Tony Phillips
Born: 4/25/1959 in Atlanta, GA, USA
Died: 2/17/2016 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
MLB Debut: 1982-05-10 | Final Game: 1999-08-15
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Keith Anthony Phillips
Biography
Tony Phillips was a versatile and accomplished position player in Major League Baseball, known for his dynamic playing style and ability to contribute in various roles across the diamond. Born in 1959, Phillips played from 1982 until his retirement on August 15, 1999, leaving a significant mark on the game during his 17-year career. He appeared in 2,161 games, accumulating 2,023 hits and 160 home runs, while driving in 819 runs. With a career batting average of .266 and 177 stolen bases, Phillips was recognized for his speed and on-base skills, making him a valuable asset to every team he played for.
Throughout his career, Phillips was celebrated for his adaptability, often filling in at multiple positions, including second base, third base, and the outfield. His keen eye at the plate and ability to get on base were hallmarks of his playing style, allowing him to excel in both small-ball situations and as a power hitter when necessary. Phillips played during a transformative era in baseball, navigating the late 1980s and 1990s, a time marked by significant changes in player dynamics and the evolving strategies of the game. His contributions not only helped his teams win but also set a standard for versatility that aspiring players continue to emulate.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2161 | 7617 | 1300 | 2023 | 360 | 50 | 160 | 819 | 177 | 1319 | 1499 | 0.266 | 0.374 | 0.389 | 0.763 | 11305.2 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | OAK | AL | 40 | 81 | 11 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 26 | 0.210 | -156.8 |
| 1983 | OAK | AL | 148 | 412 | 54 | 102 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 16 | 48 | 70 | 0.248 | -642.6 |
| 1984 | OAK | AL | 154 | 451 | 62 | 120 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 37 | 10 | 42 | 86 | 0.266 | -289.9 |
| 1985 | OAK | AL | 42 | 161 | 23 | 45 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 34 | 0.280 | 229.4 |
| 1986 | OAK | AL | 118 | 441 | 76 | 113 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 52 | 15 | 76 | 82 | 0.256 | 193.4 |
| 1987 | OAK | AL | 111 | 379 | 48 | 91 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 46 | 7 | 57 | 76 | 0.240 | -268.9 |
| 1988 | OAK | AL | 79 | 212 | 32 | 43 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 36 | 50 | 0.203 | -286.3 |
| 1989 | OAK | AL | 143 | 451 | 48 | 118 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 47 | 3 | 58 | 66 | 0.262 | 106.0 |
| 1990 | DET | AL | 152 | 573 | 97 | 144 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 55 | 19 | 99 | 85 | 0.251 | 499.4 |
| 1991 | DET | AL | 146 | 564 | 87 | 160 | 28 | 4 | 17 | 72 | 10 | 79 | 95 | 0.284 | 1772.9 |
| 1992 | DET | AL | 159 | 606 | 114 | 167 | 32 | 3 | 10 | 64 | 12 | 114 | 93 | 0.276 | 1802.6 |
| 1993 | DET | AL | 151 | 566 | 113 | 177 | 27 | 0 | 7 | 57 | 16 | 132 | 102 | 0.313 | 2596.1 |
| 1994 | DET | AL | 114 | 438 | 91 | 123 | 19 | 3 | 19 | 61 | 13 | 95 | 105 | 0.281 | 1696.0 |
| 1995 | LAA | AL | 139 | 525 | 119 | 137 | 21 | 1 | 27 | 61 | 13 | 113 | 135 | 0.261 | 1856.2 |
| 1996 | CHW | AL | 153 | 581 | 119 | 161 | 29 | 3 | 12 | 63 | 13 | 125 | 132 | 0.277 | 1125.0 |
| 1997 | LAA | AL | 105 | 405 | 73 | 107 | 28 | 2 | 6 | 48 | 9 | 73 | 89 | 0.264 | 292.3 |
| 1997 | CHW | AL | 36 | 129 | 23 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 29 | 29 | 0.310 | 292.3 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | 52 | 188 | 25 | 42 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 38 | 44 | 0.223 | -240.9 |
| 1998 | TOR | AL | 13 | 48 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0.354 | -240.9 |
| 1999 | OAK | AL | 106 | 406 | 76 | 99 | 24 | 4 | 15 | 49 | 11 | 71 | 94 | 0.244 | 294.6 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 46 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0.217 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | ALCS | OAK | 5 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.167 |
| 1989 | WS | OAK | 4 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.235 |
| 1988 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.286 |
| 1988 | WS | OAK | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.250 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2B | 778 | 663 | 1341 | 2057 | 67 | 421 |
| 3B | 428 | 337 | 262 | 686 | 65 | 64 |
| OF | 786 | 687 | 1595 | 43 | 45 | 6 |
| SS | 294 | 216 | 352 | 704 | 59 | 158 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | OAK | SS | 39 | 27 | 46 | 95 | 7 | 17 |
| 1983 | OAK | 2B | 63 | 49 | 103 | 124 | 7 | 26 |
