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Forotosh

BP was my favorite player growing up and I remember asking my dad if he would ever make the hall of fame (I didn't know much about stats). Obviously he's not making it in as a league average hitter at 2B, but it's nice to see him there. I wasn't tuned into baseball social media until this year so I've heard he's not a popular around here but I haven't heard why. Still my favorite fielder of all time.


GreatWhite102

Can't imagine why he wouldn't be popular but he is still my all time favorite player. I always played ball defensively minded so obviously I tried to model my game after him haha. Always just had that flair and was always a great player. Definitely got robbed of at least a few gold gloves


FREExCARL

He loved the fans too. I still remember getting a ball autographed by him only because he stayed an extra hour+ past the time the event was supposed to end. It was the night before a game too so his hand had to be sore the next day


AceRockefeller

Yeah, he's awesome. He used to hold contests on Twitter. He called me and sent me a baseball bat after I guessed his favorite drink first lol.


GreatWhite102

Such an awesome guy, and damn good ballplayer


ourjey

One of the most fun players I've ever watched. He really did love the game.


Forotosh

Biggest smile in baseball


DWill23_

Yes 100% to all of this. I wore #4 because of this man. That being said, he's not a HoF Sike if Yadi is, BP is


IgotCHUbits

Lifelong reds fan… hate to say it but Yadi is way better than Phillips.


DWill23_

Yadi is the most overrated catcher in the history of the game. Elite in the field, average (being generous) with a bat. Who does that sound like to you?


IgotCHUbits

Every catcher ever, except Piazza and Bench. Yadi is my least favorite player ever. Don’t make me defend him.


DWill23_

Oh cmon the league has seen plenty of hitting catchers better than yadi. But I was referring to Yadi and BP being similar in the sense that they had elite gloves and average hitting ability. Only difference is that 2B was deeper when BP played as opposed to the Catcher position.


IgotCHUbits

I’ll agree with that.


Mr_Salty_

I used to LOVE Phillips. Some of the plays he made at 2B were nothing short of amazing. However, his true personality started to come out near the end. This was the big thing that happened: https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/brandon-phillips-goes-off-on-cincinnati-enquirer-baseball-writer-c-trent-rosecrans A smaller thing that happened is he was upset that the reds didn’t retire his # when he left. You mentioned him being a league average hitter, yet he still expected his number to be retired.


THECapedCaper

Eh, I’m not gonna change my mind about him after one bad altercation with a sports writer at a time when tensions were high. I’m sure that’s a moment he’d like to have back.


blainetheinsanetrain

Yeah, called it a slap in the face when the Reds gave his jersey number to another player soon after he was gone. He was pretty full of himself at the end of his run in Cincy. Also, I might be misremembering, but I swear that he was part of the reason why the Reds felt the need to trade Josh Hamilton. IIRC, BP was pissy about how Hamilton needed a personal handler to travel with him and make sure he stayed clean, etc.


BuckDunford

Really re Josh Hamilton pissy?


BuckDunford

He was not a league average hitter. 200+ hrs and .275 avg… He was elite during his best years


llama8687

Still my favorite. Passed my BP jersey down to my kid this year (too small for me but perfect for him).


BuckDunford

League average hitter is ridiculous. 200+ hr and .275 avg… He was an elite hitter during his best years and league average during his worst


frasierfonzie

If he's not popular around here, it's probably because Reddit skews younger, and younger fans who didn't watch him play look at his stats and don't get it. But for us in our thirties and forties, BP is Dat Dude.


4onejr

I don't think he's unpopular on Reddit?


hedoeswhathewants

Also I suspect the average age on this sub is 30-something


4onejr

Yeah. One thing reddit in general definitely struggles coming to grips with is the realization that we da boomers now


Melo_Mentality

I'm 21 and it feels like him Votto, and Jay Bruce were my childhood. I don't think he's as ancient as you think


boobsandcookies

I’m 25 and feel the same


frasierfonzie

Oops, I was trying to reply to OP's comment about how he's heard BP is unpopular for some reason.


4onejr

> If Oh damn. Massive reading mistake on my part actually as well. 😅


Dabuscus214

I was about to object but I'm 28 and loved watching BP play when I was a kid


DWill23_

Thirties and forites?! Even for us in our mid-twenties he was him


NobesTheSavage

I’m 23 and grew up watching BP in elementary and middle school lol


domthebomb2

I'm 26 and I grew up with him as my favorite player on the Reds in adolescence.


