Philadelphia Phillies: 50 greatest players of all-time

Greg Luzinski was drafted by the Phillies 11th over in the 1968 MLB June Amateur Draft.  He made his Major League debut as a 19-year old on Sept. 9, 1970.  After going 2-for-12 in 1970, Luzinski hit .300 in 100 at-bats in 1971 with eight doubles and three home runs.  In his first full season of 1972, Luzinski hit .281 with 33 doubles and 18 home runs.

He became one of the biggest power threats in the league in 1973, hitting 29 home runs.  His best run in the Major Leagues came from 1975 through 1978 when he made four consecutive All-Star teams. Luzinski finished second in the MVP race in 1975 when he belted 34 home runs with a league-leading 120 RBI and a .300 average.

Luzinski’s best season came in 1977 when he hit .309 with 39 home runs and 130 RBI. He followed that with 35 home runs and 101 RBI. Luzinski’s numbers quickly declined over the next two seasons, hitting a combined 37 home runs with 137 RBI.

A part of the 1980 World Series Championship team, Luzinski was not part of the 1981 team, having been traded to the Chicago White Sox.  He surpassed the 100 RBI mark in 1982, the fourth time he accomplished that feat.  His best season in Chicago was 1983 when posted his fourth season of at least 30 home runs, blasting 32 with 95 RBI.

Luzinski retired after the 1984 season with 307 home runs and 1,128 RBI.  He ranks seventh in franchise history in home runs and 12th in RBI.  Luzinski was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1998.

A fan favorite in Philadelphia, he opened “Bull’s Barbecue” in Citizens Bank Park and can often be seen around the stadium.