Phillies' best Black ballplayers in franchise history
What follows is a position-by-position listing of the best Black players in Phillies history. The feature is fitting as we wind down celebrating Black History Month.
As a point of reference, the Phillies¡¯ first Black player came in 1957 (infielder John Kennedy) -- 10 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, also a significant civil rights moment in the country.
First baseman: Ryan Howard
The greatest in Phillies history at this position, the ¡°Big Piece¡± as Charlie Manual called him . . . Fifth-round Phillies selection, 2001 . . . Major League debut, Sept. 1, 2004 . . . Rookie of the Year, 2005 . . . NL MVP, 2006; runner-up, 2008; third place, 2009 . . . NLCS MVP, 2009 . . . Silver Slugger . . . Three-time All-Star . . . 58 homers is club record, 2006 . . . Fastest to 100 and 200 homers in MLB history . . . 13 seasons with the Phillies, second to Mike Schmidt¡¯s 18 seasons . . . 382 career homers, second to Schmidt¡¯s 548.
Second baseman: Dave Cash
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for LHP Ken Brett after the 1973 season . . . Spent three years with the Phillies, 1974-76, an All-Star each season . . . Led National League in at-bats each season. Also, the leader with 213 hits in 1975 and 12 triples in 1976 . . . Led club with 206 hits in 1974; team¡¯s first RH hitter with 200 hits in consecutive years since 3B Pinky Whitney, 1929-30 . . . Compiled a .285 average for the Phillies with 132 walks and 134 strikeouts . . . Coined the phrase, ¡°Yes We Can¡± when he came to Phillies . . . A free agent, he signed with the Expos after the 1976 season.
Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins
Drafted in second round, 1996 . . . MLB debut, Sept. 17, 2000 . . . Durable tablesetter who rose to become greatest shortstop in franchise history . . . Three All-Star games, four Gold Gloves, Silver Slugger, 2007 MVP (Slashed .296/.344/.531 with 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, 139 runs scored, 41 steals and 6.1 WAR) . . . NL leader in triples, four times; stolen bases, once . . . First and last Phillies hit was a triple . . . Phillies hit king, 2,306 hits. Also, 479 doubles are the most, as are 8,628 at-bats . . . 218 homers, most for a club switch-hitter . . . During his 14 Phillies seasons, 10 winning seasons, five postseason appearances, 2008 World Series champions.
Third baseman: Dick Allen
Signed by Phillies after graduating from Wampum (PA) High School; $60,000 contract . . . Spent four years in the Phillies' Minor League system playing shortstop, second base and the outfield . . . Major League debut, Sept. 3, 1963 . . . Moved to third base in Spring Training (1964) . . . National League Rookie of the Year, 1964 -- set four Phillies rookie records that still stand, runs (125), hits (201), total bases (352), slugging percentage (.557). Also, personal career highs in games (162), average (.318), runs, hits, doubles (38) and total bases . . . Returned to Phillies in 1975 . . . Uniform No. 15 was retired on Sept. 3, 2020 . . . Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Dec. 8, 2024, four years after he died . . . Known for tape-measure home runs.
Left fielder: Wes Covington
Left-handed slugger who was a Phillies regular, 1962-65, after joining the club in a 1961 midseason trade with the Kansas City Royals for OF Bobby Del Greco . . . One of the team¡¯s first Black players . . . Hit .284 in Phillies career, 61 homers, 237 RBIs . . . Dealt the Chicago Cubs for OF Doug Clemens, Jan. 10, 1966
Left fielder: Gary (Sarge) Matthews
Acquired from Atlanta Braves for RHP Bob Walk, March 25, 1981 . . . Took over left field, replacing Greg Luzinski, who was sold to the Chicago White Sox five days later . . . Hit .279 with 38 home runs, 200 RBIs in his three Phillies seasons . . . MVP in 1983 NLCS sending the Phils to the World Series. Hit .429, 3 homers, 8 RBIs in four-game win over heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers . . . Batted .400 in five-game Division Series against the Montreal Expos in 1981 . . . Traded to Chicago Cubs prior to 1984 season.
Center fielder: Garry Maddox
Dubbed the Secretary of Defense for his ball hawking skills. "Two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water, the other one-third by Garry Maddox" . . . During his 12 years with the Phillies, he won eight Gold Gloves . . . Hit .330 and finished fifth in the National League MVP voting,1976 . . . Drove in the winning run and caught the last out in Game 5 of the gut-wrenching 1980 NLCS against the Houston Astros, sending the Phillies to their third World Series . . . Batted .271 in 29 postseason games; a career .285 hitter . . . Roberto Clemente Award winner in 1985 for outstanding community service . . . Acquired from San Francisco Giants for 1B Willie Montanez, May 4, 1975.
