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Tony Phillips, former infielder and underrated super utility man for the Oakland A's and Detroit Tigers (among others), has passed away. Our friends at Athletics Nation are covering the story well and have the details.
While we will all miss Phillips, it's this story that Jeff Passan from Yahoo! Sports tells on Twitter that captures the man and the spirit so well:
I never knew Tony Phillips well, but he gave me what may be my single favorite interview I never used in a story. I guess I'll share it now.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
So it's 2013. Mariano Rivera is retiring. I'm looking for a fresh angle, and I look back to see Mo's first strikeout victim. Tony Phillips.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
I track down his number and ask how he is. "My shit is turning like an old Ferrari. I could survive in the big leagues right now, dude."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
He was 54.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
Tony had spent the previous two years playing low-level ball. Said he didn’t get a sniff in higher-level independent leagues for a reason.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
"The independent leagues are family friendly, and they know I’d cuss a motherfucker out and hit him on his chin if he did something stupid."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
In the meantime, he was biding his time in Phoenix, where he worked with college-aged ballplayers and wanted to patent a pool heater.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
"Back in Georgia," Tony said, "when I heard about a patent, I thought you meant an Army general marching."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
Finally, we got back to Rivera, and Tony got excited. "Rivera made me famous. I’m a trivia question!"
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
He didn’t remember the strikeout. "I can’t remember yesterday. You know how old I am." He said he was a grandpa.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
And yet that never dissuaded Tony Phillips from believing that at 54 he could face Mariano Rivera one more time and get revenge.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
He was a ballplayer, a damn fine ballplayer, an underappreciated ballplayer but a ballplayer forever and ever nevertheless.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
"I would either walk or get a fucking knock," Tony said. "He ain’t gonna punch me out."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
He paused.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
"I guess," Tony said, "there’s a possibility for a cracked bat, too."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
I didn't get around to writing the story. Was chasing news or something else came up. I don’t remember. But I’ll never forget the interview.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
Tony Phillips died today. He was 56. The great diamond in the sky has no idea what's coming.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2016
I always tell our writers to add value, to give everything their own spin, their own take, to give you readers something more than what the source has given. Grant Brisbee has a lovely reflection here that exemplifies the idea. I don't know how to do what he does, or say what he's saying (and few others can be so eloquent and disarming), or how to add value to what Passan has said above.
But here's what I know about Tony Philips:
Tony Phillips was the utility guy doing the lord's work there in the dirt while the Bash Brothers were hitting dingers. You came for the dingers, but you stayed for Phillips. He's the guy you wanted to play like, he's the guy you want your kids to play like. He's who you think of when you think of what baseball is supposed to be.
Tony Phillips, you will be missed.
You can (and should) follow Jeff Passan on Twitter here. He's summarized his twitter thread on Facebook here.