That Balls Outta Here
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Phillies: 5 players who moved to the dark side in New York

By George Stockburger

1989: Juan Samuel of the New York Mets swings at the pitch during a game in the 1989 season. (Photo by: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
1989: Juan Samuel of the New York Mets swings at the pitch during a game in the 1989 season. (Photo by: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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Pitcher Billy Wagner of the New York Mets during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium in Queens, NY on May 24 2006. (Photo by Ryan Born/Getty Images)
Pitcher Billy Wagner of the New York Mets during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium in Queens, NY on May 24 2006. (Photo by Ryan Born/Getty Images) /

Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner is one of those players who Phillies fans turned against and never went back to. Scott Rolen and Jonathan Papelbon also fall into this category of guys who did things that rubbed fans the wrong way, but mostly led to them being exiled from Philadelphia.

Like Abreu, Wagner’s career began in Houston with some decent Astros teams that were winning 90-100 games a season. If he goes into the Hall of Fame, which he absolutely deserves, he’ll go in as an Astro.

Wagner spent nine years with Houston accumulating 225 saves, 694 strikeouts, and three All-Star selections. He never led the league in saves, but remember, he was pitching in the same era as Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Eric Gagne, and K-Rod.

On November 3, 2003, Wager was traded by the Astros to Philadelphia for Ezequiel Astacio, Taylor Buchholz and Brandon Duckworth, none of whom really panned into anything better than average.

Wagner’s 2004 season was pretty good, though compared to what he’d done in the past it wasn’t as great as you’d expect due to a hand injury. He had a 2.42 ERA (0.44 points higher than the year before) and 21 saves, 23 fewer than the year before.

DENVER – July 29: Billy Wagner of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 29, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. The Phillies defeated the Rockies 5-3. (Photo by Robert Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
DENVER – July 29: Billy Wagner of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 29, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. The Phillies defeated the Rockies 5-3. (Photo by Robert Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Wagner turned 38 saves with a 1.51 ERA in 2005, but his comments in July about the team not being a playoff contender and Pat Burrell supposedly calling him a “rat” turned the fanbase against someone who was relatively well-liked thanks to his success.

The animosity towards Wagner in Philadelphia when he signed a large contract with the Mets the following offseason. The veteran closer continued to turn a great career in New York, saving 101 games in three seasons with two All-Star games and Cy Young votes in 2006.

Wagner would infamously blow four saves late in the 2007 season, opening the door for his former team to make the playoffs. If you want to call it karma for saying the Phillies wouldn’t make the playoffs in 2005, go ahead.

Wagner’s career in Philadelphia is kind of a blip on the radar of his career, but he had a 1.86 ERA in two seasons with 59 saves, and if not for the injury he could have been much better. Had he stayed in Philadelphia, there would never have been a perfect season from Brad Lidge or perhaps a mega-contract for Papelbon.

A healthy Billy Wagner in Philadelphia for the remainder of his career would have catapulted him into team greatness, but ultimately he’s one of the more hated players in recent memory for the fanbase.

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