February 06, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports
Rhys Hoskins' playoff bat spike in 2022 will keep him tied to Philadelphia forever.
Over the last few winters, we've passed the time by ranking things. We ranked every Eagles player, and Sixers player by position while also throwing in some other lists that weren't quite as fun.
For the next two weeks, leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting to Clearwater for the 2024 Phillies, we decided to take a look at each position in the Phillies storied 100+ year history and come up with a list of the all-time greats at each position.
We're going to limit our lists to 10 (with a few extra mentions) in part because there were more than 100 players to play first in at least one game for the Phillies.
At first base had a few requirements. The player had to have started at the position for at least three seasons in Philadelphia and their statistical and cultural impact were both weighed when making these rankings.
Interestingly, in contrast to some positions where the Phillies have been extremely historically strong, first base is one of the weaker positions.
Before we dive into our top 10, here's a look at a handful of 1B-men that either didn't qualify, or make the cut talent-wise:
| Player | Games | Notes |
| Carlos Santana | 161 | 24 HR, 85 RBI |
| Rico Brogna | 400 | .265/.316/.440 |
| Richie Hebner | 255 | 35 HR, 133 RBI |
| Deron Johnson | 563 | .251/.333/.442 |
| Ed Bouchee | 410 | 2nd for ROY |
| Earl Torgeson | 293 | .272/.370/.406 |
| Nick Etten | 304 | .288/.381/.417 |
| Frank McCormick | 150 | 1946 All-Star |
| Ozzie Virgil | 136 | 1943 All-Star |
No one above is really a threat to knock off a top 10 pick below. To our list:
Evan Macy: Ryan Howard might just be underrated. The strikeouts were a problem and he was a shadow of himself in the later years of his career. But he finished in the top 10 six years in a row for NL MVP. There was a stretch of time when him being at the plate with runners in scoring position was worth dropping everything to see. A combination of recency bias and a lack of much competition at first historically probably adds to his No. 1 ranking, but I think it is deserved.
Shamus Clancy: While Thome was gone by the time the Phillies ended their postseason drought in 2007, his arrival ushered in a new era of Phillies baseball, one of a true attempt at contention. In 2002 and 2003, Thome combined to smash 89 homers with a .967 OPS. Thome was a lovable figure who brought the threat of a home run at every at-bat. His lone flaw as a Phillie during that period? He delayed Howard's arrival and perhaps stripped the Big Piece of his Hall of Fame candidacy.
Nick Tricome: An All-Star bat who could hit any and everything, and one of the unique personalities that made that '93 team so special. He wasn't an athlete. He was a baseball player. And one of the most memorable the Phillies have ever had.
Shamus: The Bat Spike Heard 'Round the World was an instantly iconic Philadelphia sports moment. There were ups and downs of Hoskins' tenure in red pinstripes and it unfortunately ended in an entire year missed to injury, but no one can ever take Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS away from him:
Sitting in the stands that day, it was the loudest I had heard a Philadelphia crowd since Patrick Robinson's pick-6 in the NFC Championship Game.
Eat your heart out, Spencer Strider.
Nick: A bat with some pop and a high on-base rate, but also one that struck out a lot. You know, he'd be right at home with today's club.
Nick: Pete Rose was important to the '80 championship team. That's as far as I'll go about him.
Evan: This is obviously a throwback — I doubt anyone alive has ever seen this guy play baseball — but he was a mainstay at first for the first pennant-winning Phillies team in 1915. In that series, which Philly lost, Luderus hit .438.
Evan: Hurst is another old timer, but he had quite a bit of power — especially for the 1930s. He drive in 143 runs to lead the NL in 1932.
Nick: White made his name as a St. Louis Cardinal and spent the twilight of his playing career in Philadelphia, but was still a solid ball player, winning one more Gold Glove in 1966. After hanging them up, however, White got into broadcasting, and in 1970, became an Action News original.
Shamus: Farrar led the National League when he was hit by a pitch 13 times in 1888. What a grinder. He was the proto Chase Utley.
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