Phillies legend Shane Victorino to retire with organization
The Flyin’ Hawaiian is officially hanging up his cape with the Phillies
Shane Victorino announced Tuesday morning he will sign a one-day contract with the Phillies and officially retire on August 3 against the Marlins to kick-off Alumni Weekend.
Victorino made the official announcement on KHON2 in Las Vegas, where he currently resides.
The 37-year-old Hawaiian native hasn’t played a major league game since 2015 after playing 38 games for the Angels. He remained in playing shape waiting for an opportunity, but back surgeries limited the four-time Gold Glove winner’s availability.
Victorino was an intricate part of the Phillies 2008 World Series championship manning center field with elite defense and speed. In eight seasons with the Phillies Victorino hit .279 with 181 doubles, 63 triples, and 88 home runs, while also stealing 179 bases.
Victorino’s 82.11% stolen base rate is the fourth-best in Phillies history behind Chase Utley, Doug Glanville, and Jimmy Rollins.
He won three of his four Gold Gloves with the Phillies and earned his only two All-Star selections while wearing the red pinstripes. Twice Victorino led the league in triples, including 16 in 2011 when he finished 13th in the MVP vote.
He’ll be most remembered for hitting a go-ahead grand slam against Milwaukee Brewers pitcher C.C. Sabathia in game two of the 2008 NLDS in Philadelphia.
At the trade deadline in 2012 Victorino became one of the first major pieces of the championship team to be dealt at the start of the rebuild. He was sent back to the Dodgers, where the Phillies added him in the Rule 5 Draft, for three prospects who never materialized as major league players: Josh Lindblom, Ethan Martin, and Stefan Jarrin.
Victorino went on to win a second World Series championship with the Boston Red Sox before finishing his career in Los Angeles.
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Victorino’s retirement will be the first of several ceremonies during the first weekend of August. The late Roy Halladay and former general manager Pat Gillick will be inducted onto the Wall of Fame, and the 2008 World Series team will be remembered on the 10 year anniversary.