Right fielder: Bake McBride
¡°Shake and Bake¡± was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals, June 15, 1977 . . . GM Paul Owens was looking for a left-handed bat at the top of the lineup, with some speed and solid defense in right field . . . In 85 games the rest of that season, he hit .339 with 36 extra-base hits and 27 stolen bases . . . The Phillies reached the postseason in four of his five Phillies seasons . . . Batted .309 in 1908 and .304 in winning the World Series. Included was a three-run homer in a five-run bottom of the third inning of Game 1, when the Phillies were trailing, 4-0.
Catcher: Ozzie Virgil Jr.
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the sixth round, 1976 . . . Major League debut came as a starter at Montreal, Oct. 5, 1980, 1-for-5 . . . Wore a Phillies uniform for six years, 1980-1985 . . . NL All-Star, 1985 . . . 46 homers, .246 in Phils career . . . Traded to Atlanta with RHP Pete Smith for RHP Steve Bedrosian and OF Milt Thompson . . . Father, Ozzie Sr., was considered the first player to break the color barrier for the Detroit Tigers in 1958. That honor was rescinded in 2020, when the Negro Leagues were retroactively given Major League status. He is the first Dominican in the Majors.
Starting pitcher: LH Grant Jackson
Signed as an amateur free agent by Phillies elite scout, the late Tony Lucadello, Nov. 24, 1961, out of Fostoria, Ohio . . . Made MLB debut, Sept. 3,1965 . . . Pitched out of the bullpen and as a starter in his six seasons with the Phillies (1965-1970). Longest tenure for a Black Phils pitcher . . . Led staff with 253 innings in 1969 . . . NL All-Star same season . . . 23-43 Phillies record, pitching for some bad teams . . . Traded to the Baltimore Orioles for OF Roger Freed after the 1970 season . . . Won 86 games, saved 79 in 18-year big league career that included six seasons each with the Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . . . Pitched in the postseason for the Orioles, New York Yankees and Pirates . . . 72 games, 8-5 record, 14 saves for 1979 World Series champion Pirates . . . Sandlot field in Fostoria was renamed Grant Jackson Field in 2005.
Starting pitcher: RH Charles Hudson
Selected in the 12th round out of Prairie View (TX) A&M University, 1981 . . . Major League debut, May 31, 1983, as a starter at Dodger Stadium . . . Stayed in the rotation the rest of the season, finishing 8-8. Won five straight decisions, July 20-Aug. 8 . . . Won Game 3 in the NLCS, 7-2, over the visiting Dodgers, nine strikeouts in a complete game. 0-2 for two World Series starts . . . Part of Phillies rotation through 1986; finished 32-42 for Phils . . . Traded to New York Yankees after that season . . . Ended career with 1989 Tigers . . . 50-60 career record.
Starting pitcher: RH Robert Person
Acquired in a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays, May 5, 1999 . . . In rotation through 2002 . . . 38-24 in four seasons; most career wins for a Black Phillies pitcher . . . Career high 15-7 led staff in 2001 . . . He hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in seven runs against the Montreal Expos at Veterans Stadium, June 2, 2002; a third homer drifted foul . . . Became a free agent after that season. Signed with Boston Red Sox . . . 51-42 for nine big league seasons.
Relief pitcher: Al Holland
Acquired along with 2B Joe Morgan from San Francisco Giants for RHP Mike Krukow, LHP Mark Davis and OF C.L. Penigar, Dec. 14, 1982 . . . Inserted in the closer¡¯s role. In 68 appearances, 8-4 record, NL-leading 25 saves, a new club record. Fanned 100 in 91 2/3 innings. Saved NLCS Game 1, a 1-0 decision with 1 1/3 scoreless innings over the Dodgers in L.A. Was on the mound when the Phillies won game 5, 7-2. 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts, including Bill Russell to end the game -- a pennant-winning moment at Veterans Stadium . . . Named winner of NL¡¯s Rolaids Relief Award . . . Pitched 3 2/3 scoreless World Series innings; no runs allowed in 6 2/3 postseason innings; eight strikeouts, two hits, no walks . . . Set a new club record with 29 saves (68 games) in 1984 . . . Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the 1985 season for RHP Kent Tekulve.
Contributors: Rich Westcott and Frank Bilovsky (Phillies Encyclopedia authors).