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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > November > 05
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gold Glover Phillips no longer angry
Brandon Phillips admits that shortstop is his first love and switching to second base was torture and traumatic, but as he said, “I talked to (former infielder) Delino DeShields and he told me, ‘If you can dance, you can play second base.’”
Phillips can dance. And as he said, “I dance with the stars at second base. That’s what I call it, ‘Dancing on the Diamond.‘“The 27-year-old Cincinnati Reds infielder danced his way to a Rawlings Gold Glove this year, emblematic of being the best defensive second baseman in the National League.
Manager Dusty Baker said he was shocked when he talked to Phillips and Phillips couldn’t believe he won the Gold Glove, “And I couldn’t believe he couldn’t believe it.”
Managers and coaches do the voting and Baker said, “Nearly every day a manager or coach comes up to me and asks about Brandon and tells me what a pleasure it is watching that guy.
“Brandon Phillips works hard,” Baker added. “He practices making catches over his head and I’ve never seen a player practice that.”
Phillips should have won the award last year, had better numbers than Arizona’s Orlando Hudson, but Hudson won.
“To tell you the truth, it hurt me last year when I didn’t win,” he said. “I was really pissed. Now that I’ve finally won one — well, it’s great the people are finally recognizing my defense.”
Phillips was a 30/30 offensive player last year (30 homers, 30 stolen bases), but only a 24/23 player this year, losing 27 points off his batting average (.288 to .261).
“To me, winning the Gold Glove is more important and more satisfying than the 30/30,” he said. “Defense is my passion and I take pride in it. I’m all about defense. Defense wins games and this is the best thing to happen to me.”
Phillips said winning the Gold Glove is one of many surprises that have popped up in his career, “But winning this is a blessing. I worked hard to get this award and I’m blessed to finally be recognized.”
Baker said he knows Phillips won’t stop working.
“The first one is the toughest,” he said. “But I see four or five more in his future. A great defensive player can pick up the offense. It prevents offense from the other team when you make a great play and turn a double play.
“His range and his athleticism and his arm are special,” Baker added. “He is so good he could almost be a tumbler.”
Or Dance With the Stars.
Phillips got this year what he deserved last year - and actually he deserved it both years.
The man with the flashy glove and the flashy smile won his first Gold Glove, emblematic of being the defensive second baseman in the National League.
Phillips led all NL second basemen with a fielding percentage of .990 this season, making only seven errros in 706 chances.
And he didn’t do it by making only the routine plays. Phillis roamed far to his left, far to his right and deep into the outfield to make many superlative plays and ghostly throws.
He is the first Reds player to lead the league in fielding percentage at second base in consecutive seasons since Bret Boone did it in three straight years from 1995-97.
In addition he is the first Reds player to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award since Pokey Reese earned the honors in 2000, also as a second baseman.
Phillips received the Bill James Handbook’s Fielding Bible Award as the best defensive second basemen in the Major Leagues. His career-high 78-game errorless streak from April 10 through July 8 was the second-longest by a second baseman in the Major Leagues last season (Pittsburgh’s Freddy Sanchez, 82 games).
