Tony Phillips has died.

[byco42]

https://twitter.com/baseball_ref/status/700751371943997440

 

[tomdalton22]

I read an article. Says he, Bob Welch and Dave Henderson were all on that 89 WS team and have all died. Weird and sad. I don't remember the other two dying.

 

[byco42]

I read an article. Says he, Bob Welch and Dave Henderson were all on that 89 WS team and have all died. Weird and sad. I don't remember the other two dying.

There's a thread about Henderson. Welch died in June of 2014, reportedly of an accidental fall in the bathroom.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

Bummer. I always liked Phillips when I was a kid. I remember him having a weird stance and spitting like crazy... honestly, like every couple seconds.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

Didn't realize this, but he was still playing ball (and fighting) at 52 in 2012 in the independent North American League.

From his Wikipedia page:

Independent leagues[edit]
Phillips played third base for the Yuma Scorpions of the independent North American League until the team folded in 2012. He played alongside former Athletics teammate Jose Canseco.[2] In August 2011, 52-year-old Phillips was involved in an altercation with former Scorpions manager Mike Marshall, then with the Chico Outlaws. Phillips punched Marshall in the face during the incident, causing the latter to press battery charges against the infielder.[3] He also came out of retirement to play for the Pittsburg Mettle in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs in 2015.[4]

 

[sggatecl]

One of my favorite batting stances to mimic as a kid. RIP.

 

[tomdalton22]

Didn't realize this, but he was still playing ball (and fighting) at 52 in 2012 in the independent North American League.

From his Wikipedia page:

Independent leagues[edit]
Phillips played third base for the Yuma Scorpions of the independent North American League until the team folded in 2012. He played alongside former Athletics teammate Jose Canseco.[2] In August 2011, 52-year-old Phillips was involved in an altercation with former Scorpions manager Mike Marshall, then with the Chico Outlaws. Phillips punched Marshall in the face during the incident, causing the latter to press battery charges against the infielder.[3] He also came out of retirement to play for the Pittsburg Mettle in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs in 2015.[4]

heart attack, hanging with Canseco, rage issues? Wonder if he used steroids?

 

[byco42]

heart attack, hanging with Canseco, rage issues? Wonder if he used steroids?

I speculate without substantiation that other factors factored into this.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

I speculate without substantiation that other factors factored into this.

He did have a crack habit a while back. That can't be good for the old ticker.

 

[Mitchrapp]

RIP. Fastest spitter in all of history. He could take a walk like no one's business.

 

[Thumb]

One of my favorite batting stances to mimic as a kid. RIP.

The old baseball games on Sega you could always tell when Tony was up because of that stance.

 

[Thumb]

I bet Prince Fielder is pretty sad. He mentioned once in an interview that some of his best early memories of being a kid in the Tiger clubhouse was Tony Phillips would often pick him up and drop him in the trash can, knowing the chubby little Prince could not climb out himself, he would have to tip the can over and crawl out.

RIP

 

[biggunsbob]

Rip Tony!!!!!! CRazy obp guy the year he had 132 walks his oBP was .443 his highest of his career. . .374 lifetime obp is stellar! !!!
http://m.bbref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXpXXphillto02-bat.shtml&t=all_standard_batting

 

[Mitchrapp]

I bet Prince Fielder is pretty sad. He mentioned once in an interview that some of his best early memories of being a kid in the Tiger clubhouse was Tony Phillips would often pick him up and drop him in the trash can, knowing the chubby little Prince could not climb out himself, he would have to tip the can over and crawl out.

RIP

That's a funny story. Must be strong to pick up a hefty baby Prince.

 

[tigermud]

RIP Tony, always be Tony the tiger to me


http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...ort-former-tiger-tony-phillips-dies/80614978/

Tony Phillips' former teammates all had similar sentiments.

He was the ultimate gamer, not afraid to scrap with those much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame, whatever it took to win.

Phillips, who died Wednesday in Arizona of an apparent heart attack at 56, was the kind of guy you loved to play with, and hated to play against.

"He was going to beat you, no matter what," said Mike Heath, who played with Phillips for four seasons in Oakland and one season in Detroit. "He was going to beat you, one way or another.

"He was the ultimate competitor."

Phillips played 18 seasons in the major leagues, and played all over the diamond — mostly for the A's (nine seasons) and Tigers (five seasons).

He played in Detroit from 1990-94, walking 519 times in those five seasons. A leadoff hitter for Detroit whose unique, crouched batting stance was mimicked — to the chagrin of so many Little League coaches — all over Metro Detroit and Michigan, Phillips led the league in runs in 1992 (114) and walks in 1993 (132).

Phillips also led the league, unofficially, in smack talk and confrontations.

He once charged after Twins pitcher Scott Erickson, during batting practice, the day after he was hit by a pitch. He once allegedly attacked a Brewers fan in Milwaukee.

Even a few years back, while playing independent ball, he got into a brawl with former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall.

"He was a feisty guy," Alan Trammell said. "He was going to speak his mind. He had a lot of piss and vinegar.

"He was a tough son of a guy. But he believed in himself, and he wouldn't back down from anybody."

Trammell, who received the news about Phillips in a text from Cecil Fielder, raved about more than just Phillips' persona.

Trammell argues that for the five years in Detroit and for the couple years afterward, with Ricky Henderson still productive but not the player he was, Phillips was the top leadoff hitter in the game.

Phillips caught the final out of the A's 1989 World Series victory over the San Francisco Giants, and then, after GM Bill Lajoie and manager Sparky Anderson consulted with former teammates in Oakland including Heath, was signed by the Tigers to a three-year contract, worth about $4 million, to be a super-utility player. He ended up playing nearly every day.

Always wagging the bat and spitting his body weight in saliva every at-bat, Phillips was in Detroit where he flourished, buying into the more strict work ethic of the Tigers, compared to the more relaxed A's.

 

[Rebbiv]

IMHO, and no disrespect to Lou or even Dick, Phillips was probably the best Tiger leadoff hitter in my lifetime.

Phillips (1990-1994) .395 OBP .405 SLG .800 OPS

Whitaker (1983-1987) .356 OBP .438 SLG .794 OPS

 

[gotime909]

It was remarkable how good he got after age 30.

 

[kalinecountry]

http://www.detroittigertales.com/2016/02/how-good-was-tony-phillips.html
How Good Was Tony Phillips?
DetroitTigerTales

Great leadoff batter, and Ben Zobrist before zobrist. rip.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/165024942
Tony Phillips: Most Underrated of all-time.
SportsOnEarth

 

[biggunsbob]

Many if we only had that obp in our top spot !!!!!