| 1983 | OAK | 3B | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | OAK | SS | 101 | 77 | 112 | 257 | 23 | 59 |
| 1984 | OAK | 2B | 91 | 47 | 121 | 156 | 5 | 36 |
| 1984 | OAK | SS | 91 | 79 | 133 | 235 | 23 | 54 |
| 1984 | OAK | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | OAK | 2B | 24 | 9 | 18 | 43 | 1 | 7 |
| 1985 | OAK | 3B | 31 | 31 | 36 | 60 | 2 | 6 |
| 1986 | OAK | 2B | 88 | 87 | 160 | 290 | 11 | 40 |
| 1986 | OAK | 3B | 30 | 24 | 20 | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| 1986 | OAK | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | OAK | OF | 4 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | OAK | 2B | 87 | 83 | 160 | 260 | 11 | 40 |
| 1987 | OAK | 3B | 11 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 2 | 4 |
| 1987 | OAK | SS | 9 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| 1987 | OAK | OF | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | OAK | 1B | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988 | OAK | 2B | 27 | 20 | 29 | 47 | 2 | 12 |
| 1988 | OAK | 3B | 32 | 14 | 15 | 27 | 4 | 3 |
| 1988 | OAK | SS | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1988 | OAK | OF | 31 | 18 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1989 | OAK | 1B | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989 | OAK | 2B | 84 | 77 | 140 | 252 | 6 | 46 |
| 1989 | OAK | 3B | 49 | 29 | 19 | 44 | 7 | 3 |
| 1989 | OAK | SS | 17 | 6 | 11 | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| 1989 | OAK | OF | 16 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | DET | 2B | 47 | 43 | 91 | 135 | 1 | 37 |
| 1990 | DET | 3B | 104 | 89 | 69 | 200 | 20 | 16 |
| 1990 | DET | SS | 11 | 8 | 12 | 33 | 1 | 9 |
| 1990 | DET | OF | 8 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | DET | 2B | 36 | 35 | 108 | 118 | 1 | 34 |
| 1991 | DET | 3B | 46 | 33 | 26 | 84 | 5 | 7 |
| 1991 | DET | SS | 13 | 10 | 21 | 32 | 1 | 10 |
| 1991 | DET | OF | 56 | 43 | 114 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | DET | 2B | 57 | 50 | 109 | 167 | 4 | 41 |
| 1992 | DET | 3B | 20 | 12 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 4 |
| 1992 | DET | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | DET | OF | 69 | 62 | 181 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1993 | DET | 2B | 51 | 47 | 106 | 159 | 4 | 33 |
| 1993 | DET | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993 | DET | OF | 108 | 95 | 215 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1994 | DET | 2B | 12 | 8 | 18 | 36 | 1 | 5 |
| 1994 | DET | OF | 104 | 99 | 236 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 1995 | CAL | 3B | 88 | 87 | 53 | 178 | 19 | 17 |
| 1995 | CAL | OF | 48 | 47 | 113 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | CHA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | CHA | 2B | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1996 | CHA | OF | 150 | 147 | 345 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| 1997 | ANA | 2B | 43 | 42 | 78 | 101 | 6 | 21 |
| 1997 | ANA | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | ANA | OF | 35 | 34 | 59 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | CHA | 3B | 9 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 1997 | CHA | OF | 28 | 25 | 67 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1998 | NYN | OF | 51 | 49 | 86 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 | TOR | OF | 13 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | OAK | 2B | 66 | 64 | 96 | 164 | 7 | 41 |
| 1999 | OAK | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | OAK | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | OAK | OF | 62 | 37 | 85 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 5 |
| Second Base | 782 |
| Third Base | 429 |
| Shortstop | 294 |
| Left Field | 565 |
| Center Field | 97 |
| Right Field | 169 |
| Designated Hitter | 101 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Player of the Week | Week of 1991-05-25 |
| 1986 | Player of the Week | Week of 1986-05-16 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | OAK | AL | $700,000 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | $560,000 |
| 1997 | CHA | AL | $2,200,000 |
| 1996 | CHA | AL | $2,100,000 |
| 1995 | CAL | AL | $4,366,667 |
| 1994 | DET | AL | $2,366,667 |
| 1993 | DET | AL | $3,866,666 |
| 1992 | DET | AL | $1,566,667 |
| 1991 | DET | AL | $1,566,666 |
| 1990 | DET | AL | $866,667 |
| 1989 | OAK | AL | $450,000 |
| 1988 | OAK | AL | $200,000 |
| 1987 | OAK | AL | $425,000 |
| 1986 | OAK | AL | $300,950 |
| 1985 | OAK | AL | $220,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $21,755,950 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico Military Institute | Roswell | NM | 1978 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 16th | 10.0 | 392 | 0 |