Philadelphia Phillies: 5 unrealistic holiday wishes for fans
By Matt Rappa
Five unrealistic Phillies wishes this holiday season.
This holiday season, there are several items on every Philadelphia Phillies fan’s wish list. Here are five of those likely items, which may be wishful thinking.
5. Shane Victorino becomes a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
One of the next important dates of the Major League Baseball offseason is January 26, when the Hall of Fame voting results are announced. Among the former Phillies players being considered in voting this year include Curt Schilling (9th year eligible), Billy Wagner (6th year eligible), Scott Rolen (4th year eligible), Bobby Abreu (2nd year eligible), A.J. Burnett and Shane Victorino (1st year eligible).
Fans would love to see the Flyin’ Hawaiian be forever enshrined in Cooperstown, but he has some stiff competition to do so in his first year of eligibility. Victorino had a successful 12-season career, earning a pair of All-Star nods and World Series championships, as well as four Gold Glove Awards. Plus, half of the Gold Glove Awards came during seasons in which his team won the World Series (2008, Phillies; 2013, Boston Red Sox).
Victorino joined the Phillies through the Rule 5 draft, and immediately made an impact on the big-league roster through 21 games in red pinstripes during the 2005 season, slashing .294/.263/.647 with two home runs and eight RBI.
Overall, in parts of eight seasons played in Philadelphia, he slashed .279/.345/.439 with 181 doubles, 63 triples, 88 home runs, 390 RBI, and 179 stolen bases. Victorino is most remembered for his 2008 NLDS grand slam opposite the Milwaukee Brewers’ CC Sabathia, not to mention another grand slam in the 2013 ALCS between the Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.