28)  304 RBIs(56)

Best Season:
1971 - .265 BA. 34 homeruns 95 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:
- 7/11/71 vs. Montreal  homers 3 times in one game, 4 consecutive at bats with a homerun going back to his final at bat the night before
- homeruns off hall of famers Tom Seaver, Juan Marichal, Don Sutton, and then Cardinal Steve Carlton
  

Well traveled Deron Roger Johnson gave the Phillies, his 5th of 8th MLB teams, a bright light in an otherwise dark era. He was a big swinging first basemen, are we sensing a pattern here, who gave the Phils 3 of his best seasons at a time when most thought his best years were behind him. A journeyman from the beginning, he failed as a prospect for the Yankees and A's before finally finding a home with the Reds in 1964. From 1964 to 1966 he topped 20 homeruns and 70 RBIs for 3 straight seasons. Then his numbers dipped to 13 homeruns and 53 RBIs in 1967, and Cincinnati, just beginning to assemble the big red machine, did not have room for a 28 year old possible has been. So they sent him to the Braves before the 1968 season. He was even worse in Atlanta with just 8 homeruns and 33 RBIs so before the 1969 season they let him go to the Phillies who needed him to replace the departed Dick Allen. Luckily for the Phils, Johnson rediscovered himself in a Philles uniform. In 1969 at age 30 he was reborn with 17 homeruns and 80 RBIs. In 1970 he upped that to 27 homeruns and 93 RBIs and received MVP votes despite playing for a team that narrowly avoided losing 100 games and finished ahead of only the expansion Expos. In 1971, the first year at the vet, he blasted a career best 34 homeruns and knocked in 95 runs, but this time the Phils finished dead last and the writing was on the wall for Johnson. He managed just 9 homeruns in 96 games the following season and the with Phils finally having pieces like Steve Carlton and some crazy kid named Schmidt to build around, he was dealt to Oakland for prospect Jack Backstable. The Phils were fortunate to have had him for the time that they did.

#16 Gavvy Cravath.

 Career With Phillies:
 117 homeruns(19) 676 RBIs(17)


 Best Season:
 1915 - 285 BA. 24 homeruns 115 RBIs


 Memorable Feats of Strength:
- Led the NL in homeruns a then record 6 times and 3 straight seasons from 1913-1915 and 1917-1919.
- Led the NL RBIs twice in 1913 and 1915
- Led the NL in slugging percentage twice in 1913 and 1915

- 8/14/13 vs. Cubs homers off 3 finger Brown in back to back innings
- 9/29/15 vs. Braves hits 3 run home run in pennant clinching game

Clifford Carlton "Gavvy" Cravath was the Phillies first true slugger and the national league's greatest slugger of the late deadball era. It is true that he was aided by the short right porch of his home field, the Baker Bowl, where he hit 92 of his 119 homeruns, but that should not take anything away from him. In any other era he would not have needed a short porch to hit homeruns and short porch or not what he accomplished in his career was nothing short of remarkable. He started out as an American League bust for the Red Sox, Senators, and White Sox from 1908-1909. He then went on to star for multiple minor league teams before finally getting a second chance in the majors with the Phillies in 1912 at age 31. He was an instant star for the Phils that year with 11 homeruns and 70 RBIs. The following year he assumed elite status in the National League, leading the way in hits(179), homeruns(19), RBIs(128), slugging percentage(.568), OPS(.974), and total bases(298), but the Phils just missed winning the pennant and he was subsequently robbed of an MVP award, finishing 2nd in the voting. He wasn't quite as good in 1914, but still lead the league in homeruns with 19 and knocked in another 100 runs. His 1915 season might just be the greatest in franchise history. At age 35 he led the NL in runs scored(89), homeruns(24) a then Phillies record, RBIs(115), walks(86), OBP(.393), slugging percentage(.510), OPS(.902), and total bases(266), all while helping the Phils to their first ever NL pennant. Despite all of that he was completely overlooked in the MVP voting, failing to secure a single vote. After a season like that there is no where to go but down and he did the next season with 11 homeruns and 70 RBIs while leading the league in strikeouts. He wasn't quite done yet though, returning to top the of the NL in homers in 1917 with 12 and 83 RBIs. He did it again in 1918 with 8 and 54 RBIs. Finally in 1919 at age 38 he led the league in homeruns one last time, blasting 12 homeruns, all at the Baker Bowl, and knocking in 45 runs in just 83 games. The end came the following season when he was fired as player-manager after just 46 games. At the time his 119 homeruns were the 4th highest total in history and his 117 as a Phillie was a franchise record before Cy Williams obliterated it. All of which begs the question why isn't he higher on the list? Well there is that short porch thing.

