Phillies 1980’s All-Decade Team: Hall of Fame Legends Lead the Way

Who leads the Phillies on the 1980’s all-decade team?

The decade of the 1980’s had some of the very best and the very worst baseball in Phillies history. From the first World Series Championship team in 1980 and “Wheez Kids” of 1983, to the 1988 and 1989 teams that struggled to avoid losing 100 games, the decade had it all.

Here we take a look at the top players at each position from 1980 to 1989.

Bo Diaz

Diaz took over the starting catcher role for the Philllies in 1982 after Bob Boone’s contract was sold to the California Angels. He gets the nod over Boone and Ozzie Virgil, who put up similar numbers during his tenure in Philadelphia. Diaz has the edge as a better defensive catcher and starter for the 1983 NL Championship team.

From 1982 through 1985, Diaz hit .256 with 36 home runs and 174 RBI in a Phillies uniform. He put together his best season in his Major League career in 1982 with 151 hits, 29 doubles, 18 home runs, 85 RBI, and a batting average of .288, all career highs.

As the starting catcher for the 1983 “Wheez Kids”, Diaz had a solid 15 home runs and 64 RBI, while supplying solid defensive play. Although the Phillies fell in the World Series to the Orioles in five games, Diaz was very productive, hitting .333 in 15 at-bats.

Diaz played in just 53 games for the Phillies in 1984 and 1985 hitting .212 with three home runs in 151 at-bats. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on August 5, 1985 for Tom Foley, Alan Knicely, and Fred Toliver.

Honorable Mention: Bob Boone, Ozzie Virgil

Pete Rose

Rose was a 38-year old veteran when he signed with the Phillies in 1979. Although the Phillies didn’t get over the top in Rose’s first season in Philadelphia, Rose proved to have plenty left in the tank, hitting .331 with a league-high .418 on-base percentage. The next year, the Rose led the Phillies to their first World Series Championship in franchise history.

During the championship season, Rose made his 14th All-Star appearance and hit .282 with 42 doubles, leading the league.  Thriving in the big moment, Rose hit .400 in the NLCS against the Astros.

In 1981, Rose led the strike-shortened season with 140 hits and hit .325, surpassing the .300 mark for the 15th time during his career.  Rose’s batting average dropped in 1982, but still hit a respectable .271 playing in all 162 games with only 32 strikeouts in 720 plate appearances.

Rose showed a noticeable decline in his last season in Philadelphia, hitting just .245 with only 17 extra-base hits in 493 at-bats.  Despite the poor season, the Phillies won the NL East and took down the Dodgers to advance to the World Series.

Rose finished his tenure in Philadelphia with a .291 batting average, 139 doubles, 18 triples and an on-base percentage of .365.

Juan Samuel

The best defensive second baseman in franchise history was Manny Trillo, who won two Gold Glove Awards in his four years with the team.  However, he comes second to Samuel for the overall best team second baseman of the 1980’s, purely due to Samuel’s offensive numbers.

Samuel played in 18 games in 1983, hitting .277 with a double, two triples and a home run. He took off the following season, making the All-Star team and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year vote. Samuel led the league in triples with 19 and swiped 72 bases, while hitting .272 with 15 home runs.

He continued very good production with 67 doubles, 25 triples, 35 home runs, and 95 stolen bases over 1985 and 1986.  Samuel’s best season in his career came in 1987 when he belted 28 home runs, 37 doubles, a league best 17 triples and 35 stolen bases.  His efforts earned him a second NL All-Star appearance.

Samuel’s production dropped drastically in 1988 to 12 home runs, 67 RBI and a .243 batting average. He was traded to the Mets on June 18, 1989 for Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, and Tom Edens.

Samuel finished his time in Philadelphia with 176 doubles, 71 triples, 100 home runs, 249 stolen bases, and a .263 batting average.

