Which Phillies seasons stuck out for each number worn?
The Major League Baseball season finally is soon upon us, albeit an abbreviated 60-game version. Before we get into the season, however, let’s take a fun look back at the top individual Phillies seasons, one for each uniform number.
This edition will be up through number 10, with the rest of the numbers covered in a series of articles.
Note that the list takes into consideration players only from 1950 to present.
0 – Al Oliver (1984)
Oliver was 2nd for NL Rookie of the Year for the Pirates in 1969 after batting .285 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI. He was one of the top pure hitters in the league for several seasons, hitting over .300 four times with three All-Star appearances through the 1977 season.
Starting in 1978, Oliver ran of a streak of six consecutive seasons above .300, two with the Rangers and four with the Expos. Along the way, he made four consecutive All-Star games. Oliver’s best season was in 1982 with the Expos, leading the league in hits (204), doubles (43), RBI (109), batting average (.331) with a career-high 22 home runs.
Near the end of a great career in 1984, Oliver hit .301 in 119 games, including .312 with seven doubles and 17 RBI in 93 at-bats with the Phillies in 28 games. After a combined 96 games with the Dodgers and Blue Jays in 1985, Oliver retired with 2743 hits, 219 home runs, 1326 RBI and a .303 average.