Brandon Phillips
Encyclopedia
Brandon Emil Phillips is a second baseman for Major League Baseball's
Cincinnati Reds
.
The Raleigh, North Carolina
native was selected in the second round of the 1999 draft
by the former Montreal Expos
(now the Washington Nationals
) after signing a letter of intent to play both baseball and football
at the University of Georgia
. He instead signed with the Expos on June 21, 1999.
Phillips was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
on April 7, 2006 for a player to be named later, which turned out to be right-handed pitcher Jeff Stevens
. With the Reds, Phillips has had a good deal of success, winning three Rawlings Gold Glove Award
s, one Silver Slugger Award, and being selected to two National League All-Star teams
.
in Stone Mountain, Georgia
, where he played basketball and baseball. His #7 at Redan was retired by the school in December 2003. Phillips' favorite baseball player growing up was Cincinnati Reds shortstop
Barry Larkin
.
. He finished the season with a .292 batting average
, 22 home run
s, 59 RBI
, 3 triples
, and 30 steals
.
On June 27, 2002, Phillips was part of a six-player trade that sent him from the Montreal Expos to the Cleveland Indians
. Phillips was dealt along with Grady Sizemore
, Cliff Lee
, and Lee Stevens
in exchange for Bartolo Colón
and Tim Drew
.
In 2003, Phillips won the starting job at second base for the Indians. During the season, he had a season-high 6-game hitting streak. Against the Detroit Tigers
on May 20, he hit the first three-run walk-off home run
of his career. After that he went 0 for 29 and was sent down to Triple-A after the All-Star break. He was recalled soon after that due to an injury to one of his teammates and finished the season with a .208 average, 6 homers, 33 RBI and 4 stolen bases. Phillips also totaled a .981 fielding percentage
.
In 2004, he started the season in Triple-A. He hit .303 with 14 stolen bases on the season and recorded 18-game and 16-game hitting streaks. In the minor league play-offs, Phillips hit .308.
He joined the Indians at the end of the season and played 6 games for them.
Phillips remained in Triple-A for most of 2005. He appeared in six games for the Indians in July but was sent back down following the stint.
(pitcher
Jeff Stevens
). He made an immediate impact, starting the season by being named NL Player of the Week the same month he was acquired by the Reds, hitting .452 (14–31) with 3 home runs and 17 runs batted in for the week of April 17–23. Phillips' 17 RBI were the most for an NL Player of the Week since Sammy Sosa
had 19 RBI the week of August 4–10, 2002. Phillips had his first career grand slam
that month and 16 straight stolen bases. leading the Reds in hits
(148) and multi-hit games (36). He also led all National League
second basemen in stolen bases with 25. He produced two 9-game hitting streaks over the season and ended with a batting average of .276, 17 home runs and 75 RBI.
In 2007, Phillips hit 30 home runs and stole 32 bases to become the first Reds second basemen to join the 30–30 club
and just the third 30–30 Red, joining Eric Davis (37 HR, 50 SB in 1987) and Barry Larkin (33 HR, 36 SB in 1996). He also joined Alfonso Soriano
as just the second second baseman in the 30-30 club
.
On July 3, 2007, Phillips broke a 3–3 tie with the San Francisco Giants
by hitting a grand slam that gave the Reds a 7–3 win. In the fourth inning on August 1, 2007, game, against John Lannan
of the Washington Nationals
Phillips stole two bases on one pitch while the Nationals had a shift on Adam Dunn
. On August 30 2007, Phillips made the play of the month to win the game for the Reds against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. With the Reds winning 5–4 in the bottom of the 9th, Nate McLouth
of the Pirates hit a single into right field. The runner from second, Josh Phelps
, appeared likely to score but Phillips grabbed the ball in shallow right field bare-handed and threw Phelps out at home plate to win the game. On September 5, 2007, he hit his 28th home run of the season, breaking the Reds' single-season record for home runs by a second baseman, formerly held by Joe Morgan. On September 26, 2007, Phillips hit his 30th home run of the season.
In addition to the home runs and steals, Phillips ended the 2007 season with 187 hits, 107 runs
, 26 doubles, 6 triples 94 RBIs, and a .288 batting average. He led the Reds in runs, hits, triples, and stolen bases and was second on the team in doubles and home runs.
