This card is a rarity of
late. It is a rookie card, and a home one at that. Mike Phillips made his
Giants debut in ’73 and didn’t look back for nearly ten seasons of reserve
infield work in the majors. He was a pretty solid guy in that role and he moved
around a bit during his career but always stayed in the NL. In ’73 he came up a
couple games into the season to provide depth at third and shortstop. Mike was
a pretty versatile guy, playing all over the infield. For a while with the
Cards in the late Seventies he even took some work behind the plate in spring
training though he never had to go there in the regular season. Here he gazes
off at Candlestick with one of a couple potential candidates – Gary Thomasson,
Jim Barr? – behind him. It’s not a crazy exciting card but Mike would go on to
have a fairly long career on the field in his utilitarian role.
Mike Phillips grew up in Irvine, Texas,
where he was enough of a schoolboy baseball star – I couldn’t find any stats –
to get drafted in the first round by the Giants in ’69, his senior year of high
school. In Rookie ball that summer he didn’t hit so hot but he did better in Fall
ball. He upped his average in A ball in ’70 and then moved up the chain the
next two years, never hitting particularly well, but showing off his
versatility in ’72 by playing second and third in Triple A along with his
normal shortstop gig. After a game in Phoenix to
start off ’73 he came up to San
Francisco.
In 1974 Chris Speier and Tito
Fuentes were injured for a bit so Phillips upped his plate and field time
considerably and also squeezed some time in the hodgepodge at third base. But
his average dipped to .219 in 283 at bats. In ’75 the Giants picked up Derrell
Thomas for Fuentes. Thomas was a bit of an infield chameleon himself so after a
few games Mike was placed on waivers and picked up by the Mets. That
acquisition led to his busiest season since Bud Harrelson missed most of the
year due to injuries. Mike improved his average to .256 but unfortunately also led
NL shortstops in errors. He then maintained that average in ’76 as he split
time at short and got some starts at second and third. He also reduced his
error totals significantly and raised his profile a bit when he hit for the
cycle against the Cubs. In ’77 his playing time came in a bunch and after
hitting .209 through mid-June he was sent to St. Louis for Joel Youngblood. The Cards began
employing Mike more as a pinch hitter and he hit .241 the balance of the year
for them. In ’78 he subbed primarily at second and did nice work in his pinch
role, raisng his average to .268 and showing his best power with 28 RBI’s in
164 at bats. He stuck with the Cards through ’80 but during that time didn’t
approach his ’78 stats. After the ’80 season he went to San Diego in a big
trade that also sent Terry Kennedy to the Padres and brought ex-A’s Gene Tenace
and Rollie Fingers to St. Louis. Mike put in some infield reserve time for San Diego before he was sold that spring to Montreal. He then spent
all of ’81 with the Expos before splitting ’82 and ’83 between Montreal and its Triple A
franchise, ending his career. He hit .240 up top and .247 in the minors. He got
out in his only post-season at bat.
While playing Phillips did
off-season work selling radio ads back in Texas, which he continued doing after he
finished playing. He then moved to selling ad spots for the Texas Rangers in
the late Nineties. In 2002 he moved to the Royals organization and since 2005
he has been the team’s director of group sales.
I didn’t know Topps did the
high school all-star teams until I saw this card. I believe Mike is the first
guy from this set I have seen mentioned making one of those teams. I have found
no information about team rosters so I am unsure as to whether other MLB
players were on it.
These guys were teammates:
1. Phillips and Skip Lockwood
’75 to ’77 Mets.
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