Atlanta Braves’ Brandon Phillips is in the Club
By Jeff Schafer
Congratulations Brandon Phillips on 2,000 Career Hits
Growing up you think it is a possibility that one day you will play baseball in the Major Leagues, but you know it is a long shot to reach the professional level. Then, when you accomplish the feat of getting to the Major Leagues and playing in your first game, the last thing on your mind is that one day you will get 2,000 career hits.
Thinking about it only 285 players all-time have had 2,000 career hits. Well, today, August 30, 2017 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves second baseman Brandon Phillips became player number 286 with 2,000 career hits when he singled in the first inning off of Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff.
However, Phillips has company in 2017 of those who have reached 2,000 career hits, as he is the twelfth active player and sixth player to achieve the mark in 2017. The others, Victor Martinez, Matt Holliday, Jose Reyes, Adrian Gonzalez and fellow Braves’ player Nick Markakis.
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Although Phillips got his 2,000 career hit as a Brave, 1,774 hits of his total hits came while with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds is also where Phillips really excelled his career. Since 2006 when he joined the Reds, up until today while playing for the Braves, Phillips ranks high among several main categories among Major League Baseball second baseman. Among those categories, Phillips ranks second in hits, fifth in home runs, fifth in stolen bases, sixth in WAR and tied for first in Gold Gloves with four.
Phillips Also Speaks His Mind
Being the respected player, and now 2,000 career hit club member, Phillips is, it is hard to make many comments back about him when he speaks his mind. That’s why when Phillips told David O’Brien of the “Atlanta Journal Constitution” that the Braves messed up after getting to a .500 record by going on an 12-27 slide before today’s games, can you fault him?
Obviously not. He is nearing the end of his career and he just wants to win. If he has to call out the play of his teammates to get them fired up for next season, so be it.
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These days in Major League Baseball, you do what you have to in order to win. Phillips has done exactly that not only this year and lately, but over his entire career and that is why he is now a 2,000 career hit member.