5 most legendary Philadelphia Phillies second basemen of all time

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Who are the greatest second 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 first baseman. Next up, we’re running to second.

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

5. Dave Cash, Phillies 1974-76

Dave Cash’s Phillies’ tenure was short but sweet; his three seasons in Philadelphia were the only All-Star seasons of his career, and the only ones for which he received MVP votes.

From 1974-76, Cash hit .296/.348/.371 with a .719 OPS over 484 games in a Phillies uniform.

In addition to being an All-Star in each Phillies season, the man nicknamed Action Dog led all of MLB in at-bats in each of those three years and led all hitters with 213 hits in 1975. The following year, he led the NL with 12 triples.

UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1964: Tony Taylor #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on before the start of an Major League Baseball game circa 1964. Taylor played for the Phillies from 1960-71 and 1974-76. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

4. Tony Taylor, Phillies 1960-1971, 1974-76

Tony Taylor was with the Phillies longer than any second baseman on this list, spending 15 of his 19 big-league seasons in Philadelphia.

The two-time Phillie was with the team during their 30-year pennant drought (divisions did not exist until 1969), so there’s no postseason play to speak of. He made one playoff appearance with the Detroit Tigers in between his two Phillies stints.

Nevertheless, Taylor gets a spot on this list because he spent more time at second base than any other infielder in franchise history, 1,669 games, to be precise. His 1,511 hits are second among Phillies second basemen.

Former Philadelphia Phillie, Manny Trillo participates in Alumni Weekend (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

3. Manny Trillo, Phillies 1979-1982

Manny Trillo was only a Phillie for four years, but they were a heck of a time. He won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and went to two All-Star games during his time in Philadelphia. Talk about productivity.

The main reason Trillo overtakes Tony Taylor on this list is that postseason heroics are, by definition, legendary. His two-out RBI triple in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the 1980 NLCS tied the game, and the Phillies were able to win it in extras, propelling themselves into the World Series. They’d go on to win their first championship in franchise history.

Trillo was inducted to the Phillies Wall of Fame this year, joining fellow second basemen Juan Samuel (2008) and Tony Taylor (2002).

SAN DIEGO – 1986: Second baseman Juan Samuel #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws to attempt the double play during the 1986 season MLB game against the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

2. Juan Samuel, Phillies 1983-1989

We’ve been bummed out about the New York Mets nabbing Starling Marte because of all the stolen bases it will mean for them instead of the Phillies, but Marte’s bag swipes pale in comparison to Juan Samuel’s.

Samuel stole an astounding 72 bases in 1984, a single-season franchise record that stands to this day, and almost certainly will remain until the end of time.

Speaking of the Mets, the Phillies traded Samuel to them in 1989, in exchange for Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell. Dykstra commemorated the trade on its anniversary this year.

Samuel was inducted to the Wall of Fame in 2008, and returned to the Phillies as a coach from 2011-2017.

PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 10: Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies warms up prior to the start of the Major League Baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field on August 10, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /

1. Chase Utley, Phillies 2003-2015

Shocking, right?

No, it’s pretty much indisputable fact that Chase Utley is the greatest second baseman in franchise history.

Between 2006-10, Utley was an All-Star every season. He finished 14th or better in NL MVP voting every year from 2005-09, and won four consecutive Silver Sluggers from 2006-09.

Utley’s value to his team was virtually uncontested during his peak; from 2004-2014, his 62 bWAR was only outdone by Albert Pujols and Adrián Beltré.

In terms of postseason value, Utley reigns supreme. In 2008, he became the first player in franchise history to homer in his first career World Series at-bat. The next year, his five home runs in the 2009 World Series tied Reggie Jackson for the all-time record.

He was Mac’s favorite player on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and he’s our number-one 2B.

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