Dave Philley
Encyclopedia
David Earl Philley is a former outfielder
who played in Major League Baseball
. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, he debuted on September 6, and played his final game on August 6, . He was born in Paris, Texas
.
A well travelled and regarded clutch hitter
, Philley played for eight different teams in a long 18-season career. He was considered one of the game's premier defensive outfielder
s before Gold Gloves
were awarded. A hustler with good range and an outstanding arm, he led American League
outfielders in assists
three different years and once in outs
(1950). A highly disciplined hitter as well, he had a short and compact swing with occasional power and was a daring and intelligent base runner. Still, Philley is best remembered for his pinch-hitting
heroics in the late 1950s.
Philley reached the majors in 1941
with the Chicago White Sox
. He spent four years in military service
during World War II, rejoining the White Sox in 1946
and playing 17 games for them that year. Philley was with the White Sox for five and a half years before moving to the Philadelphia Athletics
early in the 1951
season. After playing for Philadelphia in the 1951 through 1953
seasons, he next played for the Cleveland Indians
in 1954
. He was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles
during the 1955
season and finished the year with a .299 batting average, leading the Orioles in batting. Later in his long career, Philley played for the Detroit Tigers
, Philadelphia Phillies
, San Francisco Giants
, and Boston Red Sox
, including second stints with Chicago and Baltimore. His most productive season came in 1953 with the Athletics, when he posted career-numbers in batting average
(.303), hits
(188), doubles
(30), and games played
(157). From 1947-53 he averaged 27 doubles per season, and in 1950
with Chicago hit 14 home run
s with 80 RBI
, also career-highs. While in Cleveland he appeared in the 1954 World Series
.
As he got older, Philley became more of a pinch-hitting specialist. In 1958
, playing for the Phillies, he collected 18 pinch-hits, including a streak of eight straight to close the season.
He also had a pinch-hit double Opening Day 1959
, for an actual total of nine straight, a major league record that still stands today. While playing for Baltimore in 1961
, he had a season total of 24 pinch-hits in 72 at-bats, which are also American League records.
A 42-year-old Philley was signed off the Baltimore roster by the expansion Houston Colt .45's
during the 1961-62 offseason, but a few hours later Houston sent him to the Boston Red Sox. Philley spent most of 1962
on the bench for Boston and retired at the end of the season.
In an 18-season career, Philley was a .270 hitter with 84 home runs and 729 RBI in 1904 games. He also collected 1700 hits
, 276 doubles, 72 triples
, 789 runs
, 101 stolen base
s, and a walk-to-strikeout ratio
of 1.708 (594-to-551). As a pinch-hitter, he batted .299 (93-for-311).
After his playing days, Philley worked as a manager
for the Houston minor league
system from 1963–64, and spent 1965 managing the Durham Bulls
, where he won a Carolina League
division title. He found employment for 1966 in the Red Sox organization, where he managed the Class A Waterloo Hawks
and served as a scout. Since retirement from baseball, Philley lives in his native Paris, Texas
.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who played in Major League Baseball
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...
. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, he debuted on September 6, and played his final game on August 6, . He was born in Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
.
A well travelled and regarded clutch hitter
Clutch hitter
A clutch hitter is a baseball player with a knack for coming up with the "big" hit. The big hit is typically a game-deciding hit, sometimes a home run, often coming with two outs...
, Philley played for eight different teams in a long 18-season career. He was considered one of the game's premier defensive outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
s before Gold Gloves
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...
were awarded. A hustler with good range and an outstanding arm, he led American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
outfielders in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
three different years and once in outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
(1950). A highly disciplined hitter as well, he had a short and compact swing with occasional power and was a daring and intelligent base runner. Still, Philley is best remembered for his pinch-hitting
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...
heroics in the late 1950s.
