| Tony Phillips | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Phillips with the Oakland Athleticsc. 1986 | |||||||||||||||
| Outfielder /Infielder | |||||||||||||||
| Born:(1959-04-25)April 25, 1959 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
| Died: February 17, 2016(2016-02-17) (aged 56) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 10, 1982, for the Oakland Athletics | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| August 15, 1999, for the Oakland Athletics | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .266 | ||||||||||||||
| Hits | 2,023 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 160 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 819 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Keith Anthony Phillips (April 25, 1959 – February 17, 2016) was an American professionalbaseballutility player who had an 18-yearMajor League Baseball (MLB) career from 1982 to 1999. He played regularly atsecond base, but also had significant time as ashortstop andthird baseman. In addition, Phillips showed his versatility with over 100 game appearances in theoutfield corners and as adesignated hitter.
Phillips played baseball and other sports for theRoswell High School Hornets inRoswell, Georgia. He played basketball in a brief year at New Mexico Military Institute (with teammate and former NBA player Lewis Lloyd). He is the uncle of professional football playerJermaine Phillips.[1]
On March 27, 1981, Phillips was traded from the Padres along with third basemanKevin Bell and pitcher Eric Mustad to the Athletics for pitchersBob Lacey and Roy Meretti. Phillips became the first member of the Oakland Athletics tohit for the cycle, going 5-for-5 against theBaltimore Orioles on May 16, 1986.[2] Phillips also tied the American League record for most assists in a game (12) on July 6, 1986, against the Brewers.[3] In 1988, he had a poor year, hitting just .203 over 212 at bats, and the Athletics lost to theLos Angeles Dodgers in theWorld Series with Phillips striking out againstOrel Hershiser for the final out of the series. However, in 1989 he boosted his average to .262 and the A's swept theSan Francisco Giants to win theWorld Series. Phillips made the last out of the 1989 World Series when he fielded a ground ball off the bat ofBrett Butler and then threw toDennis Eckersley covering first base to clinch the series.
Phillips left Oakland after 1989 to join theDetroit Tigers. His offensive production surged with Detroit: he became proficient at drawing walks, leading theAmerican League in 1993 with 132 after posting 114 in 1992. His 114 runs scored in 1992 were a league best, and he followed that up with 113 runs scored in 1993. His 1993 season was recognized with a 16th-place finish in theMLB Most Valuable Player Award vote.Also, his 1993 season was unique in that he became one of only two players to ever have 100 or more of hits, walks, runs, and strikeouts in a season where the player hit less than 10 homers (the other beingChone Figgins in 2009).
After hitting 19home runs and drawing another 95 walks in 1994, Phillips was traded to theCalifornia Angels forChad Curtis in April 1995, with the season yet to start due to the1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. He set a career-best mark that year with 27 homers, but drove in just 61 runs due to batting lead-off, and walked 113 times.
1996 saw Phillips move on to theChicago White Sox, with whom he drew 125 walks, most in the league, and scored 119 runs for the second year in a row. Phillips returned to the Angels via a trade withChad Kreuter forJorge Fábregas andChuck McElroy partway through the 1997 season and drew 102 walks, his third year in a row and fifth year out of six with over 100. In 1998 he played with theToronto Blue Jays, who traded him to theNew York Mets forLeo Estrella, and then signed on with the A's for his final season in 1999.
In his 18-year, 2161 game major league career, Phillips had a cumulativeWAR of 50.9 and anOPS of .763. His best one year WAR was 5.2 and his lifetime defensive WAR was a respectable 6.3. Phillips' lifetimeOBP was .374. In addition, he posted a .266batting average (2023-for-7617) with 1300runs, 360doubles, 50triples, 160home runs, 819RBI, 177stolen bases and 1319base on balls. He finished his career with a .968fielding percentage. In 13 postseason games, in 1988 and '89, he hit .217 (10-for-46) with 1 home run and 4 RBI.[4]
Phillips played third base for theYuma Scorpions of the independentNorth American League until the team folded in 2012. He played alongside former Athletics teammateJose Canseco.[5] In August 2011, 52-year-old Phillips was involved in an altercation with former Scorpions managerMike Marshall, then with theChico Outlaws. Phillips punched Marshall in the face during the incident, causing the latter to press battery charges against the infielder.[6] He also came out of retirement to play for thePittsburg Mettle in thePacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs in 2015.[7]
On August 10, 1997, Phillips was arrested in Anaheim and charged with buying a small quantity of freebasecocaine.[8] He had been found by police in a hotel room with $30 worth of cocaine and a pipe used to smoke it.[9]
Phillips pleaded guilty to one count of felony cocaine possession, with the charge subject to dismissal if he completed drug counseling and then stayed drug-free for a year. As Phillips met those conditions, the charge was dismissed by anOrange County, California, judge in May 1999.[9]
Phillips died in Arizona of an apparent heart attack on February 17, 2016.[10][11]
| Achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle May 16, 1986 | Succeeded by |