Phillips received a four-year, $27 million contract extension on February 15, 2008, instead of going to arbitration.
. At the end of April, he hit a pinch-hit
9th inning home run against the San Francisco Giants
in the 3–1 loss. Two days later, in the April 27 victory over the Giants, he hit two home runs and three RBI. In the first month of the season, Phillips batted .283 with 5 home runs, 13 RBI, and four stolen bases.
To open up July, Phillips had a 3 for 5 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the 6–5 loss, Phillips hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game and send it into extra innings. On July 5, Phillips drove in Jerry Hairston, Jr.
for the game-winning single RBI.
At the All-Star Break, Phillips was batting .287 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 18 doubles. Shortly after the All-Star Game, Phillips hit his 16th home run of the season against the Chicago Cubs
and his 17th against the New York Mets
.
To open August, Phillips hit triples in back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Brewers
and the Houston Astros
, then finished the three-game stint with a home run in the third game against the Astros. He opened the following series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a two-run homer. Then, Phillips closed out the next series against the St. Louis Cardinals
with home runs in back-to-back games to reach his 20th of the season. The final game of the series marked the second consecutive season that he had joined the 20–20 club.
Phillips also won his first gold glove in 2008, leading National League
2nd basemen with a .990 fielding percentage
having made just 7 errors in 706 chances, in addition to a 78-game error-less streak. He also won a Fielding Bible Award
as the top fielding second baseman in MLB.
In early August, Phillips made national sports headlines with unflattering remarks about the St. Louis Cardinals
, a team the Reds were in a hotly contested race with for lead in the National League Central division. Phillips was quoted in a Dayton, Ohio
newspaper as saying "I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they're little bitches, all of them. I hate the Cardinals." The next night, August 10, Phillips was involved in a large bench-clearing brawl between the Reds and Cardinals at home plate. Coming to bat in the bottom of the 1st inning, Phillips customarily tapped his bat against the shin pads of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina
and the umpire. Molina kicked Phillips bat which led to seven minutes of pushing and shoving between both teams before both team managers were ejected and order restored.
On November 10, 2010, it was announced that Phillips had won the second Gold Glove
of his major league career.
, Phillips had an amazing play in which he threw out speedy Jason Bourgeois
by picking up the ball barehanded as it rolled to him and throwing it to first baseman Joey Votto
between his legs to record the out. On July 1st, Phillips hit 2 home runs against the Cleveland Indians
, the 2nd homer being his 1,000th career hit. After several great plays in the field earned him notoriety around the country and his average stayed around .300 the whole first half, Phillips made his second straight All-Star game. He was in first place in voting for most of the year until Milwaukee's Rickie Weeks
passed him, getting the starting nod.
On July 15, 2011 Phillips hit a two out two run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6–5 at Great American Ballpark.
On November 1, 2011, it was announced that Phillips had won the third Gold Glove of his major league career. His fielding percentage for the season was .992 in 721 chances.
On November 2, 2011, it was announced that Phillips had won the first Silver Slugger of his major league career. He hit an even .300 with 183 hits, 38 doubles, 2 triples, 18 homers, and 82 RBI. His on-base percentage was .353.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
The Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
native was selected in the second round of the 1999 draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
by the former Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(now the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
) after signing a letter of intent to play both baseball and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. He instead signed with the Expos on June 21, 1999.
Phillips was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
on April 7, 2006 for a player to be named later, which turned out to be right-handed pitcher Jeff Stevens
Jeff Stevens
Jeffrey Allen Stevens is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He was originally selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft...
. With the Reds, Phillips has had a good deal of success, winning three Rawlings Gold Glove Award
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s, one Silver Slugger Award, and being selected to two National League All-Star teams
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
.
Early life
Phillips attended Redan High SchoolRedan High School
Redan High School is a public secondary school located in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The school is south of the city of Stone Mountain....
in Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
, where he played basketball and baseball. His #7 at Redan was retired by the school in December 2003. Phillips' favorite baseball player growing up was Cincinnati Reds shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Barry Larkin
Barry Larkin
Barry Louis Larkin is a retired Major League Baseball player. Larkin played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 to 2004 and was one of the pivotal players on the 1990 Reds' World Series championship team...