Coming soon : No.s 15-11. 

The Phillies 25 Greatest Sluggers

25 years ago Mike Schmidt hit his 500th career homerun at Three Rivers stadium in Pittsburgh and so what better time is there than now to celebrate the 25 greatest sluggers in Phillies history. Starting at #25 we'll reveal 5 every Monday until we reach #1. First before we start let's briefly review what makes a great slugger. There are the obvious factors of course, for example batting average doesn't matter here, but that doesn't mean it won't be mentioned. Of course homers and RBIs are the most important stats, but is it the quantity or quality of each that matters most? In part both need to be considered especially when dealing with players from different eras. In that guise it would have been unfair to use career homer and RBI numbers as the sole criteria for players making the list. Likewise single season numbers by themselves would not be a fair criteria for all without taking a player's era into consideration. So a player from the deadball era could be considered a slugger with as little as a 10 homer season whereas someone playing after the deadball era would not be given as much herald. Finally, what about individual awards and honors? Do they matter here? Not really. After all, the MVP award in each league is given to the best all round player who is most valuable to his team, not the best slugger. Sure there is the silver slugger award, but you only have to be the leading slugger at your position to win that, which in and of itself does not necessarily mean anything. For example, Jimmy Rollins won a silver slugger award in 2007 and he's not a slugger. In the end after considering all of the above I was left with the following criteria:

      1. Phillies career Homer and RBI numbers - while not always fair it's still a good starting point

      2. Best single season numbers - not necessarily fair either but still another good starting point

      3. Longevity - the more sterling seasons the better

      4. Years with the Phillies - A player had to have been with the Phils at least 2 years to be considered

      5.  Memorable feats - walkoffs, milestones, rare occurences, firsts etc; 

All that said and without further adieu I give you the Phillies 25 greatest sluggers: No.s 25-21.

 

#25 Pete Incaviglia

  Career With Phillies:

  53 homeruns (Phils rank 51) 163 RBIs (Phils rank  131)

    

  Best Season:

  1993 - 274 BA. 24 homeruns 89 RBIs  

   

  Memorable Feats of Strength:

   - Multiple homeruns into the upper deck at the vet

   - Game tying solo shot in game 1 of 1993 NLCS

 

In 11 years in the majors Peter Joseph "Inky" Incaviglia was the definition of a pure slugger. He couldn't and didn't try to hit for average, was a liability in the field and on the base paths, and finished with far more career strikeouts (1277) then hits (1043). Yet, few players were more popular than Incaviglia was in his time with the Phillies. In fact, he may have been the most beloved member of the most beloved team in franchise history, the 1993 Macho Row Phillies. Such was the fate of the Italian guy playing in a then heavily Italian section of the city and the Phils knew it too. After leaving the team following the strike shortened 1994 season, he was brought back in 1996 to boost the flagging ticket sales of a hopeless last place team and I am not ashamed to admit I went out to a game with my father just to see him play one more time. He didn't disappoint bashing a homerun into the upper deck. He was the greatest power hitter in the history of college baseball and still holds the single season homer and RBI records. That led the Expos to select him 8th overall in the 1985 MLB draft. They then sent him to the Rangers who brought him straight to the majors in 1986 where he hit 30 homers and won rookie of  the year. He had 4 more 20 homer years with the Rangers, but was never quite that good again and by the time the Phils got him in 1993 he was but a novelty act, the fat guy who comes off the bench just to hit homeruns. Save for one glorious season he really never amounted to more than that for the Phils. So how did he make this list anyway? Simple. The leading homerun hitter on the 1993 Phils and my all-time favorite player had to make the list somewhere.

#24 Willie Jones

Career With Phillies:

180 homeruns (12) 753 RBI (12)

Best Season:

1950 - .267 BA. 25 homeruns 88 RBIs

Memorable Feats of Strength:

- ripped RBI single off Don Newcombe in the 6th inning of the final game of the 1950 season, giving the Phils their only run in regulation before clinching the pennant in 10.

- 06/19/51 vs. Pirates. registered a home run and an inside the park home run in the same game, both off Murrey Dickson.

- 05/24/56 vs. Dodgers. took hall of famer Don Drysdale deep in back to back at bats.

