Philadelphia Phillies: 50 greatest players of all-time
player. 6. . 1B. 1989-94. John Kruk. 34
An all-time fan favorite, John Kruk was one of the great players on the wacky, wonderful 1993 Phillies pennant team. A third-round pick of the San Diego Padres, Kruk was traded to the Phillies in 1989 with Randy Ready for Chris James.
In his first 81 games with Philadelphia, Kruk hit .331 with a .859 OPS, impressive considering the trade. James had been a Rookie of the Year candidate with big home run potential who never panned out after leaving Philadelphia.
Kruk earned his first of three consecutive All-Star selections in 1991 and had another very productive season at the plate.
In 1992, Kruk had his best hitting season, highlighted by a .323 batting average and a .423 on-base percentage. It was the second of three times in his career he walked more than he struck out.
During the 1993 pennant season, Kruk’s hot bat continued to carry the Phillies offense. Not only was he recognized with an All-Star selection, but his third consecutive season with MVP votes.
The 1093 postseason was Kruk’s only playoff experience, but it didn’t show on the box score. Kruk hit .298 with nine RBI and 11 walks in 12 postseason games and hit .348 in the World Series.
Kruk hit at least .290 in nine of his 10 major league seasons, but he didn’t make the big leagues until he was 25, battled cancer and retired at 34 with the Chicago White Sox.
Kruk’s career .400 on-base percentage with the Phillies is the sixth-best in franchise history. His .309 average is 12th all-time. He rates in the 25 in 14 career offensive categories in Phillies history, and was inducted onto the Wall of Fame in 2011.