.
Early career
After signing with the Montreal Expos in 1999, he played for the Jupiter HammerheadsJupiter Hammerheads
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter, Florida, named for the hammerhead shark.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Miami Marlins major-league club....
. He finished the season with a .292 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 22 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 59 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 3 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 30 steals
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
.
On June 27, 2002, Phillips was part of a six-player trade that sent him from the Montreal Expos to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. Phillips was dealt along with Grady Sizemore
Grady Sizemore
Gradius "Grady" Sizemore III is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
, Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, and Lee Stevens
Lee Stevens
DeWain Lee Stevens is a former first baseman and designated hitter drafted by the California Angels out of Lawrence High School in the first round of the 1986 amateur draft in Major League Baseball who played from to and from to for the California Angels, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, and...
in exchange for Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2009 and again in 2011...
and Tim Drew
Tim Drew
Timothy Andrew Drew is a former American Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:The brother of MLB players J. D. Drew and Stephen Drew, Tim was a pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians , Montreal Expos , and Atlanta Braves .He was named the Indians' 1999 Minor League Player of the Year...
.
In 2003, Phillips won the starting job at second base for the Indians. During the season, he had a season-high 6-game hitting streak. Against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on May 20, he hit the first three-run walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
of his career. After that he went 0 for 29 and was sent down to Triple-A after the All-Star break. He was recalled soon after that due to an injury to one of his teammates and finished the season with a .208 average, 6 homers, 33 RBI and 4 stolen bases. Phillips also totaled a .981 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.
In 2004, he started the season in Triple-A. He hit .303 with 14 stolen bases on the season and recorded 18-game and 16-game hitting streaks. In the minor league play-offs, Phillips hit .308.
He joined the Indians at the end of the season and played 6 games for them.
Phillips remained in Triple-A for most of 2005. He appeared in six games for the Indians in July but was sent back down following the stint.
2006–2007
On April 7, 2006, Cleveland's frustration with Phillips' slow progress peaked and he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named laterPlayer to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
(pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Jeff Stevens
Jeff Stevens
Jeffrey Allen Stevens is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He was originally selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft...
). He made an immediate impact, starting the season by being named NL Player of the Week the same month he was acquired by the Reds, hitting .452 (14–31) with 3 home runs and 17 runs batted in for the week of April 17–23. Phillips' 17 RBI were the most for an NL Player of the Week since Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
had 19 RBI the week of August 4–10, 2002. Phillips had his first career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
that month and 16 straight stolen bases. leading the Reds in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(148) and multi-hit games (36). He also led all National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
second basemen in stolen bases with 25. He produced two 9-game hitting streaks over the season and ended with a batting average of .276, 17 home runs and 75 RBI.
In 2007, Phillips hit 30 home runs and stole 32 bases to become the first Reds second basemen to join the 30–30 club
30-30 club
The 30–30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season....
and just the third 30–30 Red, joining Eric Davis (37 HR, 50 SB in 1987) and Barry Larkin (33 HR, 36 SB in 1996). He also joined Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
as just the second second baseman in the 30-30 club
30-30 club
The 30–30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season....
.
On July 3, 2007, Phillips broke a 3–3 tie with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
by hitting a grand slam that gave the Reds a 7–3 win. In the fourth inning on August 1, 2007, game, against John Lannan
John Lannan
John Edward Lannan is a left-handed starting pitcher in the Washington Nationals organization....
of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
Phillips stole two bases on one pitch while the Nationals had a shift on Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn
Adam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....
. On August 30 2007, Phillips made the play of the month to win the game for the Reds against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. With the Reds winning 5–4 in the bottom of the 9th, Nate McLouth
Nate McLouth
Nathan Richard McLouth is a Major League Baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, McLouth bats from the left side and throws from the right. He is 5' 11" tall and weighs 185 pounds...
of the Pirates hit a single into right field. The runner from second, Josh Phelps
Josh Phelps
Joshua Lee Phelps is a Major League Baseball first baseman who plays for the Telemarket Rimini. He bats and throws right-handed...