Ivan DeJesus

Larry Bowa is the second-best shortstop in franchise history behind Jimmy Rollins, but played only two seasons with the Phillies in the 1980’s, therefore doesn’t make this list.  The position was not a strong point during this decade with Steve Jeltz playing in a decade-high 653 games at shortstop. However, a .213 hitter with little power and mediocre defense cannot make this list.

Therefore, Ivan DeJesus, the man who the Phillies gave up Bowa and Ryne Sandberg for, is the default choice.  Often seen as one of the worst trades in Phillies history, DeJesus manned the position from 1982 through 1984, which was his last as a starter in the Major Leagues.

In 1982, DeJesus had a .239 batting average with 21 doubles, five triples, three home runs and 59 RBI. He followed with a .254 average with four home runs and 45 RBI for the NL Champions in 1983. In his final campaign with the team, DeJesus had hit best average for the Phillies at .257 but failed to hit a home run with only 35 RBI in 484 at-bats.

DeJesus was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals along with Bill Campbell on April 6, 1985 for relief pitcher Dave Rucker. In 15 Major League seasons with seven different teams, DeJesus hit .254 with 1167 hits and 194 stolen bases.

Mike Schmidt

Who else could possibly make this list at third base? Schmidt started the 1980’s in the prime of his career. He carried the Phillies during the championship season of 1980 hitting .284 with a league highs in home runs (48), RBI (121), slugging percentage (.624), and OPS (1.004). He was an All-Star, NL MVP, Gold Glove Award winner and World Series MVP.

The 1981 campaign was even more impressive. In just 102 games in the strike-shortened season, Schmidt hit .316 and lead the league in home runs (31), RBI (91), runs (78), walks (73), on-base percentage (.435), slugging percentage (.644) and OPS (1.080). He captured his second-straight MVP, his sixth nine-straight Gold Glove Awards, and his sixth All-Star appearance.

Schmidt led the league again in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS in 1982. He paced the league in home runs in 1983, 1984, and 1986 and had at least 30 home runs every season in the decade except for 1988 and 1989.  mAmong Schmidt’s other offensive accomplishments in the decade include leader in RBI, walks, and slugging percentage four times each.

A shoulder injury in 1988 slowed Schmidt down, limiting him to a .249 average and just 12 home runs in 108 games. Although Schmidt was off to a solid start in terms of power in 1989 with six home runs a little over a month into the season, Schmidt’s production at the plate dropped and struggled miserably in the field.  After an 0-for-3 game against the Giants on May 28 which dropped his average to .203, Schmidt announced his retirement.

The greatest third baseman of all-time ended the decade with 313 home runs, 929 RBI, six Gold Glove Awards, three MVP’s, and nine All-Star appearances.

Von Hayes

Hayes was coming off a solid rookie season with the Indians, displaying five-tool talent when the Phillies traded for him in the famous “five-for-one” deal. In exchange for Hayes, the Indians received Manny Trillo, Jay Baller, George Vukovich, Julio Franco, and Jerry Willard.

Although Hayes never lived up to the hype, he was still a very versatile player that put together several good seasons for the Phillies. A 24-year old on the 1983 NL Championship team, Hayes hit only .265 with six home runs in 124 games.

Hayes displayed some of the five-tool potential the following year, hitting .292 with 27 doubles, 16 home runs, and 48 stolen bases. After a solid 1985 campaign of 13 home runs and 70 RBI, Hayers came into this own the following season, leading the league with 107 runs and 46 doubles, to go along with 19 home runs, 98 RBI and a .305 average.

Surpassing the 20 home run plateau for the first time in 1987, Hayes blasted 26 home runs in 1989, making his first and only All-Star appearance.  Haye remained with the Phillies through the 1991 season, but shoulder injuries limited his play and sapped all his power.

Hayes was traded to the Angels In December 1991 and was released by the Angels in August of 1992 after hitting just .225 in 94 games.

During his nine seasons with the Phillies, Hayes hit .272 with 124 home runs, 568 RBI, 1173 hits, and 202 stolen bases.

