Philadelphia Phillies: 15 best trades in franchise history
By Tim Boyle
12) Best Philadelphia Phillies trade: Johnny Callison from the White Sox.
The Phillies teams of the 1960s aren’t remembered for much more than collapsing. It’s unfortunate but the defining moment of a bleak era of baseball in Philadelphia. One of the stars on the team in those days was outfielder Johnny Callison. He would go on to slash .271/.338/.457 for the club across ten seasons while also twice leading the league in triples—something not too many fans probably would realize.
For the ill-fitted 1964 team, Callison finished second in the MVP vote. This was a season where he hit 31 home runs and drove in a career-high 104. It was his second of three All-Star appearances, too.
Callison wouldn’t have been a part of Phillies lore if not for a trade made prior to the 1960 season. Some early struggles with the Chicago White Sox led to a trade between the two clubs. The player the Phillies gave up was Gene Freese.
Freeze had only spent one year with the Phillies and actually did well, ripping 23 home runs and driving in 70. He was a quality addition to the White Sox in his one year with them, too.
Unfortunately, the 1961 season—now with the Cincinnati Reds—was Freese’s final productive and healthy campaign. He was never the same player again after an ankle injury.