That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Phillies Best Individual Seasons By Uniform Number (11 – 20)

By Kerry Kauffman

Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Philadelphia Phillies’ Travis Lee looks back at homeplate umpire Brian Runge who called him out on a close play in the third inning against the New York Mets 02 July 2002 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PA. Lee appeared to have reached the plate before catcher Mike Piazza tagged him with the ball. AFP PHOTO/TOM MIHALEK (Photo by TOM MIHALEK / AFP) (Photo by TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies’ Travis Lee looks back at homeplate umpire Brian Runge who called him out on a close play in the third inning against the New York Mets 02 July 2002 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PA. Lee appeared to have reached the plate before catcher Mike Piazza tagged him with the ball. AFP PHOTO/TOM MIHALEK (Photo by TOM MIHALEK / AFP) (Photo by TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images) /

Travis Lee and Scott Rolen each had great seasons in the late 90s/early 2000s

16 – Travis Lee (2001)

Lee entering the Major Leagues with a bang, finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year in 1998, hitting .269 with 22 home runs and 72 RBI.  However, as quickly as Lee started, that’s how fast he plummeted, hitting only .235 with limited power over his next year and a half in Arizona.

The Phillies acquired Lee in a trade along with Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa and Vincente Padilla in exchange for Curt Schilling on July 26, 2000. Lee hit a lackluster .239 with one home run in 54 games the rest of the season.

Lee had his best season in Philadelphia in 2001, hitting .258 with34 doubles, 20 home runs, and a career-high 90 RBI. After a solid 2002 season in which Lee hit .265 with 13 home runs and 70 RBI, he was granted free agency.

Heading to the American League, Lee played in seven games for the Rays in 2003, seven games with the Yankees in 2004, and finished his career back in Tampa Bay for two seasons. Lee retired with 958 hits and 115 home runs.

17 – Scott Rolen (1998)

Rolen was selected in the second round of the 1993 draft out of Jasper, Indiana. He made it through the Minor League system quickly and made his Phillies debut in August of 1996. Rolen hit .254 with four home runs over 37 games, but quickly showed everyone he was a potential star.

In 1997, Rolen took off during his rookie campaign, hitting .283 with 35 doubles, 21 home runs, and 92 RBI. Those numbers were plenty good enough to win the NL Rookie of the Year and Rolen was on the verge of becoming one of the top third basemen in the league.

His best season in Philadephia came in 1998. As the big man in the middle of the lineup, Rolen hit .290 with 45 doubles, 31 home runs, 110 RBI, 120 runs scored, and 93 walks.  In addition to his excellent hitting, Rolen earned his first of eight Gold Glove awards, third in history for a  third baseman.

While Rolen continued his solid production on the field, averaging 26 home runs and 90 RBI over the next three seasons, he continuously voiced his displeasure of the Phillies organization’s lack of dedication to improving the team. On July 29, 2002, Rolen was traded along with Doug Nickle to the Cardinals for Placido Polanco, Mike Timlin, and Bud Smith.

Rolen had four consecutive All-Star seasons in St. Louis before heading to the Blue Jays and the Reds for four seasons before retiring following the 2012 season. Rolen has a decent shot of making the Hall of Fame after compiling 2077 hits, 316 home runs, and 1287 RBI.

Home/Phillies All-Time Lists