PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils are off today so it is time to continue our countdown of the Phils top 25 most memorable player nicknames, No.s 20-16.

20. "The Dude" aka CF Lenny Dykstra.
When the stakes were at their highest was there ever a more cool calm and collected character than Dykstra. 3 times in his career he received MVP votes, despite never hitting more than 19 hrs in a season. No, instead he set the table for others as well as anyone ever has. For the Phils he had 2 great seasons and and then back injuries limited his career from there. In 1990 he nearly won the NL batting title with a .325 average. It was 1993 though that stands out as his best. He batted .305 with 194 hits, 143 runs scored, 129 walks, a .420 on base percentage, 37 stolen bases, 307 total bases, a.902 OPS, 19 HRs and 66 RBIs. It was arguably the greatest season any leadoff hitter has ever had, and yet he was left off the all-star team and finished 2nd in the mvp voting to some guy named Bonds. Still perhaps the most indelible mark of his cool under pressure was left that season, in game 4 of the world series, in which he delivered a performance that may never be forgotten, with 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, and 4 runs scored for unfortunately the losing team. Yes he simply was a cool "Dude" under pressure.

19. "Mr. Stats" aka RF Bobby Abreu.
What else do you call a guy who is his teams active leader in virtually every statistical offensive category and he was just a couple years ago. Even now He is still near the top in several categories. Unfortunately, for the all stats he put up he could never lift the team into the playoffs. He also seemed to always be simply trying to get on base, even in situations in which he could drive in runs. Also his defense, which should have been great, considering his strong arm and ability to cover a lot of ground, always it seemed a bit too lackadaisical. Thus the fans gave him an unfair rap as choker and labeled him as Mr.Stats as if to say he cared more about bolstering his stats then helping the team win. The truth is the game just came so easily to him that he didn't need to exert much effort at times and in fact he did come through in several clutch situations. If you look at his numbers they rank him as one of the Phils all-time greats, with a .304 average, 195 hrs, 814 RBIs, and 1474 hits. Sadly today though, most Philly fans don't see him that way.

18. "Dutch" aka C Darren Daulton.
The unquestioned leader of the 1993 Phils, Daulton was a triple threat. He could handle pitchers better than any Phils Catcher ever has, he could hit with a league best 109 RBIs in 1992, and he could the make the ladies swoon even though they knew he was married. As a 25th round pick of the Phillies in 1980, that he made it to the big leagues at all is a testiment to his work ethic. He instilled that in his 1993 teammates and would except no less than their best. Sure Jim Fregosi was the manager of the 1993 Phils, but it was Daulton who really managed his teammate's egos. If anyone stepped out of line, they were sure to hear from an angry Daulton. Dutch, which is slang for anger or temper, thus fits him perfectly because that's what he used to lead his teammates to the brink of a world title. Unfortunately, chronic sore knees ruined his career after 1994, and prevented him from building a longer, greater career. Still he is regarded by many as one of all-time great catchers and perhaps the best leader the Phils ever had.

17. "Sarge" aka OF Gary Matthews.
There is one reason and one reason only that Matthews earns this nickname, his big mouth. You can still hear it now every night during Phillies game telecasts and like the energizer bunny it just keeps going and going and just when you think it is going to stop it starts again. Like a sargeant addressing his men, you can always hear his voice above everyone else's. On other hand, Matthews liked to hit almost as much as he liked to talk, and his overall numbers are pretty good, with 234 HRs, 978 RBIs, and 2011 hits. So good and so clutch was his hitting at times that 4 times in his career he recieved MVP votes, finishing as high as 5th in 1984. He was also the Phils 1983 NLCS MVP, batting .429 and bashing 3 HRs in the series including the homers that sealed victory in games 3 and 4. Yet, he is mostly forgotten among Phils fans and baseball fans. So many players are mentioned as guys who should be in the hall of fame, but never Matthews although his numbers should receive some consideration. Of course as much as he talks someone will surely hear him someday.

16. "Bedrock" aka P Steve Bedrosian.
Solid as a rock in the back of the bullpen, Bedrosian goes down as one of the most beloved closers in Phils history, despite never having played for a winning team. He put together 3 of the best seasons from 1986-1988 that any Phils closer ever has, with at least 28 saves, an ERA under 4 and 5 wins every year, impressive numbers for teams that weren't very good. The best of those 3 seasons was 1987 in which he compiled 40 saves, a 2.83 ERA, 5 wins, and 74 strikeouts, and became one of only a handful of relievers to win a CY Young award. That same year he made his 1st and only all-star game appearance. Unfortunately, the last place Phils were forced to ship him away in 1989 to the Giants and he was never quite as good again. In fact he was only an okay pitcher before he came to the Phils and just so after leaving the Phils, which makes him one of the few players to have actually played better while with the Phillies than after leaving them. Maybe that's why the fans loved him so much, because he loved them too.

15-11