Philadelphia Phillies starting lineup of the all-time greats
By Tim Boyle
Next up for the Philadelphia Phillies we have RF Johnny Callison.
Back-to-back lefties? Am I insane? We’ve seen stranger things in Phillies lineups. And I need to pay respect to one of the great Phillies outfielders of all-time by placing him in an appropriate spot in the lineup to do what he did better than most: produce runs.
Callison played from the Phillies for 10 seasons from 1960-1969. One of the few stars they had throughout the decade, he was a three-time All-Star and the runner-up in the 1964 MVP race. If only the team didn’t collapse!
The 1960s were nothing like the days when many others on this list played. Callison’s pair of 30+ home runs, 100+ RBI seasons in 1964 and 1965 was far more notable because of how pitcher-dominant the decade tended to be.
Callison’s time with the Phillies included a .271/.338/.457 slash line, 185 home runs, and a devilish 666 RBI. An above-average fielder in his best years with the club as well, it’s an added bonus for a guy primarily known for his bat.
It’s a shame Callison never got to make it to the postseason with the Phillies or any of the other teams he played with. Regardless of this, he’s possibly the best right fielder the team ever had. Put him in a different period of time, and I have no doubt the power numbers would have soared higher. Maybe with Howard hitting in front of him, we see it happen in this fictional world.