Garry Maddox

Maddox is an easy choice due to his defensive ability.  Entering the 1980’s he was in the midst of eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards. In fact, long time Mets’ announcer Ralph Kiner once said that “two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water. The other third is covered by Garry Maddox”.

In 1980, Maddox hit .259 with 11 home runs, 73 RBI, and 25 stolen bases, marking the eighth consecutive season with at least 20 stolen bases. Maddox also claimed his sixth Gold Glove Award and secured and NL Championship by catching the final out in Game Five’s extra-inning affair.

Maddox was sufficiently good at the plate the following two seasons, hitting a combined 34 doubles, 13 home runs, and 101 RBI in 223 games. But it was his defense that kept him in the lineup, snatching the last two of his Gold Glove Awards.

One of the many veterans on the 1983 NL Championship team, Maddox platooned in centerfield, hitting .275 in 97 games.  The following season Maddox thrived in a similar role, hitting .282 with 11 doubles and five home runs in 77 games.

Clearly, near the end of his career, Maddox appeared in 105 games in 1985, but hit only .239 in 218 at-bats. After six games as a 36-year old in 1986, Maddox retired.

Maddox was at his best during the 1970’s through the early 1980’s but was plenty good enough to earn a spot on the 1980’s All-Decade Team.

Glenn Wilson

Wilson was a 25-year old right fielder with a cannon arm and a solid bat when the Phillies traded for him and John Wockenfuss in exchange for Guillermo Hernandez and Dave Bergman.  Wilson then began a productive four-year stint as the Phillies starting right fielder.

The 1984 season wasn’t stellar offensively for Wilson, hitting only .240 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 132 games. However, he stepped up his game significantly in 1985, putting together the best overall season of his career. Wilson it .275 with 39 doubles, 14  home runs, and 102 RBI, good enough to make his only All-Star team.

Very consistent, Wilson put together two more seasons with the Phillies 51 doubles,  29 home runs, and 138 RBI combined in 1986 and 1987. Defensively, Wilson was among the league leaders in assists among outfielders, recording 57 from 1985 through 1987. In four seasons with the Phillies, Wilson hit .265 with 111 doubles, 49 home runs, 271 RBI, and 557 hits.

Wilson was traded by the Phillies along with Dave Brundage and Mike Jackson to the Seattle Mariners for Phil Bradley and Tom Fortugno.  He went on to play half a season in Seattle, and parts of four seasons for the Astros and Pirates before retiring in 1993.

Honorable mention:  Gary Matthews, Milt Thompson

Steve Carlton

Although 35-years old in 1980, Carlton was still in the prime of his Hall of Fame career. In fact, his 24 wins, 304 innings, 286 strikeouts all led the National League. Carlton also posted a 2.34 ERA and won his third Cy Young Award. He also dominated in the postseason, going 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA, not allowing a home run in 27 1/3 innings.

Carlton was in the running for another Cy Young Award in 1981, compiling a 13-4 record with a 2.42 ERA and 179 strikeouts over 24 starts during the strike-shortened season. The Cy Young Award did not elude the big lefty in 1982 when Carlton led the league in wins (23), games started (38), complete games (19), shutouts (6), innings (295 2/3), and strikeouts (286).

At the age of 38 in 1983, Carlton finished a game below .500 at 15-16, however, had a solid ERA of 3.11 and led the league in innings pitched and strikeouts.  Although clearly not in his prime, Carlton still posted 13 wins and a respectable 3.58 ERA in 1984.

Injuries took their toll on Carlton in 1985, limiting him to just a 1-8 record, walking 53 and striking out only 48 in 92 innings. After a dismal 4-8 record with a 6.18 ERA in 16 starts in 1986, the Phillies released Carlton.

Carlton managed to stick around for the next few seasons, having stints with the Giants, White Sox, Indians and Twins, although he went just 11-21 combined.

During the 1980’s Carlton won 83 games with the Phillies while losing 64, making three All-Star appearances and two Cy Young Awards.

