As with any MLB franchise, the Philadelphia Phillies have sent a wide variety of players to the All-Star Game in its 95 year history. The Phillies' representatives have ranged from Hall of Famers such as Mike Schmidt to one-season wonders like Odúbel Herrera in 2016.
As Phillies fans have seen this year, every July there's going to be All-Star snubs that will leave people scratching their heads. With the 95th Midsummer Classic coming up, now's a great time to look back on three solid Phillies players who've never been selected to an All-Star Game across three eras of Phillies baseball.
Here are three of the best Phillies players who were never All-Stars
Garry Maddox, CF
Part of a core of players that experienced the first period of sustained success for the Phillies, Garry Maddox was an everyday catalyst. Maddox is known most for being the best defensive outfielder in Phillies history, earning him eight Gold Gloves and the nickname the "Secretary of Defense." The best season of Maddox's career came in 1976, when he hit .330/.377/.456 in his first full season in Philadelphia, helping him finish fifth in National League MVP voting.
The 1976 season definitely should've been the year that Maddox showcased his talents at the All-Star Game, even more so because it was being hosted by the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. Over his 12-year Phillies career, Maddox hit .284 with a .729 OPS and 85 home runs. He entered the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2001 and will always be remembered for doubling in the winning run in the Phillies' pennant-clinching 1980 NLCS Game 5 win over the Houston Astros that led to the first World Series championship in team history.
Rico Brogna, 1B
Like Maddox before him, Rico Brogna was an amazing defender who the Phillies acquired via trade. Brogna shockingly never won a Gold Glove, despite having a .995 career fielding percentage. His best season in Philadelphia was in 1995, when he slashed .278/.336/.454 with 24 home runs and 102 RBIs in the heart of the order.
The left-handed Brogna was acquired from the rival New York Mets in November of 1996 and was the team's everyday first baseman from 1997 to 2000, when he was traded at the deadline to the Boston Red Sox. Brogna's Phillies tenure was right in between the team's lengthy 14-year postseason drought from 1993 to 2007. He was a mainstay on a number of late 90s sub-.500 Phillies teams that were a few years removed from a pennant.
Ryan Madson, RP
Ryan Madson is an unsung hero on the 2008 World Series champion team that not a lot of people talk about. When thinking back on the 2008 team's bullpen, all minds immediately go to Brad Lidge, and rightfully so. Lidge, of course, converted all 41 of his save opportunities in 2008, but Madson was a go-to set up guy for Lidge. Madson found great success in the Phillies' bullpen after being converted from a starter early in his career.
Madson was an excellent playoff performer with the Phillies, with his 2.13 ERA in the 2008 postseason providing the Phillies with some back-end stability as Lidge struggled a little bit. Madson appeared in over 50 games seven times for the Phillies, with his 3.59 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over nine seasons in Philadelphia mirroring his career totals, but he never made it to the All-Star Game. He carved out a solid 13-year MLB career and earned another World Series ring with the Kansas City Royals in 2015.