Zuber Dee Duber

I remember going to a Phillies game in 1996. At this time, the role of starting first baseman did not seem to fall under any one player’s responsibility. According to Baseball Almanac, Gregg Jefferies played the most games at the corner with 53 while also playing just about the same amount of time in the outfield. Todd Zeile, usually a third baseman, played 28 and at-the-time resident utility player Kevin Jordan played 30.

At this particular game, the starting first baseman was a rookie named Jon Zuber. When Zuber’s name was announced, I remember laughing due to the uniqueness of the name and leaning over to my dad, saying “Who is this Jon Zuber guy?” Only a few months later, I remember leaning over to my dad at home while watching a game with my dad, saying “What ever happened to that Jon Zuber guy?”

That is a pretty accurate, though slightly exaggerated, depiction of Zuber’s Phillies (and major league) career, which only included two seasons (1996, 1998).

Stats
With just 68 total games played and 136 total at-bats, Zuber’s stats were adequate. In 30 games in 1996, Zuber hit for a .253 average with 23 hits, 4 doubles and 1 home run in 91 at-bats. In that season, he was used both as a left-handed pinch hitter with decent contact numbers and a first baseman. In the latter role, he served in 22 games and 181 innings with 2 errors and a .987 fielding percentage.

Zuber saw no time in 1997, spending the entire season in Scranton, and minimal time in 1998. Although being included in 38 games, eight more than in 1996, he only started in 6 and played the field at all in an extra 3. With a .244 average, 11 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs in 45 at-bats, his numbers indicated slightly less contact with slightly more power in less time.

His Brief Career
A quick glance at the roster for the 1996 Phillies will show a nearly endless list of players (54 to be exact), a hodgepodge of characters that helped put together the difficult puzzle which was that horrible 67-95 record season, the team’s second worst (full) statistical season in the past 15 years next to 2000’s 65-97. With the switch-hitting Gregg Jefferies playing multiple positions and various right-handed backups, the Phillies looked to Zuber to be a left-handed bat to play first base.

With a left-left first baseman in Rico Brogna entering the scene the following year and eventually staying until 2000 and Jefferies being relegated to left field, Zuber saw mostly minor league action, with the exception of a few opportunities at first base and left field in 1998.

Post-1998
Zuber spent three more seasons in the minors with pretty good numbers, as well as a brief stint in 2001 in the Japanese league. He currently works as an assistant baseball coach at the University of California, his alma mater.

There Can Only Be Juan...Bell

For my commencement post, I wanted to start off with one of the players who was most important in a) making me realize that I was capable at a young age of determining a bad player when I saw one and b) helping, through fault, to introduce one of my favorite Phillies of all time.

The younger brother of All-Star outfielder George Bell, Juan Bell had a very short-lived career, playing only two short seasons (1992-93) and 70 games in a Phillies uniform.

Stats
As a major leaguer from 1989-1995, Bell played only 329 games—a little more than two full seasons worth of games.

As a career hitter, Bell was only able to muster a .212 average and 177 hits. As a Phillie, he swatted 43 of those hits and topped, or bottomed out, at a lowly .203 average.

If those numbers looked bad, they were Babe-Ruth-like compared to his defensive numbers. Bell garnered 15 of his 27 career errors for Philadelphia. As the Phillies’ opening day starting shortstop in 1993, he made nine errors, which inevitably led to his being placed on waivers.

The 1993 Season
Without a steady-handed glove to stake claim at the shortstop position with Kim Batiste serving more of a backup role to Dave Hollins at third base and Mariano Duncan, the team’s opening day starter the year before, better suited for second base as Mickey Morandini's platoon, Bell got first dibs at the position.

Bell had little to no success in that title year. He logged only 13 hits and 7 RBI in those 24 games. With an important role to fill in one of the most difficult positions in the game and as the No. 8 hitter, Bell was not able to carry the weight.

As a result, the Phillies brought up a young upstart by the name of Kevin Stocker, who had never played even a game in the majors before being called upon (to read a great homage to one of the great players from that year, as well as one of the original Tampa Bay Devil Rays, read this great piece from Phillies Nation). With a .324 batting average for the year, decent speed and an adequate glove, Stocker erased all memories of Bell from the minds of fans…

…but not this one.

Personal Memories
I remember going to a game early in the 1993 season, seeing Bell play and successfully identifying the quality of his play as being below sub-par. As a 6-year-old budding Phillies fan, this was both an opportunity to both brag and feel disappointed. However, I look upon the memory of Juan Bell positively. If he had even played moderately below average, he might have stayed on the roster, possibly platooned with Duncan and Batiste. And Kevin Stocker might have just ended up being nothing more than…well…a post on this blog.

Phirst Post

I've wanted to get involved in this wonderful world we call Phillies blogging for some time. However, with so many great blogs, such as The Fightins, Phillies Nation and The 700 Level, just to name a few, I didn't want to get into the same type of content.

So I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the Phillies players that have graced the Philadelphia stage over the past 20 years or so to see if I can jog some of my and your memories. Since we all know the stars, such as Jimmy Rollins, Jim Thome, Curt Schilling and Darren Daulton, I won't spend too much time on them. I am more interested in the interim players, the lowly backups and the short-lived prospects.

To avoid running out of content, I will post once to twice a week. Most of the players will span from those from the early 1990s (when I began following the team) to present day.

The posts will give a synopsis of why I feel the individual players are interesting to profile and any memories I have regarding them. After that, I will try to present facts, including their statistics, to give an understanding of the type of impact they had while wearing red and white. I will try to keep opinions and judgments as far removed from these posts as possible.

I love this stuff, so I hope you enjoy these posts, as well.

-Steve