Phillies Wall of Fame candidate: Second baseman Manny Trillo
Why Trillo shouldn’t make the Wall of Fame
When considering who to make the Wall of Fame, many think of longevity as being a prerequisite. If using that as part of the criteria, Trillo falls short after playing a relatively short four seasons with the Phillies. Jim Thome and Roy Halladay are the only players on the Wall of Fame who only spent four seasons as a Phillie, and they were both first-ballot Hall of Famers, while Trillo never received a single vote.
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In terms of rankings among second basemen in franchise history, Trillo also falls short, mainly due to his lack of longevity. He ranks 14th in games and hits, 17th in runs and home runs, 15th in doubles and 16th in home runs.
Trillo never reached 30 doubles or 10 home runs of 50 RBI in any season with the Phillies.
Trillo only racked up 150 hits once. Even his 162 game averages of six home runs, 52 runs batted in. and .277 batting average isn’t Wall of Fame worthy.
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So where does this place Trillo? Does his defensive play during his time with the Phillies and 1980 NLCS trump his overall weak offensive performance over four years? What names do people come up with when thinking of the top second baseman in franchise history? Chase Utley leads the way, followed by Tony Taylor, Juan Samuel, and Manny Trillo. Taylor is on the Wall of Fame, as is Samuel. Utley is a lock to make it, and Trillo rightfully should have his spot among the best at his position.