Shane Rawley

Rawley was in his seventh Major League season when the Phillies acquired him from the Yankees in exchange for Marty Bystrom and Keith Hughes on June 30, 1984. He made an immediate impact, going 10-6 in 18 starts with an ERA of 3.81.

In 1985, Rawley was a top of the line starter, winning 13 against 8 losses with an ERA of 3.18. He completed six games in 36 starts, logging 198 2/3 innings.  After a strong start in 1986, Rawley made his first and only All-Star team. He finished the season with a record of 11-7 with an ERA of 3.54 over 23 starts.

The following season, Rawley set a career-high in wins with 17, despite a mediocre ERA of 4.39. He also led the league in games started with 36 and threw 229 2/3 innings.  A sharp decline in production saw Rawley win just 8 games while losing 16 in 1988, although still completed four games and threw nearly 200 innings.

Rawley’s time in Philadelphia was finished when he was traded on October 24, 1988, to the Minnesota Twins for Tom Herr, Eric Bullock and Tom Nieto.

In five seasons with the Phillies, Rawley went 59-48 with 24 complete games and an ERA of 3.88.

John Denny

A nine-year Major League veteran when the Phillies traded for Denny in 1982, he made four mediocre starts to finish the season, going 0-2 with a 4.03 ERA. However, he played a major role the following season.

Denny was at his best in 1983, winning a league-high 19 games for the NL Championship team. In 36 starts, Denny completed seven games, threw 242 2/3 innings and allowed only nine home runs. His efforts earned him the NL Cy Young Award.  Denny pitched well in the postseason as well, allowing only five earned runs over 18 innings in three starts.

Limited to 22 starts in 1984, Denny went just 7-7 but had an excellent ERA of 2.45 and allowed only two home runs in 154 2/3 innings.   Denny pitched in 33 games in 1985, compiling a record of 11-14 with an ERA of 3.82.  Although his overall numbers were relatively mediocre, Denny continued to be a workhorse, completing six game with 230 2/3 innings.

On December 12, 1985, Denny was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Jeff Gray for Gary Redus and Tom Hume.  In a little over three full seasons with the Phillies, Denny won 37 and lost 29 with an ERA of 2.96. His contributions to the 1983 season are a major factor for Denny making the all-decade team.

Kevin Gross

Gross spent his first six Major League seasons with the Phillies making his debut for the 1983 NL Championship team. in fact, he made 17 starts that season, going 4-6 with a shutout and a solid ERA of 3.56.

He made 44 appearances in 1984 including 14 starts in 1984, compiling a record of 8-5 with a 4.12 ERA.  Returning to a strictly starter’s role in 1985, Gross won 15 games, struck out 151 in 205 2/3 innings and posted an ERA of 3.41.

Proven to be a durable starter, Gross started 36 games in 1986, won 12, completed seven and hurled 241 2/3 innings, while striking out 154.  His production fell off the map during 1987, winning just 9 of 25 decisions with an ERA of 4.35 and a low strikeout total of 110 in 200 2/3 innings.

During his final season in Philadelphia, Gross made his first and only All-Star team. Although he finished sub .500 with a record of 12-14, Gross rebounded to a solid 3.69 ERA 231 2/3 innings and five complete games.

Gross went on to play nine more seasons in the Major Leagues with the Expos, Dodgers, Rangers and Angels. In six years with the Phillies, Gross compiled a record of 60-66 with an ERA of 3.87.

Tug McGraw

McGraw was in his sixth season with the Phillies in 1980 and was instrumental in putting the Phillies over the top to win their first World Series. McGraw was nearly unhittable late in the season and finished with a 1.46 ERA, with 75 strikeouts and only nine walks in 92 1/3 innings. His strikeout of Willie Wilson to end the World Series goes down as one of the top moments in franchise history.

In the shortened 1981 season, McGraw continued to pitch very well, posting a 2.66 ERA and 10 saves in 34 appearances. At the age of 37 in 1982, McGraw again pitched in 34 games, but was much less effective and showing signs of age, allowing 50 hits in 39 2/3 innings with an ERA of 4.31.

