Throughout the 134-year history of the Philadelphia Phillies, there have been numerous good players manning the second base position.Here we name the top five second basemen in team history.
5- Mickey Morandini (1990 -1997, 2000)
Mickey Morandini became a starter in 1992 and was one of the key pieces in the 1993 team that defied odds to win the National League Championship. He was an All-Star in 1995 when he hit .283 with 34 doubles. Morandini posted a career-high 26 stolen bases in 1996 and career-high 40 doubles with a .295 average in 1997.
Always a plus defensive player, Mickey Morandini posted three seasons with a fielding percentage of .990 or higher. He was traded to the Cubs for Doug Glanville following the 1997 season and returned to the Phillies in 2000, batting .252 in 91 games.
Mickey Morandini ranks fifth in team history among second basemen in hits, sixth in runs, stolen bases, and triples.
4- Manny Trillo (1979 -1982)
Playing just four seasons with the Phillies, Trillo was a Gold Glove Award winner three times and an integral part of the franchise’s first World Championship in 1980.
Trillo hit .292 with 25 doubles and won the Silver Slugger award in 1980. He hit .381 in the National League Championship against the Houston Astros, knocking in four runs and took home series MVP honors. Known mostly for his defense, Trillo gunned down runners trying to score late in Game 5 of the NLCS and Game 5 of the World Series.
Manny Trillo once again won the Silver Slugger Award in 1981 and had another All-Star appearance in 1982. He was traded to the Indians in December 1982 in a multiplayer deal bringing Von Hayes to the Phillies.
3- Juan Samuel (1983 – 1989)
Juan Samuel began his career in 1983 on a Phillies team known as the “Wheeze Kids” who defied age and went to the World Series featuring Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Tony Perez, Pete Rose and Joe Morgan. Samuel showed promise in 18 games that season before posting eye-opening numbers the next four.
From 1984 through 1987, Samuel averaged 35 doubles, 15 triples, 20 home runs, 80 RBI and 51 stolen bases a season. He was an All-Star twice and lead the league in triples twice.
Samuel finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1984 and had his best season in his career in 1987, in which he had 37 doubles, 15 triples, 28 home runs, and 100 RBI.
Juan Samuel was traded to the Mets during the 1989 season and finished his Phillies career first in stolen bases among second basemen, first in triples, second in home runs and fourth in runs scored.
Had his career with the Phillies lasted longer, Samuel would have been second on this list.
2- Tony Taylor (1960 – 1971, 1974 – 1976)
A fan favorite during his time as a player, Tony Taylor is the franchise leader in games played at second base. He had seven seasons with 20 or more doubles and five with 20 or more stolen bases.
Taylor is second in franchise history among second basemen behind Chase Utley in hits, runs, doubles and triples. Taylor received consideration for MVP honors in 1963 when he hit .281 with 102 runs scored, 20 doubles, 10 triples, and 23 stolen bases.
Taylor spent many seasons the first base coach for the Phillies. He received one of the team’s highest honor in 2002 when inducted into the Wall of Fame.
1 – Chase Utley (2003 – 2015)
Utley started his career with a bang and displayed his hard-nosed play in the process. He belted a grand slam for his first Major League hit and put his head down and ran hard around the bases, likely in near record time. He became the full-time starter in 2005 and for the next five seasons hit .301 with a .910 OPS and averaged 39 doubles, 25 home runs and 101 RBI per season.
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Utley was an All-Star from 2005 through 2009 and was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career before injuries set in, due to his gritty throw-back style of play. He hit 67 home runs over the next five injury-plagued seasons and to the dismay of many, was traded to the Dodgers in 2015.
Arguably the most beloved Phillie of this era and perhaps of all time, Utley received a 90-second standing ovation in his first at-bat as a Dodger in his return to Philadelphia. In Utley fashion, he launched two home runs in that game, including a grand slam. Not a surprise, the fans responded demanding a curtain call on both occasions. Even this season upon his return, Utley received standing ovations in his first at-bat of each game.
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All told, the greatest second baseman in club history was a six-time All-Star who hit .282 with 346 doubles, 233 home runs, 916 RBI, 142 stolen bases in 160 attempts and 1623 hits with the Phillies. Expect Chase Utley to be quickly added to the Phillies Wall of Fame after his retirement.