Former Philadelphia Phillies infielder Jean Segura announced his retirement from baseball on Wednesday after a 12-year career. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a December 2018 trade, Segura was part of a series of transactions which signaled the end of the Phillies' long rebuild and the start of their contention.
Segura saw it all with the Phillies, with them underperforming from 2019-2021 to becoming a sneaky World Series contender in 2022. He quickly became a fan favorite in Philadelphia, thanks to his fun personality and knack for coming through in the clutch. Let's celebrate Segura's Phillies career with his most iconic moments.
Phillies History: Counting down Jean Segura's most legendary moments in Philadelphia
No. 4: More of a vanilla guy
In an August 2021 game against the Washington Nationals, Segura came to the plate in the ninth inning with a man on second and the Phillies trailing by one. With the game hanging in the balance, you would figure any professional hitter would be blocking out all outside noise to try to deliver for their team. Not Segura though, as after a young fan asked Segura what his favorite ice cream flavor was, he responded with a smile on his face.
You've heard of athletes with ice in their veins?
β NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 3, 2021
Jean Segura has πππ ππ§πππ’ in his veins - vanilla ice cream, to be specific π¦π pic.twitter.com/uqONCNwF0I
What makes this clip even more perfect is Segura, the big vanilla ice cream guy, came through two pitches later with a game-tying RBI double in a 7-5 comeback win for the Phillies. This moment perfectly showcases both Segura's easy-to-love personality and his unreal ability to deliver when the Phillies needed him the most.
No. 3: Walk-off homer completes Phillies' rally vs. Mets
After a busy offseason placed lofty expectations on the team, the 2019 Phillies ultimately disappointed with a record of 81-81, their first non-losing season since 2012. The front office had gone all in by trading for Segura and J.T. Realmuto, and of course signing Bryce Harper. The team had been barely hovering over .500 until the New York Mets rolled into town for a four-game series.
The Phillies had won the first three games, then were trailing 3-1 entering the ninth. After a Maikel Franco home run tied the game at three, Segura came to the plate against star closer Edwin DΓaz with two men on and one out, looking to end it.
This was such a cool moment, and for it to be against the Mets and on a perfect June afternoon with the powder blue jerseys made it so much better. The walk-off homer marked the first of six-walkoff hits that Segura would have with the Phillies.
No. 2: The 'Jean Segura game' in Game 3 of the 2022 NLCS
After splitting the first two games in San Diego, the Phillies continued their improbable 2022 postseason run with their first NLCS game at home since 2010. It was a tight battle which the Phillies won, 4-2, to take a two games to one series lead. Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff homerun and Ranger SuΓ‘rez delivered five strong innings, but nobody left more of an impact than Segura, both with his bat and glove.
The go-ahead two-run single was a signature Segura hit, with him finding a way to make contact by any means necessary. The diving plays and crucial double play are what fans remember most from this game. Segura's pure emotion is what playoff baseball is all about, and him flashing leather at second was nice to see from a guy who also spent time at shortstop and third base for the Phillies.
No. 1: 'The Hit' in Game 1 of the 2022 NLWCS
After over a decade of frustration, the Phillies finally broke their 10-year playoff drought by sneaking into the playoff field as the National League's sixth and final seed. As the second Wild Card, the Phillies were understandably underdogs against the National League Central champion St. Louis Cardinals. In a best-of-five series, taking Game 1 is crucial, although the Phillies trailed 2-0 entering the ninth inning. After cutting the score to 2-1, Segura batted with the bases loaded, and the rest is history.
JIMMY CIGS!!!! pic.twitter.com/azLnNLJDZg
β Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 7, 2022
This moment meant absolutely everything to Phillies fans who endured the darkest of seasons during their extended rebuild. The Phillies ended up scoring five times in the inning to steal the game, 6-3. It remains one the most memorable hits in Phillies postseason history, and Segura deserves Phillies Wall of Fame consideration for this hit alone, as it forever cemented him as a legend to Phillies fans.