McGraw pitched two more seasons with the Phillies, going 2-1 with a 3.56 ERA in 34 games in 1983 and 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in only 25 appearances in 1984.

McGraw’s career spanned 19 seasons, nine with the Mets and ten with the Phillies. All told, he had a record of 96-92 with 180 saves and an ERA of 3.14.  Many of his most effective years out of the bullpen came during the 1970’s but makes this list largely due to his incredible 1980 season and postseason.

Steve Bedrosian

Bedrosian was traded to the Phillies from the Atlanta Braves along with Milt Thompson for Ozzie Virgil and Pete Smith on December 10, 1985. Immediately stepping into the closer role, Bedrosian put together a solid 1986 season, winning eight and saving 29 with a 3.39 ERA.

The 1987 season started rough for Bedrosian, going 2-1 with two blown saves and an ERA of 11.05 ERA as of April 18.   Mike Schmidt’s dramatic 500th home run on that day to give the Phillies and 8-6 win after a blow save could have turned Bedrosian’s season around.

The rest of the way Bedrosian was stellar, finishing with 5-3 record, 40 saves, 74 strikeouts in 89 innings,  and a 2.83 ERA. He made his first and only All-Star team and won the Cy Young Award, a rarity for a relief pitcher.

Still posting a solid save total of 28 in 1988, Bedrosian’s ERA ballooned to 3.75. After a 3.21 ERA in 28 games for a woeful Phillies team in 1989, Bedrosian was traded to the San Francisco Giants along with Rick Parker for Terry Mulholland, Charlie Hayes, and Dennis Cook.

Bedrosian ended his run in Philadelphia with 21 wins, 103 saves and an ERA of 3.29.

Ron Reed

Reed was a 33-year old veteran in his 11th Major League season when the Phillies acquired him for Mike Anderson on December 9, 1975. Reed was very reliable throughout the 1970’s and into the first few years of the 1980s.

In 1980, Reed was a key long man and set up man for the World Championship team. He 7-5 with a 4.05 ERA, logging 91 innings in 55 games, allowing only four home runs.  As a 38-year old the following year, Reed was even better, winning five and saving eight with an ERA of 3.08 in 61 1/3 innings.

The man with the rubber arm was quite effective at ages 39 and 40 in 1982 and 1983. Reed went 5-5 with 14 saves and an ERA of 2.66 in 98 innings in 1982. For the 1983 NL Championship team, he went 9-1 with a 3.08 ERA in 95 2/3 innings.

Reed’s long tenure with the Phillies ended when he was traded to the White Sox for a player to be named later on December 5, 1983. The Phillies ended up getting Jerry Koosman on February 15, 1984.

In four seasons with the Phillies in the 1980’s, Reed went 26-12 with 39 saves and rightfully deserves a spot on this list.

Kent Tekulve

Tekulve was a long-time thorn in the Phillies side as the dominant reliever for divisional rival Pittsburgh from 1974 to 1985. The Phillies obtained Tekulve on April 20, 1985, from the Pirates for exchange for Al Holland.

In 58 games for the Phillies in 1985, Tekulve lost 10 games, but had a very good ERA of 2.99 and saved 14 games, walking only nine in 72 1/3 innings. As the setup man for Steve Bedrosian in 1986, the 39-year old Tekulve had his best season as a Phillie. He appeared in 73 games, threw 110 innings, won 11 games with an ERA of 2.54.

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Continuing to amaze at age 40 in 1987, Tekulve appeared in a league-high 90 games, logging 105 innings, making it the eighth time in his career surpassing the 100 inning mark.  He had an ERA of 3.09, while winning six games.

During his final season with the Phillies in 1988, Tekulve went 3-7 with a 3.60 ERA in 70 games.  He was released by the Phillies following the season and pitched one final season with the Reds before retiring.

In four seasons with the Phillies, Tekulve threw 367 1/3 innings in 291 games, winning 24 with 25 saves and an ERA of 3.01.

Honorable mention: Al Holland