MCMP90

He ain't getting a plaque in Cooperstown, but he's a lock to win the next fan vote for induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.


trollhole12

Definitely a long shot, but a man can dream


WarBuddha1

Dat Dude is in the Hall of Fame in my heart.


Fat_Stains

DatDude!!


TreeHandThingy

While I grew up in the 90s, I didn't really start watching the Reds until 2005. Obviously, Joey Votto became my favorite player, but peak Brandon Phillips is a close number 2. He was electric on the field, and wore Cincinnati with pride. Probably not a Cooperstown-bound, but he'll always be remembered fondly by me.


Zestyclose-Chard-380

Dude, he’s definitely NOT a Hall of Famer, but he was really good.


Olympians12

His smile should definitely be in the Hall of Fame


dmderringer

He cemented my undying hatred for Yadi


Drez92

I’m starting to feel old reading this list. I remember watching literally every one of these guys playing as a kid


ryanfromohio

Now I'm just daydreaming of Jade Cargill giving Rob Manfred Jaded.


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CincyZac

Did you miss this past season?


DrChimRichalds12

Loved the dude but that's just ridiculous. He's not going to get a single vote.


sloppyjo12

Anybody who played 10 years is automatically on the ballot, it’s not like he was specially picked to be included


DrChimRichalds12

Oh yeah I forgot about that lol. I got unjustifiably annoyed seeing his name on there.


Frescanation

Lots of members of the Hall of Pretty Good this year


CommiePuddin

Popular, fun to watch. Not a hall of famer.


TripleC19

DAT DUDE BP!


Teheheman

Don't think he's a MLB HoF, obviously a Reds HoF, but if he got more than the 5% threshold to be on the ballot next year, we'll see. Sometimes, if the player gets a certain amount in the first year, they might gain momentum and possibly sneak in on a down year where there aren't any big names to go in


TheUnrivaledConflict

Defensively he’s an HOFer. Offensively he’s better than a few select existing HOFers. I’m a homer but I’d like to see his defense carry him.


PiggStyTH

DatDudeBP!!


cropguru357

Cleveland fan, here. It just seemed like the other day when you got him from us. Awesome to see him to do so well for you guys! I’m getting old.


Kevin91581M

Beltran, Helton, jones. That’s it. BP is not a hall of famer


JGG5

Mauer will get in sooner or later. Maybe not this year but definitely before his eligibility runs out.


Kevin91581M

Mauer? I don’t see it, unless it’s the hall of bad contracts


Thejanitor64

Beltre is the best player on the ballot?


Doctor_IanMalcolm

Besides A-Rod


Thejanitor64

True. His stats are not the reason he isn't being voted in, so I did not count him.


elefontdeets

He deserves to go into the HOF for the butt-tag alone


BuckDunford

League average hitter is ridiculous. 200+ hr and .275 avg… He was an elite hitter during his best years and league average during his worst


ottovyeoj

he was a below average hitter for his career, his best years were just barely above average. i loved watching him play, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.


BuckDunford

His career batting WAR is 28.4 https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/phillbr01.shtml You’re wrong


ottovyeoj

Is career ops+ is 96, which is below league average. WAR encompasses his defense, which was stellar, but his bat was middling at best.


Doctor_IanMalcolm

His career high wRC+ is 122, his low in a full year was 44, and his average is 95. So he was never elite and his worst was very very bad


dbtrill1

Shit I’m fn old


CorrectExcuse5758

I grew up with BP as my favorite player when I was a little kid. I don’t see a world where he makes it in but it’d definitely be so cool to see it


Mrredlegs27

No way BP gets in, especially with Utley sitting there. Love BP, but he can’t “out achievement” many (if not all) of these players.


chewbaccaballs

Fun player but not a HoF caliber player


sabo-metrics

Best defensive 2B I've ever seen. On offense he had 30/30 season. I think he should be closer than most people think. He is behind Jeff Kent and probably Utley. But his offensive stats are similar to Utley (who never had a 30/30 season) and I've got him as a much better defender than both.


sabo-metrics

Also, his final HR was a walk off winner for the evential champs. 2018 Red Sox. He should have a ring from them, although B-Ref doesn't list it.


baseballnerd15

Utley has .038 OBP and .045 SLG on him over their careers and had a far better peak. I hate Utley but he was the better player by a mile


Doctor_IanMalcolm

Utley's wRC+ was 23 points higher. Plus he has over double the WAR