, appeared likely to score but Phillips grabbed the ball in shallow right field bare-handed and threw Phelps out at home plate to win the game. On September 5, 2007, he hit his 28th home run of the season, breaking the Reds' single-season record for home runs by a second baseman, formerly held by Joe Morgan. On September 26, 2007, Phillips hit his 30th home run of the season.
In addition to the home runs and steals, Phillips ended the 2007 season with 187 hits, 107 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 26 doubles, 6 triples 94 RBIs, and a .288 batting average. He led the Reds in runs, hits, triples, and stolen bases and was second on the team in doubles and home runs.
Phillips received a four-year, $27 million contract extension on February 15, 2008, instead of going to arbitration.
2008
On April 2, Phillips hit his first home run of the season against the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. At the end of April, he hit a pinch-hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
9th inning home run against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the 3–1 loss. Two days later, in the April 27 victory over the Giants, he hit two home runs and three RBI. In the first month of the season, Phillips batted .283 with 5 home runs, 13 RBI, and four stolen bases.
To open up July, Phillips had a 3 for 5 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the 6–5 loss, Phillips hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game and send it into extra innings. On July 5, Phillips drove in Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Wayne Hairston, Jr. is a Mexican-American professional baseball utility player.-Professional career:...
for the game-winning single RBI.
At the All-Star Break, Phillips was batting .287 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 18 doubles. Shortly after the All-Star Game, Phillips hit his 16th home run of the season against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and his 17th against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
To open August, Phillips hit triples in back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, then finished the three-game stint with a home run in the third game against the Astros. He opened the following series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a two-run homer. Then, Phillips closed out the next series against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
with home runs in back-to-back games to reach his 20th of the season. The final game of the series marked the second consecutive season that he had joined the 20–20 club.
Phillips also won his first gold glove in 2008, leading National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
2nd basemen with a .990 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
having made just 7 errors in 706 chances, in addition to a 78-game error-less streak. He also won a Fielding Bible Award
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process...
as the top fielding second baseman in MLB.
2009
In 2009, Phillips hit .276, with 30 doubles, 20 home runs, 98 RBI and 25 stolen bases.2010
In 2010, Phillips had his first All-Star season. He finished the season batting .275, with 18 homers, 59 RBI and 16 stolen bases.In early August, Phillips made national sports headlines with unflattering remarks about the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, a team the Reds were in a hotly contested race with for lead in the National League Central division. Phillips was quoted in a Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
newspaper as saying "I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they're little bitches, all of them. I hate the Cardinals." The next night, August 10, Phillips was involved in a large bench-clearing brawl between the Reds and Cardinals at home plate. Coming to bat in the bottom of the 1st inning, Phillips customarily tapped his bat against the shin pads of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina
Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
and the umpire. Molina kicked Phillips bat which led to seven minutes of pushing and shoving between both teams before both team managers were ejected and order restored.
On November 10, 2010, it was announced that Phillips had won the second Gold Glove
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
of his major league career.
2011
On May 3rd, against the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, Phillips had an amazing play in which he threw out speedy Jason Bourgeois
Jason Bourgeois
Jason Jerrod Bourgeois is a Major League Baseball player for the Houston Astros. Bourgeois plays all outfield positions and second base.-Baseball career:...
by picking up the ball barehanded as it rolled to him and throwing it to first baseman Joey Votto
Joey Votto
Joseph Daniel "Joey" Votto, is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is the 2010 NL MVP, the recipient of the National League Hank Aaron Award for 2010, and won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year in 2010.-Early life:Votto was born on...
between his legs to record the out. On July 1st, Phillips hit 2 home runs against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, the 2nd homer being his 1,000th career hit. After several great plays in the field earned him notoriety around the country and his average stayed around .300 the whole first half, Phillips made his second straight All-Star game. He was in first place in voting for most of the year until Milwaukee's Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
passed him, getting the starting nod.
On July 15, 2011 Phillips hit a two out two run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6–5 at Great American Ballpark.
On November 1, 2011, it was announced that Phillips had won the third Gold Glove of his major league career. His fielding percentage for the season was .992 in 721 chances.
On November 2, 2011, it was announced that Phillips had won the first Silver Slugger of his major league career. He hit an even .300 with 183 hits, 38 doubles, 2 triples, 18 homers, and 82 RBI. His on-base percentage was .353.