Philly Sports Jabronis
By Jon Allison
My first memories of Philadelphia sports are all different. For the Eagles, it was the Fog Bowl. For the Flyers, it was Ron Hextall going after Chris Chelios in the 1989 Playoffs. And the Sixers, basically just Charles being Charles.
But my first Phillies memory was something off the field. It was Mike Schmidt retiring, at a press conference on the West Coast, filled with tears and sadness. It would not get much better for the Phillies that year, as they would finish in last place. But I remember, after Schmidt’s press conference, that I watched nearly every game not aired on the channel Prism. And even the Prism games, I would watch the scrambled picture with the crystal clear sound until bedtime. The 10-year old me had great hope for the Phillies.
The 36-year-old version of me is going to need a little of that hopeless optimism this year, as this Phillies team – trickled with the ghosts of past success – takes the field. Sure, Cole Hamels is still there, and the bullpen was solid last year, but other than that? Yikes. The state of the 2015 Phillies is based summed up in comparing these two state lines:
Stat Line No. 1: .268 average, 19 HR, 123 RBI, .670 OPS
Stat Line No. 2: .298 average, 31 HR, 98 RBI, .922 OPS
Stat Line No. 1 is the projected cumulative stats for projected Phillies outfielders Domonic Brown, Odubel Herrera, and Ben Revere. Stat Line No. 2 is Mike Trout. Just him. The thought of this is best summed up with this picture:
It was not that long ago that the Phillies sent three outfielders – Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, and Raul Ibanez, to the 2009 All-Star game. Since that time, Werth left as a free agent, Victorino was dealt in one of Ruben Amaro’s great prospect hauls (read in sarcastic tone), and Ibanez flamed out but still put up decent power numbers up until 2013.
And now we’re left with enigmatic Brown, who plays outfield like a free safety at times and hits like he has somewhere else to be; Herrera, a Rule 5 draftee; and Revere, who led the league in hits but still struggles to get on base, hit with any level of gap power, and exerts maximum arm strength just to hit a cut-off man.
Yes, as Phillies fans, we’ve been spoiled for about six years of good baseball. We’ve seen a preview of what’s to come the last three years. But now, it’s going to get bad. Real bad. Late ‘80s, most of ‘90s, early ‘00s bad.
You think these outfielders aren’t good? Well, they aren’t. For those of you who can’t recall the lean years as well as I unfortunately can, here are some of the worst seasons put together by Phillies outfielders during the lean years.
No. 1: Bob Dernier, 1989 Phillies, age 32
Key stats: 107 games, .171 batting average, 1 HR, 13 RBI
Phillies record: 67-95
Dernier had two tours of duty with the Phils sandwiched between a more memorable time with the Cubs, including a Gold Glove and top-20 MVP season for the 1984 Eastern Division champions. But his final season with the Phillies was pretty awful. His lone highlight, though, was a game-winning, three-run inside-the-park home run against the eventual NL Champion Giants. A great call by Harry Kalas also features Dickie Thon and Steve Lake … good lord, that 1989 team was bad! Denier would later spend time as a coach with the Cubs.
No. 2: Carmelo Martinez, 1990 Phillies, age 29
Key stats: 71 games, .242 batting average, 8 HR, 31 RBI
(traded to Pittsburgh at end of August)
Phillies record: 77-85
The Phillies big acquisition in the 1989-90 offseason, Martinez was affable, if anything. Better served playing first base, I recall him missing a fly ball by about 25 feet after losing it in the lights at Fulton County Stadium. Was dealt at the Aug. 31 deadline for a package that included Wes Chamberlain. Martinez would bounce around, toiling with the Reds and Royals and is now the Cubs’ Latin American field coordinator.
No. 3: Von Hayes, 1991 Phillies, age 32
Key stats: 77 games, .225 batting average, 0 HR, 21 RBI
Phillies record: 78-84
The face of the late ‘80s Phillies futility, Hayes’ 1991 home run total is well represented by this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V3CfD8TPac. Not much to say beyond that. Surprisingly, the Phillies were able to swing a deal in the offseason that sent Hayes to the Angels, bringing back Kyle Abbott and…
No. 4: Ruben Amaro, 1992 Phillies, age 27
Key stats: 126 games, .219 batting average, 7 HR, 34 RBI
Phillies record: 72-90
RAJ had a miserable 1992 season as an outfielder. But at least he owns one nice (sarcasm) suit. Photo Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
Before he screwed up the Phillies off the field, Amaro did enough damage on it. He was acquired for Hayes, who would ultimately be cut by the Angels in mid-1992. When Lenny Dykstra went down on opening day with a broken wrist, Amaro filled in admirably for the first few weeks, but was ultimately a wash as the season wore on. He spent much of the next year in the minors, and prior to 1994 he was dealt to Cleveland for Heathcliff Slocumb, who was ultimately dealt to Boston a few years later for a package that included …
No. 5: Lee Tinsley, 1996 Phillies, age 27
Key stats: 31 games, .135 batting average, 0 HR, 2 RBI
(traded back to Boston mid-season)
Phillies record: 67-95
The vicious cycle continues! Tinsley came to the Phils along with Glenn Murray and Ken Ryan for Slocumb, who turned in an All Star season for the 1995 Phillies. Tinsley brought speed and little else, as he couldn’t get on base with the Phillies unless someone else did it for him first. While Slocumb would be a bust in Boston, he was ultimately sent to Seattle for Jason Varitek and Derrick Lowe. I’d say the Sox were ultimately happy with this swap.
