ESPN.com: Tony Phillips Career Notes

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Tony Phillips
#6 | Second Base | Oakland Athletics | Roster

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Career Notes

1996
Signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox on Jan. 20, 1996 ... Became the seventh active player with 1,000 runs scored and 1,000 walks with his run scored May 12 vs. New York ... Fined $5,000 by the AL for his altercation with a slanderous fan at Milwaukee County Stadium on May 15.

1995
Traded by the Detroit Tigers to the California Angels for Chad Curtis on April 13, 1995 ... His 113 walks set an Angels single-season record, passing the mark of 106 achieved by Brian Downing in 1987 ... Was third in walks and fourth in runs in the American League ... Committed just one error in 115 chances as an outfielder (.991 fielding percentage).

1994
Started all but two games ... Led the team with 123 hits and 91 runs ... 19 homers are a career-high despite playing in the strike-shortened season ... Was on pace to garner 100 or more walks (had 95) but strike cut short the effort ... 95 walks were good for third in the league ... Set up Tiger wins with game-tying homers in the ninth on two occasions ... Led the team in stolen bases with 13 ... Hit .396 over a career-high 13 game hitting streak from July 26-Aug. 7 ... Also had hitting streaks of 10 and 11 games.

1993
Had the finest season of his lengthy major league career and was named Tiger of the Year by Detroit-area sportswriters ... Batted a career-high .313, ranking eighth in the AL ... Was second in the majors with a career-high 132 walks ... Was second in the AL with a .443 on-base percentage, tied for sixth with 113 runs and tied for ninth with 177 hits, a career high ... Reached base safely 313 times, becoming the first Tiger since Norm Cash in 1961 to exceed 300 ... Versatile defensive player appeared at second base, third base, and all three outfield positions ... Led the team with 16 stolen bases ... Tied his career high with five RBI at Toronto May 12 ... Had two four-hit games ... Put together a career-high 12 game hitting streak April 15-27 and a 10-game streak June 29-July 8 ... Hit .316 right-handed and .311 left-handed.

1992
Became the first Detroit player to lead the major leagues in runs (114) since Ron LeFlore scored 126 in 1978 ... Was the first Tiger to reach 100 runs and 100 walks in the same season since Norm Cash and Rocky Colavito did it in 1961 ... Ranked fourth in the majors with 114 walks ... Made starts at five different defensive positions ... Struggled early, hitting only .220 through June 24, but batted .312 in his last 90 games to finish at .276 ... Had two 10-game hitting streaks, July 3-11 and Sept. 9-20 ... Had four RBI against Oakland May 3 and four hits at California July 25 ... Reached safely by hit or walk in 135 of 159 games.

1991
Established career highs with 17 homers and 72 RBI ... Became the first major league player to start at least 10 games at five different defensive positions in the same season: 35 at second base, 33 at third base, 10 at shortstop, 43 in the outfield (20 LF, 17 RF, 6 CF), and 17 at designated hitter ... Had two four-hit games ... Drove in five runs at Kansas City July 19 ...Hit a two-out, ninth-inning, pinch-hit homer to tie a game against New York Aug. 4 which the Tigers went on to win in 10 innings ... Appeared in 146 games and was never placed on the DL despite enduring hamstring problems much of the season.

1990
Played six defensive positions, starting at five of them (including 89 starts at third base) ... Finished third in the AL in walks and fifth in runs ... Went 4-for-4 with three RBI against Boston in his debut at Tiger Stadium as a Detroit player April 12 ... Entered August batting .223, but had an outstanding month, hitting .333 (31-93) with 11 multi-hit games ... Finished the season at a respectable .251 ... Began the season as Detroit's leadoff hitter, was dropped to second in the order May 29, and reinstalled in the number one position Aug. 26 ...Walked 94 times in his last 123 games.

1989
Played every position except pitcher, catcher and center field for the World Champion Athletics ... Played more than one position in the same game 24 times ... Batted .345 (29-84) in September, propelling Oakland to an 18-10 record and their second consecutive AL pennant ... Played in all nine postseason games and hit a home run in Game 3 of the World Series at San Francisco.

1988
Played every position except pitcher and catcher ... Suffered a severely bruised lower left leg at Boston May 17 when Rick Cerone crashed into him on the basepath ... Was on the DL until July 8 ... The injury hampered his offensive effectiveness, and his batting average sank to a career-low .203 ... Appeared in two AL Championship Series games and two World Series games.

1987
Hit his first career grand slam April 20 off Gary Lucas of California ... Fractured his wrist July 11 and missed six weeks ... Drove in 16 runs in 27 June games ... Played left field for the first time in his major league career April 22 ... Hit a then-career high 10 homers.

1986
Became the first Oakland player to hit for the cycle May 16 at Baltimore, going 4-for-4 with three RBI ... Went 10-for-13 in that series against the Orioles ... Hit .315 in April ... Suffered a knee injury diving back to first base against Seattle Aug. 13.

1985
Didn't play until Aug. 22 due to an off-season foot injury ... Replaced injured Carney Lansford at third base and committed only two errors in 31 games.

1984
Led Oakland in games (154) for the second straight year ... Played his way into a starting position after beginning the year as a backup shortstop and second baseman ... Hit .307 on the road, eighth-best in the league.

1983
Led the A's in games (148) in his first full major league season ... Saw action primarily at shortstop during the first half of the season and at second base during the second half ... Batted .277 after the All-Star break ... Led Oakland with 11 sacrifice hits ... Stole 11 consecutive bases without being thrown out April 24-Sept. 7.

1982
Was promoted to Oakland May 10, and saw his first major league action in 40 games with the A's ... Singled off Baltimore's Mike Flanagan May 12 for his first major league hit.


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