Bubba Phillips

Born: 2/24/1928 in West Point, MS, USA

Died: 6/22/1993 in Hattiesburg, MS, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-04-12 | Final Game: 1964-09-18

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: John Melvin Phillips

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Biography

Bubba Phillips, born in 1928, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1964. Primarily known as a position player, Phillips played in 1,062 games throughout his career, amassing 835 hits and 62 home runs. His offensive contributions included 356 RBIs, with a career batting average of .255. Additionally, he demonstrated a measure of speed on the bases, recording 25 stolen bases during his time in the league. Phillips' career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the rise of power hitters and the integration of African American players into the sport. While he may not have been a household name, his consistent performance and versatility contributed to the teams he played for, including the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and the Cleveland Indians. His legacy is that of a solid contributor in an era that laid the groundwork for the modern game, showcasing the skills and determination that defined many players of his generation.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1062	3278	348	835	135	8	62	356	25	182	314	0.255	0.297	0.358	0.655	-5720.8

Career AVG .255 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .297 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.

Career SLG .358 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 8.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.655 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1955	DET	AL	95	184	18	43	4	0	3	23	2	14	20	0.234	.258 (-10%)	.332 (-13%)	.393 (-23%)	.726 (-18%)	-657.8
1956	CHW	AL	67	99	16	27	6	0	2	11	1	6	12	0.273	.258 (+6%)	.331 (-3%)	.397 (-1%)	.728 (-2%)	-40.8
1957	CHW	AL	121	393	38	106	13	3	7	42	5	28	32	0.270	.257 (+5%)	.323 (-1%)	.391 (-5%)	.715 (-3%)	-230.2
1958	CHW	AL	84	260	26	71	10	0	5	30	3	15	14	0.273	.257 (+6%)	.324 (-5%)	.394 (-6%)	.719 (-6%)	-316.1
1959	CHW	AL	117	379	43	100	27	1	5	40	1	27	28	0.264	.256 (+3%)	.323 (-2%)	.392 (-3%)	.715 (-2%)	-195.8
1960	CLE	AL	113	304	34	63	14	1	4	33	1	14	37	0.207	.255 (-19%)	.323 (-23%)	.387 (-23%)	.711 (-23%)	-1406.0
1961	CLE	AL	143	546	64	144	23	1	18	72	1	29	61	0.264	.258 (+2%)	.328 (-7%)	.399 (+2%)	.727 (-2%)	-316.1
1962	CLE	AL	148	562	53	145	26	0	10	54	4	20	55	0.258	.257 (avg)	.326 (-11%)	.393 (-9%)	.719 (-10%)	-1277.1
1963	DET	AL	128	464	42	114	11	2	5	45	6	19	42	0.246	.246 (avg)	.308 (-11%)	.371 (-17%)	.680 (-14%)	-1307.9
1964	DET	AL	46	87	14	22	1	0	3	6	1	10	13	0.253	.250 (+1%)	.312 (+4%)	.377 (-3%)	.690 (+1%)	27.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
3	10	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.300

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1959	WS	CHA	3	10	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.300

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	1	0	0	0	0	0
3B	762	717	808	1416	92	133
OF	214	138	403	8	7	2
SS	1	0	0	0	0	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1955	DET	3B	4	4	3	9	2	1
1955	DET	OF	65	35	128	2	1	0
1956	CHA	3B	2	1	2	2	0	1
1956	CHA	OF	35	23	59	2	0	1
1957	CHA	3B	97	92	91	227	14	18
1957	CHA	OF	20	16	56	3	0	0
1958	CHA	3B	47	42	38	86	6	12
1958	CHA	OF	37	30	84	1	2	1
1959	CHA	3B	100	86	90	202	15	13
1959	CHA	OF	23	17	37	0	0	0
1960	CLE	3B	85	74	87	135	11	18
1960	CLE	OF	25	10	22	0	2	0
1960	CLE	SS	1	0	0	0	0	0
1961	CLE	3B	143	143	188	246	19	23
1962	CLE	2B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1962	CLE	3B	145	144	175	243	10	16
1962	CLE	OF	3	3	8	0	1	0
1963	DET	3B	117	112	116	226	14	26
1963	DET	OF	5	3	9	0	1	0
1964	DET	3B	22	19	18	40	1	5
1964	DET	OF	1	1	0	0	0	0