5 most legendary Philadelphia Phillies first basemen of all time

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Who are the greatest first basemen in Philadelphia Phillies franchise history?

In the long and storied history of the Philadelphia Phillies, there have been many legendary players.

Since MLB is currently in lockout and teams can’t sign anyone new, we’re looking back at the most legendary players to ever wear the Phillies uniform. We started with starting pitchers and relievers, then catchers, and now, we throw to first.

Here are the five most legendary first basemen in Phillies history…

5. Dolph Camilli, Phillies 1934-37

The Phillies are known for trading away great players, but their trade of Don Hurst actually netted an unexpected boon in Dolph Camilli.

Camilli came to the Phillies via trade from the Cubs in 1934 and hit 12 home runs and 20 doubles in his first partial season with the club. Over his three full seasons with the club, he hit 25+ home runs and 23+ doubles each year. He also led the NL with a .446 on-base percentage in 1937.

Of course, the Phillies then looked the gift horse in the mouth and traded Camilli to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $45,000. He went on to win NL MVP and the Dodgers won the pennant. Typical Phillies blunder.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -JUNE 12: Jim Thome #25 of the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to bat (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

4. Jim Thome, Phillies 2003-05, 2012

Jim Thome only played 391 games for the Phillies out of his 2,543 career total, but they were some of the Hall of Famer’s best.

Joining the Phillies in 2003, Thome immediately led MLB with 47 home runs and finished fourth in MVP voting, the highest he ever finished in MVP voting in his 22-year career. His offensive output rate with the Phillies was impressive; he hit 101 home runs in 391 games for the Phillies, homering in nearly 26% of his games.

Thome returned to the Phillies in 2012, playing 30 games for them and 28 games for the Baltimore Orioles before retiring.

3. Pete Rose, Phillies 1979-83

Pete Rose spent the bulk of his 24-year career with the Cincinnati Reds, but five of his big-league seasons were spent with the Phillies.

Rose was already a 12-time All-Star when he came to Philadelphia, including the six prior seasons, and he continued that streak with four consecutive All-Star seasons with the Phillies.

In 1979, Rose hit over .300 for the fifth season in a row. In 1980, the Phillies won their first World Series, and Rose led the NL with 42 doubles. He also won the only Silver Slugger Award of his career in 1981, when he led MLB with 140 hits, despite only playing in 107 games that year.

Rose was an incredible hitter, but that didn’t extend to home runs; he never hit more than four in a season with the Phillies, and his single-season best was only 16, reached twice with the Reds in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, Rose went from famous to infamous when it was discovered that he bet on baseball – including his own games – and had intimate relationships with a minor during his playing career. He currently has a lifetime ban from baseball and the Hall of Fame.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 6, 1993: John Kruk #29 of the Philadelphia Phillies slides into second base during the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves on October 6, 1993 in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

2. John Kruk, Phillies 1989-94

John Kruk spent 10 years in the big leagues but was only ever an All-Star or MVP candidate with the Phillies.

Acquired during the 1989 season from the Padres, Kruk would spend six years in Philadelphia, and compile a .309/.400/.461 line and .861 OPS over 744 games. During his three consecutive All-Star seasons between 1991-93, Kruk hit .311/.407/.472 with a .880 OPS and 491 hits in 446 games.

During the 1993 pennant season, Kruk hit .316 with a career-high .905 OPS. Over 12 postseason games, he hit .298/.431/.468 with a .899 OPS and 14 hits, including three doubles, a triple, and a home run.

In modern franchise history, Kruk’s 18.5 bWAR ranks second, outdone only by Fred Luderus, who compiled 19.9 between 1910-20.

PHOENIX, AZ – JUNE 28: Ryan Howard #6 of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

1. Ryan Howard, Phillies 2004-16

Are you surprised?

Ryan Howard has a list of accomplishments as long as one of his towering home runs: Rookie of the Year, MVP, Silver Slugger, three-time All-Star, Home Run Derby champion, NLCS MVP, Hank Aaron Award, Major League Player of the Year, and a 2008 World Series ring.

After playing 19 games in his brief September 2004 debut, Howard burst on the scene in 2005, hitting 22 home runs in only 88 games to win NL ROY. He’d hit double-digit home runs in every season for the rest of his career, including 58 in 2006, and 40+ in each of the next three seasons

Howard was the second player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and then MVP the following season, following Cal Ripken. Dustin Pedroia would become the third in 2007-08.

The Phillies lifer led MLB in home runs twice in a three-year span and RBI three times in a four-year span. Between 2006-10, Howard drove in a whopping 572 runs and hit 198 homers. He is the fastest player in baseball history to reach both 100 (it only took him 325 career games) and 200 home runs, and the only Phillies player to ever hit 50+ home runs in a season.

“The Big Piece” also led the NL by playing in all 162 games in 2008, a feat of stamina that becomes even more impressive when you remember that the Phillies played an entire postseason that year, too.

Howard has the unfortunate distinction of holding the all-time record for Golden Sombrero awards (for four-strikeout games), with 27. He’s one of five players in MLB history with 20+ Golden Sombreros; fellow Phillies 1B Jim Thome is one of them.

Among Phillies first baseman, Howard is on top in games (1,572), plate appearances (6,531), hits (1,475), doubles (277), home runs (382), runs (848), and RBI (1,194).

Howard had a career .991 fielding percentage, but with how he hit, that number could’ve been cut in half and no one would’ve cared.

light. More. 5 most legendary Phillies catchers of all time

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5 most legendary Phillies first basemen of all time