Where does one begin with the story of Willie Edward Jones? There always two sides to it. There's the power hitter not too many remember and then there's the image of the boneheaded fielder that just won't go away even though the poor guy died over 25 years ago. Remembering what this list is about, let's start with the power hitter. Unlike most power hitters he was actually a contact hitter and did not strikeout much which served him well early in his career. From 1949, his first full season, to 1953 he enjoyed 5 straight seasons with at least 18 homeruns and 70 RBIs. By today's standards that may not sound like much, but in his day guys who could hit 20 homeruns in a season were few and far between. So to be right there for all those years was quite an impressive feat at the time. His power numbers tailed off a bit in 1954 with just 12 homeruns and 56 RBIs, before he rebounded with back to back seasons of 16+ homeruns and 70+ RBIs in 1955 and 1956. Injuries derailed his career after that, but perhaps his most impressive performance as a Phillie came in 1958, his last full season with the team, when he played through injuries to produce another 14 homeruns and 60 RBIs. His best seasons were by far 1950 and 1951, with 25 homeruns and 88 RBIs and 22 homeruns and 81 RBIs respectively. Although he was never quite that good again, the remarkable consistency with which he played throughout his career when healthy was more than enough to get him on the list. So why he is only #24? Well that's where the other side of the story comes in. As a fielder he made so many stupid plays, racking up 52 errors in his first 2 seasons alone, that he earned the still infamous nickname 'Puddin Head'. Some things you never live down. 

#23 Scott Rolen

Career With Phillies:

150 homeruns (14) 559 RBI (28)

Best Season: 

1998 - .290 BA 31 homeruns 110 RBI

Memorable Feats of Strength:

- Took Randy Johnson deep 8/17/98 and 04/04/2000 

-  Multiple homeruns off Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz 

Oh what might have been. Just try to imagine a Phillies infield consisting of Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard. How much sooner would the Phillies have gotten back to the playoffs and how many more rings would they have now were it Rolen patrolling the hot corner all these years, instead of Wes Helms, Pedro Feliz, and Placido Polanco? There would be no reason to wonder if Scott Bruce Rolen, had only struck around 3 more measly years. Instead he forced his way out in 2002 and is now universally hated by the same fans that once cheered him. It is truly a shame it had to end that way because it started out so well. After a decade and a half of god awful drafting - Brad Brink anyone - the Phillies got lucky with Rolen, finding him in the 2nd round of the 1993 draft. No one knew who he was then, but by the time he was ready to be called up to the majors in September of 1996 scouts had him pegged as the next Mike Schmidt, a power hitting 3rd baseman who could play flawless defense. Right from the beginning he really was the full package. In his rookie year, he blasted his way to 21 homeruns and 92 RBIs en route to rookie of the year honors. He was even better in 1998 with 31 homeruns and 110 RBIs and his first of 4 gold gloves as a Phillie. He struggled with injuries the next 2 seasons, but still managed 25+ homeruns and 70+ RBIs both years. Finally in 2001 after 4 losing seasons, the Phils built a winner around Rolen, and he delivered with 25 homeruns and 107 RBIs, collecting 3 homeruns and 21 RBIs in September and October with an NL East pennant on the line. In the end it wasn't enough as the Phils finished in 2nd place, 2 games behind the Braves. The losing returned the following season and Rolen could take it no more, forcing a trade to the contending Cardinals in late July. I hope he's happy now.

#22 Bobby Abreu

   Career With Phillies:

   195 homeruns(9) 814 RBIs(9)

   Best Season:

   2001 - .289 BA 31 homeruns 110 RBI

   Memorable Feats of Strength:

   - 2005 MLB all-star game home run derby champion

   - 5/24/2000 to 5/25/2000 vs. Astros homers in 3

   straight at bats over 2 days.

   - Like Scott Rolen, hit his last career home run as a Phillie  

  off Tom Glavine.

   - 8/27/2000 vs. Padres hit walkoff inside the park home run 

   off Aaron Fultz in the 10th inning of a tie game at the Vet.

Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu will always be a player Phillies fans remember more for what he didn't do, get the team to the playoffs, rather than what he did do, rewrite the Phillie's record books in almost every offensive

category. A true 5 tool player in his prime, Abreu coud hit for power and average, steal bases, and make all the plays in the outfield, but most Phillies' fans will tell you he seldom put all those tools to good use. They'll also tell you he wasn't a clutch performer and his inability to come up big late in the season cost the Phillies playoff berths again and again from 2003-2006. The fact that the Phillies finally breaking through to the postseason in 2007 almost literally coincided with him being traded away didn't help matters for him either. The sad truth is that all the criticisms were far from reality. He didn't go all out every night because he was so gifted athletically that he really didn't have to and he wasn't the only guy who failed in the big games in those early years. If there is one thing we can all agree on it is that he didn't hit for nearly as much power in a Phillies uniform as he could have because he simply didn't try to, preferring instead to hit ball the other way to rack up hits and keep up his average. When he did pull the ball though it usually went a long way. From 1999 to 2005 he enjoyed 7 straight seasons with at least 20 homeruns and in 4 of those 7 seasons he eclipsed 100 RBIs. He only reached the 30 homer plateau twice, in 2001 and 2005, but both years he recorded 30 steals becoming the Phillies only two time member of the 30-30 club. Put all that together and you'll find a player who is top 10 in Phillies history in all 3 major power categories, RBIs(9th), homeruns(9th), and Slugging Percentage(5th). So it was a no brainer to put him on this list, but unfortunately being the king of stats in the regular season only gets you so far here.

#21 Jayson Werth

Career With Phillies:

95 homeruns(25) 300 RBI(59)

Best Season:

2009 - .268 BA 36 homeruns 99 RBI

Memorable Feats of Strength:

- Phillies' record 11 career postseason homeruns

- 7 home runs in the 2009 postseason

- 5/16/2008 vs. Toronto homers in 3 consecutive at bats in 1 game and knocks in Phillies' record tying 8 RBIs

- Blasted the winning home run in the top of the 9th of game 5 of the 2010 NLCS

It is mindblowing to consider just how much Jayson Richard Gowan Werth did in a such a short time in a Phillies uniform. A first round pick by the Orioles in the 1997 draft at just 18 years old, he was a can't miss prospect by the time he ascended to the majors with the Blue Jays in 2000. Unfortunately things didn't work out with Toronto or the Dodgers with whom he spent 2 injury plagued seasons. After having his entire 2006 campaign wiped out by injuries, the Phils decided to give him one more chance and it was worth it. In just 94 games in a backup role he batted .298 with 8 homeruns and  49 RBI and was a key cog on the team that chased down the Mets from 7 games back in September. He began 2008 again as a backup, but ironically it would be injuries, first to Shane Victorino then to Geoff Jenkins, that would finally allow Werth the opportunity to play full time. He took full advantage amassing 24 homeruns and 67 RBIs to help the Phils to a 2nd straight NL East title. He then bashed 2 homers in the postseason, including 1 in game 5 of the world series as the Phillies won their first world title in 25 years. In the Phillies opening day lineup for the first time, he shifted into another gear in 2009 with 36 homeruns and 99 RBIs as the Phils rolled to their 3rd straight division title. From there he racked up 7 homeruns in the postseason while the Phils romped to their 2nd straight NL title. His numbers dipped a bit in 2010 with 27 homeruns and 85 RBIs, but that was enough to help the Phillies to a 4th straight NL East title. A 3rd straight trip to the NLCS ensued, but this time despite Werth's best efforts, with 2 homeruns including the game winner in game 5, the Phils fell short. He became a free agent after that and the Phillies, needing to cut payroll to reacquire Cliff Lee, were unable to convince him to stay. Instead he took the money and ran to Washington. Still, that's 4 straight NL East titles, 3 straight trips to the NLCS, 2 NL titles, and a world title in 4 years, all with Werth in the middle of everything. To date the Phils have yet to truly replace him.

Check back in next week for No.s 20-16.

SIXERS NEWS

Thad Young will be back with the Sixers this season as he signed a 5 year $42 million deal with them today.

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FLYERS NEWS

7 different Flyers registered points as the Flyers jumped to a 3-0 lead before holding for a 3-2 defeat of the Pens behind 25 saves by Ilya Bryzgalov. With the win the Flyers move into first place in the Atlantic division all by their lonesome.

SIXERS NEWS

Veteran backup center Tony Battie will return to the Sixers this season.

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FLYERS NEWS

The Flyers trailed 3-0 early, rallied back to take a 4-3 lead behind 3 straight assists from Claude Giroux, blew that lead with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period and finally won just a couple minutes into OT as Giroux broke away and scored unassisted to cap a wild 5-4 win over the Sabres.

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