No. 6: Derrick May, 1997 Phillies, age 28
Key stats: 83 games, .228 batting average, 1 HR, 13 RBI
(released in August)
Phillies record: 68-94
Kids, this one is personal. Fathers Day, June 15, 1997. I returned from senior week of high school specifically so my brother and I could take our dad and great uncle to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays, in what I recall was the first interleague series the Phillies had ever played. We’re in right field, 500 level. May, from nearby Delaware, was in right field when he made a play on the ball that can only be described as awftrocious,* letting a ball one-hop in front of him as two runs scored. The Phillies lost 11-1, and it took them another seven weeks until they finally released Derrick May.
*Yes, I just made up a word. I could not accurately use a real word to describe how horrible a play that was.
No. 7: Rob Ducey, 2000 Phillies, age 35
Key stats, Part 1: 70 games, .189 batting average, 6 HR, 20 RBI
Key stats, Part 2: 42 games, .217 batting average, 0 HR, 5 RBI
(traded in July, required in August)
Phillies record: 65-97
Ducey was kind of sort of traded for himself once. Photo Credit: SkoodSports.com
Ducey was bad not once, but twice for the Phillies in 2000. The Phillies went into that season with high hopes, acquiring Andy Ashby in the offseason. But Curt Schilling started the year hurt and the Phillies never recovered. Probably playing more than he should have, Ducey displayed enough pop for the Toronto Blue Jays to trade for him near the July deadline. It only took the Blue Jays five games to realize that they shouldn’t have, and somehow the Phillies were interested in re-acquiring him two weeks after they traded him in a deal for Mickey Morandini. Ducey would survive for another year with the Phillies, and currently serves as a coach within the organization.
No. 8: Doug Glanville, 2001 Phillies, age 30
Key stats: 153 games, .262 batting average, 14 HR, 55 RBI, .285 OBP
Phillies record: 86-76
Glanville’s Phillies career produced solid seasons in 1998 and 1999, but his game started to tail off as we went past Y2K. While he showed pop in 2001, his OBP was awful, especially for someone batting leadoff (see also Revere, B.). Additionally, while he covered solid ground in center, his arm left a lot to be desired (see also Revere, B.). Glanville would eventually be let go as a free agent in 2003, and would return to the Phillies for one final year in 2004 in a bench role. He now works for ESPN.
No. 9: Pat Burrell, 2003 Phillies, 2003 Phillies, age 26
Key stats: 146 games, .209 batting average, 21 HR, 64 RBI
Phillies record: 86-76
Late 2000s Phillies fans are probably wondering how in the world I could ever have Pat the Bat on this list. Well, Burrell was pretty bad in 2003. Fresh off a new $50 million contract, Burrell proceeded to bat well under .200 for most of the season, and was particularly salty to boot. Phillies fans remained supportive of him during his struggles, and he eventually developed well into a No. 5 batter as the team rose to success. Nonetheless, Burrell’s career still features a lot of what-ifs. He’ll be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame this summer.
No. 10: Endy Chavez, 2005 Phillies, age 27
Key stats: 91 games, .215 batting average, 0 HR, 10 RBI
Phillies record: 88-74
I’ll admit. I forgot Endy Chavez ever played for the Phillies, that’s how forgettable his time was. Um … he did make that catch for Mets in the NLCS in 2006. That was cool, I guess.
Honorable Mention: So Taguchi, 2008 Phillies, age 38
Key stats: 88 games, .220 batting average, 0 HR, 9 RBI
Phillies record: 92-70, World Serie s Champions
Believe it or not, one of the worst Phillies outfield seasons came from a member of their 2008 World Series team. Taguchi had been a solid if unspectacular player for the St. Louis Cardinals, and was expected to serve the same role for the Phillies. Save for a game-winning hit against the Mets, Taguchi was ultimately brushed aside for Eric Bruntlett, who served as Burrell’s defensive replacement down the stretch.
Worthy for future discussion: Dwayne Murphy, Sil Campusano, Ricky Otero, Wendell MaGee, Jr., Midre Cummings, Tom Marsh, Gary Varsho, Kevin Sefcik, John Mayberry, Michael Martinez, Ross Gload, Delmon Young, Roger Bernadina.
Follow author Jon Allison @jallison97
Follow Philly Sports Jabronis @PhillySortsJab