Philley reached the majors in 1941
1941 Chicago White Sox season
The 1941 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 41st season in the major leagues, and their 42nd season overall. They finished with a record 77-77, good enough for 3rd place in the American League, 24 games behind the first place New York Yankees....
with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. He spent four years in military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
during World War II, rejoining the White Sox in 1946
1946 Chicago White Sox season
The 1946 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 46th season in the major leagues, and their 47th season overall. They finished with a record 74-80, good enough for 5th place in the American League, 30 games behind the first place Boston Red Sox....
and playing 17 games for them that year. Philley was with the White Sox for five and a half years before moving to the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
early in the 1951
1951 Philadelphia Athletics season
The 1951 Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing sixth in the American League with a record of 70 wins and 84 losses.- Offseason :...
season. After playing for Philadelphia in the 1951 through 1953
1953 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 59 wins and 95 losses.- Offseason :...
seasons, he next played for 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...
in 1954
1954 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...
. He was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
during the 1955
1955 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1955 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 57 wins and 97 losses, 39 games behind the AL champion New York Yankees...
season and finished the year with a .299 batting average, leading the Orioles in batting. Later in his long career, Philley played for 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...
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, 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....
, and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, including second stints with Chicago and Baltimore. His most productive season came in 1953 with the Athletics, when he posted career-numbers in 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 :...
(.303), 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....
(188), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(30), and games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(157). From 1947-53 he averaged 27 doubles per season, and in 1950
1950 Chicago White Sox season
The 1950 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 50th season in the major leagues, and its 51st season overall. They finished with a record 60-94, good enough for sixth place in the American League, 38 games behind the first place New York Yankees....
with Chicago hit 14 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 with 80 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...
, also career-highs. While in Cleveland he appeared in the 1954 World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
.
As he got older, Philley became more of a pinch-hitting specialist. In 1958
1958 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 76th in franchise history. The Phillies finished the season in last place in the National League. It was the Phillies third losing season in five seasons, and their fourth losing season during the 1950s.-Offseason:...
, playing for the Phillies, he collected 18 pinch-hits, including a streak of eight straight to close the season.
1959 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 77th season in the history of the franchise. During spring training, manager Eddie Sawyer told the press, "We're definitely not a last place club... I think the biggest thing we've accomplished is getting rid of the losing complex...
, for an actual total of nine straight, a major league record that still stands today. While playing for Baltimore in 1961
1961 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1961 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 95 wins and 67 losses, 14 games behind the AL and World Series champion New York Yankees...
, he had a season total of 24 pinch-hits in 72 at-bats, which are also American League records.
A 42-year-old Philley was signed off the Baltimore roster by the expansion Houston Colt .45's
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...
during the 1961-62 offseason, but a few hours later Houston sent him to the Boston Red Sox. Philley spent most of 1962
1962 Boston Red Sox season
The 1962 Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 84 losses.- Offseason :* October 20, 1961: Joe Ginsberg was released by the Red Sox....
on the bench for Boston and retired at the end of the season.
In an 18-season career, Philley was a .270 hitter with 84 home runs and 729 RBI in 1904 games. He also collected 1700 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....
, 276 doubles, 72 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....
, 789 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...
, 101 stolen base
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...
s, and a walk-to-strikeout ratio
Walk-to-strikeout ratio
In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
of 1.708 (594-to-551). As a pinch-hitter, he batted .299 (93-for-311).
After his playing days, Philley worked as a manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
for the Houston minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
system from 1963–64, and spent 1965 managing the Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
, where he won a Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
division title. He found employment for 1966 in the Red Sox organization, where he managed the Class A Waterloo Hawks
Waterloo Hawks (baseball)
The Waterloo Hawks were a minor league team that existed on-and-off from 1922 to 1969. From 1922 to 1932, they played in the Mississippi Valley League and in 1932 they were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. They played in the Western League in 1936 and from 1940 to 1942 they played in the...
and served as a scout. Since retirement from baseball, Philley lives in his native Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
.
See also
- Major League Baseball single season pinch hit records